The petitioner, Harold and Josh Yellin for Chatham County Hospital Authority, is requesting to rezone 5414 Skidaway Rd from the R-6 (One-Family Residential) Zoning District to O-I (Office-Institutional) for the development of a new medical office facility for The Savannah Speech & Hearing Center.

The subject site is located approximately 250 ft. south of DeRenne Ave. The intersection of Skidaway and DeRenne features a number of neighborhood-business uses, including a gas station, book store and upholstery shop. Two churches are located along this portion of Skidaway Road.

The intent and purpose of the O-I (Office-Institutional) district is to allow office uses as well as a limited number of other non-residential uses that are compatible with an office environment, and to serve as a transition between residential areas and more intensive commercial uses.

The Chatham County-Savannah Comprehensive Plan Future Land Use Map (FLUM) designates the subject property as Commercial – Neighborhood, which is defined as, “nodal and strip business areas that are within predominately residential areas and are developed at a scale and intensity compatible with adjacent residential uses.” As the O-I district is intended to serve as a transitional district between intense commercial areas and residential areas, the proposed rezoning is consistent with the FLUM designation. The O-I district along this portion of Skidaway is appropriate given the commercial uses to the north and residential/institutional uses to the south and west.

On August 7, 2018, the Planning Commission voted to recommend approval of the rezoning of the 1.91 acre parcel from R-6 to O-I.

Approval as The Savannah Speech & Hearing Center needs a larger and more up-to-date facility; and the proposed zoning district of O-I will protect the residential areas and is consistent with the Future Land Use Map designation of Commercial – Neighborhood.