Whether it’s winter or spring, or both at the same time, our community’s future is continuously up for debate. Check out the latest Week Ahead column to see what’s on the agenda.
Stay Engaged Savannah,
Eric Curl / Feb. 19, 2023
The Pooler City Council is meeting Tuesday.
The agenda includes a nonprofit’s request to manufacture infant formula at 5212 Old Louisville Road. Mana Nutrition manufactures the infant formula to feed malnourished children around the world, according to the staff report. The Pooler Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval of the request at the Feb. 13 meeting.
More TSPLOST talks … The council discussed potential TSPLOST projects at their planning retreat on Feb. 2, according to the meeting minutes. That discussion comes after Chatham Area Transit approved a potential TSPLOST project list in January, after voters rejected the proposed 1% sales tax for transportation related projects last year.
The Historic Preservation Commission is meeting Wednesday.
The agenda includes consideration of a six-month extension for a previous approval of the rehab of the vacant 1920s-era gas station at 410 East 37th St. The extension request comes after the building’s new owner, Atlanta-based Train Track Investments, submitted renovation plans that would accommodate food truck service at the site.
Bar and dog park proposed for former barber shop
The commission will also consider alterations of 2302 Bull St., the former Boys II Men barber shop building that may be converted into a restaurant and bar with a dog park. After submitting a business application for the restaurant in August, Wendy Rossi said in an interview with Savannah Agenda that the business idea was inspired by similar establishments such as the BrewHound Dog Park + Bar in Jacksonville, Fla. Staff is recommending approval.
Montgomery Street petitions
In addition, the commission will consider design details for three, 3-to-4-story multi-family buildings at 1825 Montgomery St.
The commission will also consider design details for two, 3-story mixed-use buildings at 2613 Montgomery St.
Private Club at 32nd & Habersham
The commission will also consider height and mass, along with the design details, for a new, 3-story, mixed-used building at Habersham and East 32nd streets. The project as proposed contains a restaurant with dining mezzanine and lobby on the ground floor, 11 single room occupancy residences on the second floor, and meeting rooms and exterior terrace on the third floor.
The property owner, former state representative Craig Gordon, said last July that he envisions the building as a private club for small business entrepreneurs, as reported by Savannah Agenda. The members could congregate and collaborate, similar to the international club Soho House and Atlanta’s Gathering Spot, Gordon said.
Staff is recommending approval with conditions.
The Savannah Zoning Board of Appeals is meeting Thursday.
The agenda was not available as of Sunday evening.
The Savannah City Council is meeting Thursday.
The agenda includes the second of two public hearings concerning the proposed impact fee ordinance, along with council consideration of the impact fee’s adoption. If the ordinance is approved, the council will consider the proposed project list that would be funded by the fee.
To learn more about the ordinance, including the benefits and downsides of impact fees, read Will Peebles article about the proposal in the Savannah Morning News.
Two Tides Brewing owner’s diner plans
The agenda also includes a petition to rezone 1401 Paulsen, where Two Tides Brewing owner Liz Massey is planning to open a diner and microbrewery. The Metropolitan Planning Commission recommended approval of the rezoning request last month, while also supporting Massey’s request for a special-use permit to allow a microbrewery to operate at the location.
Property donation
In addition, the city council will consider accepting Figure 8 LLC’s donation of almost 38 acres at 2100 Little Neck Road near the Intersection of New Hampstead Parkway for a future public safety site. The New Hampstead neighborhood is a highly active area of development within the city that requires additional public safety facilities in order to maintain current emergency response times, according to the staff report. Figure 8 is a subsidiary of Alpharetta-based Preserve Communities.
The proposed donation comes after the city’s recent loss of almost two acres on Hutchinson Island, which had been donated in 2016 for a public safety facility that has yet to be built, as reported last week by Savannah Agenda.
Recognition of Mamie George Williams
The council will also consider approval of the installation of a Historical Marker on Public Property in Dixon Park to commemorate suffragist, community leader and Savannah native Mamie George Williams. As reported by Savannah Agenda last month, GHS Marker Manager Elyse Butler said the marker petition is one of the latest applications as GHS experiences an increase in efforts to recognize female and African American historical figures.
“We do encourage applications for these under represented, under told stories,” Butler said.
Replacing rot for recreation
The agenda also includes notification of a $76,820 emergency purchase to remove multiple baseball field lights at the Guy Minick Complex that were installed more than 20 years ago. The removal comes after an inspection revealed several light poles showing rot at the bottom and damage at the top caused by birds, according to the staff report.
The Tybee Island City Council is meeting Thursday.
The agenda is available to view. Tybee Attorney Bubba Hughes is scheduled to give an update on 708 Butler St., where Christopher Koncul is planning a 10-lot residential subdivision that includes the historic McNeal cottage. On Jan. 12, the city council authorized the city manager to sign an agreement “when everything is finalized” with the developer to protect the cottage and trees on the site, while restricting the development to single-family homes, according to the meeting minutes. However, the city had some some concerns with the infrastructure plans (road, water, sewer) for the development, which need to be signed prior to the infrastructure permit being issued, according to the Jan. 26 minutes.
Koncul told me via email on Jan. 21 that once the City of Tybee approves the infrastructure permit (road, water, sewer, etc.) at the staff level he will sign the home over into a facade easement and the tree areas into a conservation easement. Meanwhile, Koncul has gotten the necessary approvals from the Department of Natural Resources and Department of Transportation
“I believe we are almost there …” he said. “It’s a paperwork thing at this point with all i’s dotted and t’s crossed.”
#StayEngagedSavannah
[email-subscribers-form id=”1″]
If you find value in this website, please consider contributing via Paypal to help cover the costs. You can also send contributions via Venmo @Eric-Curl and via CashApp at $ECrl77. 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 sharing Savannah Agenda with others via email or social media by clicking the icons below. Increasing readership is critical to the long-term success of this site.