This Item is related to Item 18 on the agenda.

Joshua Yellin as an agent for the Housing Authority of Savannah and Pennrose Properties, LLC (File No. 19-000874-ZA) is requesting approval of a rezoning map amendment for portions of a single parcel lying on both the east and west sides of Wheaton Street north of Waters Avenue, to rezone said portions from existing R-M-25 (Residential Multi-Family, 25 units per acre), R-4 (Four-Family Residential), B-C (Community-Business) and I-L (Light Industrial) zoning designations to a R-M-40 (Residential Multi-Family, 40 units per acre) designation.

However, the Planning Commission is recommending approval to rezone the property to R-M-25 as an alternative to the proposed R-M-40 (File No. 19-001847-ZA).

The subject property, as a whole, consists of a single 16.87 acre parcel located on both the east and west sides of Wheaton Street just north of Waters Avenue.  However, only 3.9 acres of the subject site is proposed to be rezoned.  The subject site is currently owned by the Housing Authority of Savannah and is improved with the River Point II housing complex.  The petitioner in this case is not the Housing Authority of Savannah but rather Pennrose Properties, LLC, a private development company based out of Philadelphia.  While it is assumed that 3.9-acre portion will be subdivided out from the remainder of the subject parcel and sold to Pennrose, this information has not been explicitly conveyed to staff.  Based on aerial photographs, it appears that approximately 22 existing River Point II units would be subject to the rezoning.  The applicant provided the attached Concept Development Plan to show a possible development, but wishes the flexibility to go in a different direction, so the rezoning does include a General Development Plan.

The subject property sits directly on a CAT transit route and is less than a 15-minute walk to downtown. There is a public interest in constructing more housing—especially affordable housing—in locations easily accessible to job centers in the historic core.  However, the requested R-M-40 zoning designation is more dense than surrounding parcels and would permit a residential density almost twice that shown on the conceptual plan.  As an alternative, the R-M-25 designation would be consistent with surrounding zoning and would still permit between 50-70 units to be constructed on-site.

On March 12, 2019 the Planning Commission voted to recommend denial of the request to rezone the subject areas from the R-4, RM-25, B-C, and I-L Zoning Districts to the R-M-40 Zoning District and alternatively recommends approval to rezone the subject area to the R-M-25 Zoning District.  This approval is contingent upon the submittal of a subdivision application for the impacted portions of the property.

The City Surveyor is reviewing the boundary description in the Draft Ordinance.

Approval based on the following condition(s):

• That the Subdivision Plat be submitted, reviewed, and approved by the City of Savannah.