The petitioner, Ed Garvin (Agent), for Goldberg Properties LP (Owner), is requesting to rezone 716 Highland Drive (PIN 20491 07010) from the RSF-10 (Single Family Residential-10) zoning district to the O-I (Office-Institutional) zoning district with conditions.  The property is 0.5 acres and located on the northwest corner of the intersection of Highland Drive and Waters Avenue.

On June 9, 2020, the Planning Commission denied the initial rezoning request to rezone the subject property from RSF-10 to O-I.  The Planning Commission found that the subject property and the neighborhood have served as residential single family for many years and although many commercial uses have developed around it, the neighborhood has remained stable and viable through this transition.

On July 23, 2020, Mayor and Aldermen held a public hearing for the proposed rezoning. During the hearing, the Agent presented a new proposal which differed from what the Planning Commission considered.  The proposal was to only permit the "Office, General" use if the O-I zoning district was approved.  The Office, General use is defined in the Zoning Ordinance as, "An establishment generally providing professional services where tangible products are not produced or sold." Since the initial application changed and the Planning Commission did not consider the proposal, the Mayor and Aldermen remanded the petition back to the Planning Commission.

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On October 13, 2020, the Planning Commission approved the requested rezoning from the RSF-10 (Single Family Residential-10) zoning classification to the O-I (Office Institutional) zoning classification. 

If Mayor and Council approve the rezoning of 716 Highland Drive from the RSF-10 (Single Family Residential-10) zoning district to the O-I (Office Institutional) zoning district, the following conditions shall also apply to the approval:
 

1.   The O-I zoning district shall only permit the "Office, General" use which shall be included in the Owner Deed of Transfer which shall be provided to the City;
2.   The following standards shall apply to the site development plan:

1. Install and maintain a new six-foot black aluminum fence along the south side of the subject parcel along Highland Drive from Waters Avenue to the property located at 714 Highland Drive;

2. Plant landscaping buffering adjacent to the existing six-foot wood fence with brick posts on the north side of the subject parcel;

3. Remove the existing chain link fence on the west side of the subject parcel and replace with an eight-foot new wooden fence;

4. Require a Type C buffer according to Sec. 9.5 Screening and Buffering on the west side of the subject parcel;

5. Design the parking lot to City of Savannah standards with turn around capability on-site;

6. Permit ingress and egress for vehicular traffic from Waters Avenue; and

7. Apply all other applicable O-I Zoning District development standards.