By Eric Curl
Jan. 21, 2026 – The Savannah City Council is scheduled to vote Thursday on whether to approve a special use permit allowing a hotel at 2512 Habersham St., a project that has drawn sustained neighborhood opposition and raised questions about the city’s permitting process.
The request comes after the Metropolitan Planning Commission voted in December to recommend approval of the hotel, despite acknowledging that the project conflicts with recently adopted city policy restricting new hotels in the Thomas Square neighborhood.
The applicant, Vintage Home Builders LLC, is seeking a special use permit to operate a hotel with up to 21 guest rooms in the TC-1 (Traditional Commercial) zoning district. Under Savannah’s zoning ordinance, hotels with more than 15 rooms require special approval.
The property is a two-story structure built in 1930 and located within the local Thomas Square historic district. After a two-year-long effort by residents, the city expanded its Hotel Development Overlay District (HDO) in December 2025 to prohibit new hotels in Thomas Square, as well as the historic Cuyler Brownville and Victorian neighborhoods. The application for 2512 Habersham was submitted before that expansion was approved, however.
On Dec. 16, the Planning Commission voted to recommend approval of the special use permit, subject to the conditions that it be restricted to 21 guest rooms and maintain 24-hour staffing.
Planning staff cited the adaptive reuse of a historic structure and compatibility with other lodging uses in the district as reasons for supporting the project, noting that denial would still allow the building to operate by right as an inn with up to 15 rooms.
The proposal has generated significant community opposition. According to materials presented to the planning commission, more than 130 written objections were submitted, with no letters of support.
Residents raised concerns about parking, flooding, traffic, and the intensity of a 21-room hotel in a predominantly residential area. The Thomas Square Neighborhood Association formally opposed the project at its proposed scale, supporting only the smaller, by-right inn option with fewer rooms and round-the-clock supervision.
“I mean, they’ve really just shoved as many beds in this place as you can, and there’s zero amenities for community,” Jason Combs, who was vice president of the neighborhood association at the time, said at the December MPC meeting.
Permitting Complications
The city council will have to consider a complicated permitting history for the project.
Developer Michael Condon said at the December MPC meeting that the project was always intended to be a hotel and that the city’s failure to identify the special use permit requirement earlier placed them in this situation the building is approximately 75-80% complete, with framing, insulation, and sprinkler systems installed.
However, according to City Manager Jay Melder’s recent memo to the city council, the property’s development path has included conflicting designations as apartments, an inn, and a hotel over several years of review. A building permit issued in 2022 ultimately listed the proposed use as “hotel/motel,” but zoning records at times reflected multifamily use, despite the absence of kitchens and minimum floor area required for apartments under the zoning code.
City staff acknowledged that building and zoning reviews were not always aligned and that the special use permit requirement was not identified until the applicant sought to revise plans in 2025, about three years into construction. As a result, the city is now moving to revise its permitting system to more clearly distinguish between building code occupancy and zoning use classifications, with changes expected by mid-2026, Melder said.
Despite the MPC’s recommendation, the city manager’s memo advises the city council to deny the special use permit.
Melder’s memo argues that approving the request would undermine the intent of the Hotel Development Overlay adopted in December and could grant preferential treatment to a project that advanced under inconsistent permitting interpretations. Melder said that the project was originally submitted as apartments and later approved as an inn, and that allowing it to now operate as a hotel would be inequitable to other property owners subject to the overlay restrictions.
Find the Savannah City Council’s full agenda at Agenda Plus – January 22, 2026 City Council Regular Meeting.
If you find value in this website, please consider contributing above or via Paypal to help cover the costs. You can also send contributions via Venmo @Savannah_Agenda. Your support, no matter how much you give, is appreciated and will help ensure the future viability of this community resource. You can also show your support by subscribing below and sharing Savannah Agenda with others via email or social media. Increasing readership is critical to the long-term success of this site.
Check out Savannah Agenda’s latest newsletter>
TOP POSTS
Is the property owned by Mr. Notrica?
No. It is owned by developer Michael Condon.