The applicant (City of Savannah) is requesting approval to paint ten storm drains throughout the Casey Drainage Basin in the Ogeechee River Watershed. The storm drains are at the following ten locations: 44th Street and Chatham Crescent; Kerry Street at Dixie Avenue; Cedar Street at DeLesseps Avenue; Atlantic Avenue and 54th Street; Atlantic Avenue at 56th Street; 62nd Street and Habersham Street; 15 Blueridge Avenue (Juliet Low Elementary School); 414 Lee Boulevard (Heard Elementary School); 9402 White Bluff Road (White Bluff Elementary School); and Woodley Road at Windsor Park. The mission of this project is to raise awareness and gain community support in decreasing pollution and bacterial contamination of the waterways that have been placed on the State of Georgia’s impaired waters list.

Nature of the Request: Working with Cultural Affairs, Recreation Services and the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System, the Water Resources Department plans to paint ten storm drains within the larger Casey Drainage Basin. This Basin flows into the Vernon River and three of the waterways are impaired due to pollution. This public outreach and engagement project will be used to comply with the City’s Municipal Stormwater permit and is phase one of three to be implemented citywide. The proposed storm drain murals are planned to start in September. City staff will secure the drains with barricades and install a tent over each one. They will also clean, prep and seal the drains. Artists will be given supplies to complete their work. The sealants (for metal and concrete) and paint are Sherwin Williams products which have been used by other cities for storm drain art projects. The life of the installation is projected to range from three to five years or longer. The original designs can be repainted, or the drain can be cleaned and prepped for a new design approved by HSMC and City Council prior to installation.

Context: The Casey Drainage Basin flows into the Vernon River and three of its waterways are impaired due to pollution. It connects to Hayners Creek and converges with Harmon Creek. The Casey Basin is a large basin made up of subbasins called Casey South (South of Victory Drive), Chippewa (south of Eisenhower Drive), Wilshire (surrounding White Bluff Road) and Windsor (within the Windsor Forest neighborhood). There are three phases that this project will cover but due to the impaired designation, the Casey Basin was deemed the most critical area to address. In 2005, the Georgia Environmental Protection Division categorized the Casey Basin impaired. This requires the City to take actions to reduce the main pollutant- bacteria. The City is required to install water quality improvement elements to stormwater infrastructure and conduct public outreach because much of the bacteria comes from humans, pet waster and litter. The goal is to improve water quality so Casey and Hayners Creeks can be removed from the State’s impaired waters list. Community support is critical to delisting these waterways. This project is part of a larger campaign to lift the lowly storm drain to a level of prominence, so we are reminded of our connection to our rivers and ocean. We are reminded that our actions impact the wildlife and local economies that depend on our waters staying healthy. Storm drain selections were made based on location in the Casey Basin, public visibility, and safety. Four drain locations are in City parks and four are adjacent to elementary schools. The others are in areas where there is moderate to heavy pedestrian and bicycle activity. Coordination with school and City Park staff will be ongoing, but all schools and City staff have approved the project concept. The City held a Call for Artists to send their design proposals and highly encouraged applications towards emerging artists, local artists, and artists that are part of minoritized or historically excluded communities such as Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC). The ten selected designs and their locations are included in the application packet.

File No. 22-003268-PA

The Historic Site and Monument Commission recommends approval to the Savannah City Council of the storm drain murals with the condition that:

1. The applicant ensures that the murals have a weatherproof or vandalism resistant coating because it otherwise meets the standards in the Master Plan and Guidelines for Markers, Monuments, and Public Art.