March 4, 2025
We Savannahians are witnessing a sustained degradation of the very qualities that make our Downtown Historic District unique and a national treasure. Ever more inappropriate development is proposed every few weeks. We at the Oglethorpe Plan Coalition, Inc. are dedicated to addressing these threats and protecting the Downtown Savannah National Historic District.
In This Issue:
Street Talk
Monumental Commercial Office Complex Coming to Forsyth Park
Behemoth Maybe-It’s-a-Hotel at 20-24 East Oglethorpe
Partial Demolition of Contributing Structure Continues at 201 West Jones
Monthly Oglethorpe Plan Coalition (OPC) Volunteers Meeting
Street Talk:
Monumental Commercial Office Complex Coming to Forsyth Park
Welcome to the end of Forsyth Park as you have known and loved it.
The Metropolitan Planning Commission (MPC) is aggressively pushing a proposal for a 400-plus underground car garage to support a monumental three-building private office complex overlooking the southwest corner of the park. The underlying property owners and their agents, who overlap with the development group, include high-profile donors to the campaigns of the Mayor and many of the individual city aldermen. The public has spoken against this project since its inception, but the proponents of this project, including the City, SEDA and the MPC, do not seem to value the public’s opinion.
The project will be reviewed under the provisions of the Victorian District Historic Overlay at the Historic Preservation Commission on March 26, 2025 at 2 PM at 112 East State Street. Consider attending in person and/or submitting a comment. Public comments letters should be addressed to mellonj@thempc.org. Here’s the link to the agenda item: https://www.thempc.org/eagenda/x/hpc/2025/march-26-2025-historic-preservation-commission-meeting/6045_37435.pdf
The OPC is not directly involved in this matter at this stage as our primary focus is on the National Historic Landmark District, which is north of Gwinnett Street. If you would like to connect with individuals and groups opposed to the project, please reach out to the Forsyth Park Community Alliance. https://fpcasavannah.com
Unfortunately, an agent of one of the property owners sits on the board of the Victorian Neighborhood Association (VNA). Consequently, other groups, such as the Forsyth Park Community Alliance, are more likely to help you oppose the project.
Neighbors of the project have noted that the traffic and noise which the project will generate will overwhelm this established, historic, pedestrian friendly residential neighborhood. They believe it will have grave consequences for the southwest quadrant of the Downtown Historic District as well, even though the project is just outside the technical boundary.
Behemoth Maybe-It’s-a-Hotel at 20-24 East Oglethorpe, Continued
On Wednesday, February 12, 2025, the Historic District Review Board (HDBR) reviewed an application for a massive 6-story structure proposed at 20-24 East Oglethorpe Avenue, 73 feet high and over 80 feet across. The HDBR expressed concern about the mass and height not being visually compatible and the mass not being consistent with the large-scale development rules. The HDBR “continued” the application, allowing the applicant to revise its design accordingly and present at an upcoming hearing.
In the hearing, the architect stated that the Ballastone Inn, the immediate next-door neighbor supported the project. A member of the HDBR countered that one of the letters in opposition was from the Ballastone.
Another member of the HDBR asked if the roof decks were permitted (They are not.). The architect responded that she did not know what the roof deck rules were.
Counsel for the owner dismissed the letters from the public because some of them drew their language from a form letter. Counsel suggested he would use AI to generate whatever letters the HDBR wanted to show support for the project.
Public testimony pointed out a misrepresentation in the application. Such a misrepresentation should have required an automatic denial and the submittal of a new application with truthful information. The application stated that the owner was a hotel operator, while the actual owner is an LLC.
We express much thanks to all the OPC supporters who sent in letters. Despite counsel’s attempt to ridicule it, the public outcry was a significant factor in the board’s review.
Unfortunately, the HDBR spent very little time addressing the lot recombination which it summarily approved, thereby allowing the owner to destroy an original tithing lot line of the original four wards dating to Savannah’s founding in 1733. One purpose of the rules on recombinations is to prevent the combination of lots for large buildings, such as hotels.
We will alert you as this project develops.
Partial Demolition of Contributing Structure Continues at 201 West Jones
Last year, the HDBR and ZBA approved the demolition of most of the rear portion of a contributing structure at 201 West Jones Street. The OPC opposed the proposal because the demolition destroyed character-defining features of the building and was not reversible.
The application and subsequent MPC staff reports described most the rear as not being original. Similar assertions were made at the ZBA.
Above is a photo of the demolition at 201 West Jones Street. Under the third floor, which is surfaced with finished brick, are several courses of rough brick (not intended for external use). In those courses one sees various holes where wooden beams attached.
This photo clearly shows that the majority of the rear portion of the building (now demolished) was part of the original 1850s structure. The MPC continues to disagree, despite the newly revealed evidence.
Monthly Oglethorpe Plan Coalition (OPC) Volunteers Meeting
The OPC is a volunteer group, and we want you! Please contact us at opc.preservation@gmail.com if you would like to get involved. We will have a meeting on Sunday, April 6, at 7PM. Please contact us at the above email with your contact information if you are interested in attending. Capacity is limited.