This zoning hearing was continued from the City Council Meetings of April 12, 26, May 10, and June 21 (File No. 18-000956-ZA). The Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) will hear a variance request (File No. 18-003663-ZBA) to allow for double pane windows in this historic building at its August 23 Meeting as the Public Notice Sign was not posted for the July 26 Meeting. 

The primary reason for requesting double pane windows is to mitigate noise on Bay and Drayton streets and to provide additional energy efficiency. On June 13, the Savannah Historic District Board of Review (SHDBR) voted to recommend approval of the variance request to the ZBA (File No. 18-002685-COA) of Philip McCorkle for 7 Drayton Hotel LLC (Petitioner), requesting approval of Marvin double-pane windows on floors 2 through 5. The proposed windows are one-over-one, constructed of wood, and will have a black spacer bar between the glazing.  Approximately 65% of the original wood window frames (not sashes) still exist in the building. They are proposed to be retained and reused.

As requested by the Mayor and Aldermen, the petitioner held a stakeholder meeting on April 20, and the windows were available for the public to review at an on open house on April 18. This resulted in the petitioner modifying the initial request.

The petitioner is requesting approval of a text amendment to the Savannah Historic District (Sec 8-3030(l)(1)) to allow a determination from U.S.. Department of the Interior to determine consistency with the Secretary of the Interior Standards, Visual Compatibility Criteria, and Design Standards regarding alternative materials on buildings five stories or greater. The intent of the text amendment is to allow double pane, aluminum-clad windows as replacement windows in historic buildings in specific circumstances.

The petition concerns the American Building, located at 7 Drayton Street, which was constructed in 1915 and is a contributing building within the Savannah National Historic Landmark District. The building has been undergoing renovation for several years.

The previous property owner removed the windows in 2016 and boarded up the openings without approval. The building was subsequently sold to the current owners, who are unable to locate the historic windows that were removed.

In 2017 the architect applied to replace the windows, and it was denied by the HDBR. The architect subsequently applied to the ZBA to appeal the HDBR’s decision, and request a variance from the standard which requires that replacement windows match the original windows. The ZBA upheld the HDBR's decision and denied the appeal, and denied the variance request.

The proposed text amendment before City Council is as follows: On structures of five stories or more, a determination by the U.S.. Department of the Interior that a proposed exterior architectural feature will meet the Secretary of the Interior’s Standard for Rehabilitation when complete is a decision that: (a) the proposed historical and exterior architectural features of the historic structure reviewed by the U.S.. Department of the Interior are consistent with the Standards and Guidelines and preserve the historical and exterior architectural features of the historic structure as required by Section 8-3030(l)(1); (b) the exterior architectural feature satisfies the visual compatibility requirements of Section 8- 3030(m)(7); and (c) the exterior architectural feature is approved as an alternative material pursuant to Section 8-3030(n), Design Standards.

Continue to the August 30, 2018 City Counil Meeting.