By Eric Curl
May 9, 2026 – The Pooler City Council approved a rezoning request on Monday for a 124-acre tract off Canal Bank Court that could bring a 303-unit residential development to the western edge of the city, despite opposition from nearby residents concerned about traffic, flooding and density.
The council voted to rezone the property at 1400 Canal Bank Court from Residential Agriculture to R-3A Multifamily Residential, clearing the way for a development consisting of townhomes, single-family detached homes and cluster-style homes on what is known as the Monroe Tract.
The project, proposed by the Foram Group and owned by Little Neck Partners LLC, would be built on about 124 acres, though about 90 acres of the site is undevelopable wetlands that limit development to the western portion of the property. Planning staff said the tract lacks direct access to a right-of-way from Pooler, so the developer plans to route access through adjacent property it owns in Savannah, connecting the development to Little Neck Road instead of Canal Bank Road.
During the May 4 meeting, City Manager Heath Lloyd said the proposal would add housing inventory while concentrating development on upland areas.
Attorney Robert McCorkle, representing the property owner, described the project as “low density” compared to what the zoning district would allow.
“The density on this project equates to about 2.5 units per net residential acre,” McCorkle told council. “The zoning allows for 12 units an acre, so we’re about a fifth of what’s permitted under the actual zoning.”
According to the staff report, the development would include a mix of one-, two- and three-story residential products, with townhomes likely including parking underneath. The conceptual design plan also shows large preserved open space areas and wetlands remaining untouched on the site.
Planning staff recommended approval, noting the site is designated residential on Pooler’s future land use map and that access from Little Neck Road would reduce impacts on nearby neighborhoods. The Planning and Zoning Commission also recommended approval.
The applicant cited a Georgia Tech housing study showing Chatham County faces a projected eight-year housing deficit of 17,626 units, with annual production of about 2,203 units.
Residents who submitted letters opposing the rezoning raised concerns about increased traffic, strain on infrastructure, flooding and the compatibility of higher-density housing with the surrounding rural residential area. The staff report acknowledged the proposal could spur similar rezoning requests nearby but concluded the impacts would be limited because the property would remain residential in nature.
Planning staff also noted that wetlands would create a natural buffer between the new development and surrounding Residential Agriculture properties, with additional required landscape buffers along neighboring parcels and the canal.
As part of the proposal, the developer has discussed donating land for a future Pooler fire station on the portion of the property located within Savannah city limits, which staff said would improve emergency access and response times.
The rezoning does not approve final construction plans. Any future development will still require site plan review and infrastructure approvals from the city.
The vote came during the May 4 Pooler City Council meeting. Mayor Karen Williams presided over the meeting with council members Wesley Bashlor, Shannon Valim, Aaron Henry and John Wilcher present. Council members Michael Carpenter and Tom Hutcherson were absent.
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