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September 8, 2022 City Council Regular Meeting
Title
16. Petition of Robert McCorkle on behalf of Riverview President Street, LLC to Amend the Zoning Map for 925 and 1301 East President Street and a Portion of Tybee Depot (PINs 20014 04001, 20006 04001A, and 20006 04001) from I-L (Light Industrial) to D-CBD (Downtown-Community Business District) with Conditions in Aldermanic District 2. The Planning Commission denied this request and presented an alternative to rezone to D-C with conditions (File No. 22-002294-ZA).
Strategic Priority
Economic Strength And Poverty Reduction
Description

The petitioner is requesting to rezone the subject parcels from I-L (Light Industrial) to the D-CBD (Downtown Central Business) zoning classification for the purpose of establishing a yet to be determined mixed-use development.

 

The subject parcels are on the south side of President Street between Randolph Street and the Bilbo Canal. The easternmost property is vacant but had most recently been developed with a congregate living facility which was demolished in 2015. The center parcel, and largest of the three, had been used as an industrial site but is now also vacant. The westernmost parcel is a portion of the former Tybee Depot property which was owned by the City of Savannah.

 

The recommended D-C zoning district was established to accommodate commercial, residential and mixed-use development in areas of the downtown that have a business focus but are outside of the Central Business District and Waterfront areas. Uses in this district are generally less intensive than those found in the D-CBD and D-W districts, but more intensive than those found in the D-R district.

 

The MPC noted that the Downtown districts do not include some of the typical development standards such as height, building coverage and setbacks since they are typically governed by the historic overlay. In addition, other considerations included the development’s impact on the adjacent church (Exhibit 3) and existing residential uses as well as it serving as a gateway to the Savanah Historic District. To address these concerns, MPC recommended conditions for the rezoning related to the development process and building height.

 

In 2022, the applicant entered into a development agreement with the City of Savannah (Exhibit 4) in which a portion of the westernmost property is part of a property exchange to permit the City improve the canal supporting the Bilbo drainage basin.

Recommendation
The Planning Commission recommended denial of the petitioner’s initial request to rezone 925 and 1301 East President Street and a Portion of Tybee Depot (PINs 20014 04001, 20006 04001A, and 20006 04001) from I-L (Light Industrial) to D-CBD (Downtown-Community Business District).  Instead, they recommended approval of an alternative motion to rezone the property to the D-C (Downtown-Commercial) under the following conditions:
 
  1. A general master plan, which may be done in phases, shall be required to come back to the Metropolitan Planning Commission prior to a site development plan approval. The MPC shall approve the master plan upon a finding that the uses are permitted and that the project conforms to the applicable development standards.
  2. No building taller than five (5) stories or fifty (50) feet in height shall be constructed within 100 feet of a property line shared with a residential or institutional use existing at the date of zoning adoption (Exhibit 3).
  3. Large Hotels, Event Space and Continuing Care Facility as defined in the Zoning Ordinance shall be permitted by right.

 

Contact
Bridget Lidy, Senior Director, Planning and Urban Design
Financial Impact
N/A
Review Comments
Attachments
Exhibit 1: MPC Recommendation Packet for 925 & 1301 E. President and Portions of Tybee Depot (File No. 22-002294-ZA).pdf
Exhibit 2: Maps for 925 & 1301 E. President Street and Portions of Tybee Depot (File No. 22-002294-ZA).pdf
Exhibit 3: Proposed Building Height Limitation (File No. 22-002294-ZA).pdf
Exhibit 4: Development Agreement Riverview President Street (File No. 22-002294-ZA).pdf
Exhibit 5: Riverview President Street Bilbo Canal Improvements (File No. 22-002294-ZA).pdf
Exhibit 6: Draft Ordinance (File No. 22-002294-ZA).pdf
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