The Petitioners are requesting a zoning map amendment to extend the boundaries of the Hotel Development Overlay District to include the Victorian, Streetcar, and Cuyler-Brownville Historic Districts.  This proposal follows a 2023 petition submitted by the Victorian, Metropolitan, and Cuyler-Brownville neighborhoods seeking to protect neighborhood character, support housing affordability, and promote residential infill. In response, the City conducted a study with broad stakeholder input to evaluate the proposed expansion.

The Hotel Development Overlay (HDO) District was originally established in 2018 to manage hotel development in Savannah’s Downtown Historic District following a 2017 study and community input. Incorporated into the City's zoning ordinance in 2019, it provides guidelines for the size and location of future hotels to help balance growth with neighborhood preservation.

The HDO study conducted by the City provides information on the proposed boundaries, recommendations, and supporting analysis related to the overlay. 

On October 7, 2025, the Planning Commission approved the Petitioner's request to amend the zoning map to extend application of the existing Hotel Development Overlay (HDO) District to include the Victorian, Streetcar, and Cuyler-Brownville Historic Overlay Districts prohibiting 'hotel' development (City Hotel Overlay Study Option 3).