By Eric Curl
Jan. 13, 2025 – In addition to meeting agendas, I enjoy reading meeting minutes to see what may have been missed by the media that I think warrants coverage. This is what I found.
Savannah continues reign as regional water provider
The city of Savannah continues to serve as much of Chatham County’s water supplier and recently agreed to provide Port Wentworth with more of the precious resource to accommodate the city’s anticipated growth. Port Wentworth’s allocation will increase from 1.8 million gallons per day to 2.1 million gallons per day in 2026, under the agreement approved by the Savannah City Council on Dec. 19. At the same meeting, the city council also approved a water and sewer agreement with Great Dane for the engineering technology center, consisting of an office building, a research & development center and a simulator on Technology Drive – providing enough to serve 53 residential units at a cost of $227,324.50 being paid by the developer. The agreements come following city council’s approval in September of an almost $12.6 million contract to upgrade the Industrial & Domestic Water Treatment Plant. The upgrades are part of the city’s plan to expand the plant’s treatment capacity and reduce the amount of groundwater it withdraws by 2025, as mandated by the state to prevent saltwater intrusion, even as area growth and development is increasing demand, as previously reported. And speaking of the growing demand for water, environmental advocates and economic developers recently reached an agreement over water rights at the site of Hyundai’s electric vehicle plant in Bryan County near Savannah, as reported by Benjamin Payne for GPB.
The cost of trash
In addition, the city council also agreed in December to purchase about 25 acres next to the Dean Forest Landfill for $3.35 million. While the site’s appraised market value was $2.92 million, the property is “strategic for future buffer and other purposes,” according to a staff report.
Chatham County tries something new
While the city of Savannah has allowed single-room occupancy (SRO) since the new zoning ordinance was adopted in 2019, Chatham County does not allow the housing type. That may change, with the county commission’s recent approval of a “pilot” project in which a developer will convert a former motel into an apartment building near the I-95 interchange with Abercorn. The efficiency 1-room units would not be subsidized, but the rental rates would be below the average due to their size for singles and couples (who can handle living in such a confined space.) If proved successful, the county may adopt their own SRO definition for similar projects in the future. Read the full story>