On Our Radar: Savannah council makes zoning decision on prominent apartment proposal
The Savannah Morning News is launching a new weekly series titled "On Our Radar" to cover various events, decisions or updates to issues in Savannah. The goal is to provide space for stories that we may not typically cover during the week but could still be of service to residents.
If you have neighborhood updates, organization events or news tips you think could be of service to Savannahians send them to elasseter@savannahnow.com. Also reach out if there are stories here you would like to know more about. Deadline for the On Our Radar series will be the end of each Friday.
The first installment features Savannah City Council's vote on a zoning petition for a proposed apartment development that has received a lot of attention. There is also a look into the future site of a Chatham County sports facility and recent work by Housing Savannah Inc.
Two key zoning decisions
Two rezoning petitions went before Savannah City Council on Thursday, both of which the Savannah Morning News has followed in the lead up to their appearance before council. The first was the Foram Development LLC proposed apartment development at East Gwinnett and Broad Streets.
Council voted to deny the rezoning on a 6-3 vote even after an updated proposal received recommendations for approval from Metropolitan Planning Commission staff, the Planning Commission and City Manager Jay Melder. However, those recommendations were given with a lengthy set of conditions.
The plan would have brought about 180 market-rate units to the largely vacant lot on the eastern borders of Savannah's core. The petition received opposition from preservation groups such as Historic Savannah Foundation and The Oglethorpe Plan Coalition due to plans to demolish four historic-age duplexes on the property.
District 2 Alderman Detric Leggett, who represents the area where the development was proposed, said the petition ultimately had "too many moving parts." There was widespread opposition at the MPC and at council, and Leggett also had concerns about the plans for underground parking garage, he said.
Leggett said he is not opposed to housing apartments on the site in the future, but it needs to be the right development.
The other zoning decision was for a mixed-use planned development on Little Neck Road near Ogeechee Road. Council unanimously approved the petition which will bring over 800-units of housing over eight years to the 275-acre property.
Keller PODPlan by savannahnow.com on Scribd
The petition was passed unanimously by council with no opposition during the public hearing. In addition to the housing, which will be broken down into about 500 multifamily units and 300 senior living units, there will also be a retail village.
During its run in the MPC, the proposal received concerns about road infrastructure in the area. City and county leaders have expressed their intent to address those concerns, which could include the widening of Little Neck Road.
Site chosen for county sports complex
The Chatham County Board of Commissioners selected a site for an indoor sports complex Friday, opting for a south Chatham location known as Southchase. The site is 16 acres next to the Lowe’s Home Improvement store off Abercorn Street near Windsor Forest.
The sports complex was allotted $17 million in the county's Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax 7 referendum. The money will be used for design and site development. The full site is estimated to cost $55 million.
The county tabbed a consultant 2022 in to provide design options. The product included options for a 4-6 court gymnasium, a 12-court gymnasium, and a 6-court gymnasium with a 200M indoor track. Specific design concepts will be decided on at a future date.
The county leaders also considered two other sites for the complex: one in Port Wentworth and another at Tom Tripplett Park. A site analysis done by a consultant found the Southchase site had the highest score based on an array of criteria including proximity to other amenities and synergy with community surroundings.
Local "YIMBY" Movement?
Housing Savannah Inc., the nonprofit supporting the Savannah Affordable Housing Fund and attainable housing initiatives, recently kicked off a "Yes In My Backyard" group to gather pro-housing residents.
"Yes In My Backyard" is a play on the prominent "Not In My Backyard" movement, where developments are often opposed by those who live in the area. For a YIMBY movement, the goal would be to increase the local housing supply, even in the neighborhoods where you live.
The group's first meeting was held on May 1 and featured an introduction to the YIMBY concept while sharing lists of housing-related terms and a reading list. The group then met on Tuesday to discuss attainable housing and Civic Center site redevelopment.
If you want updates on when the group will meet in the future, you can sign-up for their e-mail list here.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Savannah news update: Rezoning request for apartment proposal denied
