This story is part of First City Progress, a weekly series looking at development in Savannah and the Coastal Empire. If there are projects you’re curious about, email Zoe at znicholson@gannett.com
Infill development — the revision of existing, urban lots for contemporary needs — can be a blessing and a curse for a city like Savannah, where blight and vacant properties drag property values down, but the redevelopment of said properties can create adverse affects on the existing, low-income communities.
A sweep of new developments coming to the downtown historic district will provide housing, parking and commercial space. Several of the projects drew the ire of residents and property owners in the historic district when heard at a Sept. 14 meeting of the Historic District Review Board, but most were approved.
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Thomas Weihs Haus carriage house project denied
222 E. Gwinnett Street
A petition to renovate and expand a carriage house at the Thomas Weihs Haus Bed and Breakfast on East Gwinnett Street was denied by the board, based on recommendation of Metropolitan Planning Commission staff.
The owners of the historic home want to add a caretaker’s cottage on the property, and cited historical maps to show there have been additional dwelling units on the property before. But, staff recommended denial of the project because the design was not compatible with the historic district’s aesthetic.
“Because the work is not visually compatible and does not meet the preservation standards and does not meet design standards,” said MPC planner James Zerillo.
The petitioners argued that the designs presented to the board were not their most recent applications, and accused the MPC staff of discrimination.
“We filed an internal discrimination complaint against the staff at the MPC because of bias. As you will see, the review process of our applications was not treated equally,” petitioner Michael Gronebaum said.
Gronebaum said the carriage house they are seeking to renovate has already been changed so much that it does not fit with historic standards, and their designs are compatible with the rest of the property, namely the Weis House.
“The Carriage House structure contains some historic material, but overall it is not a historic building as it has been severely altered,” Gronebaum told board members during his presentation.
The petition was denied, with no mention by the board or MPC members of the discrimination complaint.
Controversial Barnard Street home approved
336 Barnard Street
Plans to build a luxury single-family home on a subdivided tything lot have become a lightning rod for downtown residents wanting to preserve the Oglethorpe Plan. At the meeting, the board heard part two of plans for the 5,000-square-foot home, which focused on design details. Plans for the nearly $4 million home were approved by the board.
The house is off Pulaski Square and will be three stories and an ode to the historic architecture of the city. Early versions of plans included a fourth story, but it was removed.
The project will replace a cinderblock rowhouse. “A family will be moving in and it actually replaces four rental units, so it’s actually a reduction of density to the district,” Christian Sottile, the home’s architect, told the board last week.
Several residents spoke in opposition to the project because of where its located — many adherents to the historic Oglethorpe Plan oppose subdividing tything lots for residential construction — and the “heavy ornamentation” of the design.
“It’s a collection of pieces from buildings of all disparate periods and it conflicts with Pulaski Ward’s refined Greek Revival and Italianate dwellings,” Andrew Jones, a resident opposed to the project, said during public comment.
Drawings provided for the meeting include plans for four bedrooms, a two-car garage, courtyard, and a rooftop terrace and spa on the third floor.
Although several residents opposed the project, much of the opposition dealt with matters out of the board’s purview — height and mass had already been approved, as well as the lot’s subdivision.
The project did prompt the Historic District Board of Review to set up a community meeting to address whether policy changes should be made to the lot subdivision process, since it is a staff-level decision.
“There’s gonna be a public meeting for anybody that wants to come and give comment on record in regards to changing the ordinance in regards to the minor subdivisions, accessory dwellings, all of that,” HDRB Chairwoman Ellie Isaacs said. “It’s on September 30 in this room (112 E. State St.) at 10 o’clock in the morning.”
Townhomes coming to Ellis Square
301 W. York Street
A former law office will be converted into six townhomes on West York Street, just off Ellis Square in the hub of the downtown entertainment district.
Jones, who spoke out against several projects up for a vote, said the townhomes also fly in the face of the Oglethorpe plan, since there are two townhouses along the lane-fronting side of the parcel, when it should be carriage houses.
“Common sense and public policy dictate that this application must be denied, and the petitioner should come back with a two-story carriage house proposal with parking below and affordable housing units above,” Jones said during public comment.
Plans indicate that all units will be three stories with four bedrooms and four-and-a-half baths. A communal, courtyard patio will face the adjacent lane.
The project was approved with several conditions, including an agreement for the developer to work with the adjacent property owner to discuss water run-off.
Apartments slated across from Colonial Cemetery
302 E. Oglethorpe Ave.
A developer is seeking to build an apartment building across the street from Colonial Park Cemetery.
The existing building is a one-story, non-contributing office building that will be demolished for the project. Wesley Chapel Trinity was originally built on the site in 1812 before the Methodist congregation moved to Telfair Square.
The four-story building will house 10 units ranging from one to three bedrooms, according to submitted plans. A small garage with space for 10 cars will also be built.
The developers, J. Elder Studio, worked with the Historic Savannah Foundation and MPC to redesign parts of the building façade so it will blend with the neighboring buildings and resemble a residential property.
“I think it’s a great example of how Savannah can move forward and bring in a contemporary design that still fits in and blends in well, and I’m not opposed to Savannah moving forward at all,” downtown resident Sabrina Nagel said during public comment. “I think it’s a good example of something that is well located and appropriate.”
The project was unanimously approved.
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Seven-story hotel next to Abe’s on Lincoln a-go
220 E. Bryan Street
Another controversial project, the hotel slated for the former Georgia Bureau of Investigation building on East Bryan Street was approved, with several conditions to ensure the design fits in with the fabric of the area and construction does not disturb nearby historic structures.
The hotel will be seven stories and neighbor venerable watering hole Abe’s on Lincoln. The developer has worked with staff and downtown residents to redesign the project and make it blend better with Savannah’s architectural style.
“We’ve all talked about how far this design has come, which it has. I think it can go so much further, especially when we look at projects we just approved on Oglethorpe and how that so well marries into the surrounding structures and historic buildings. I still think they could go further,” said Michael Higgins, HDBR board member.
“The Tempo Hotel” will take up about half of a city block and includes ground-floor retail opportunities. A Hilton-branded hotel, the project is being built by an Atlanta-based developer. The 1970s building on the lot will be demolished.
The project has been in the works since at least 2016, according to a timeline provided in meeting documents, and has gone through several iterations to make it compatible with the historic district’s standards, according to board chair Isaacs.
But, concerns about how construction will impact historical buildings — particularly Abe’s on Lincoln, which was opened in the 1700s — prompted the board to require the developer to conduct engineering studies to ensure construction does not cause structural damage to neighboring properties.
“My main concern is the encroachment of how close it is to the adjacent historic buildings,” Isaacs said.
Robotic parking garage approved near First Bryan Church
11 Jefferson St.
A project to turn a vacant parking lot into a four-story, automated parking garage has several people on edge about how the futuristic development will fit into Savannah’s historic district.
The property is located at 11 Jefferson St. off Franklin Square. It is currently a private parking lot next to The Little Crown Pie Society’s shop, on the edge of City Market.
The petitioner, Pantheon ADC, presented a project that looks like two separate buildings, constructed in the style of the historic district, but is a façade to hide a Robotics parking garage. Robotics is a company that can park 220 cars per house using an automated lift to self-park cars. Drivers exit their vehicles before parking, and retrieve them in the same way. A kiosk is used for drivers to input their information into the garage’s system.
“You put in your information about your car, the door closes and it takes the car and parks it for you. It just slides it into a conveyor system,” explained James Colucci with Pantheon ADC.
Commercial space will take up the ground floor, according to Colucci.
Travis Coles, the general manager of Club One, said the business is concerned about a back up of traffic, particularly in the evenings, if entrance to the garage is on the lanes. “The traffic downtown and parking can get very hairy,” Coles said.
Club One also sustained structural damage when a nearby hotel was being constructed, prompting similar concerns from Rev. Thurmond Tillman of First African Baptist, a church with a 300-year-old congregation that sits on Franklin Square.
“Our property, which was erected in 1859, its structural impact… that digging, the pounding, the power driving all of those things, how does that affects our church?” Tillman questioned.
The developer agreed to conduct studies to ensure construction does not interfere with other properties, but fears from the board and Tillman were not assuaged.
“You can’t replace that building,” Tillman said of the church. “That’s our concern.”
Zoe covers growth and how it impacts communities in the Savannah area. Find her at znicholson@gannett.com, @zoenicholson_ on Twitter, and @zoenicholsonreporter on Instagram.
