On October 9, 2018, the Planning Commission voted to recommend an alternative zoning district and a supplemental amendment to the text of the Zoning Ordinance after reviewing three petitions submitted on behalf of the Savannah College of Art Design (SCAD) by Harold Yellin to rezone 14 properties between Victory, Bull, 44th, and Montgomery streets to P-RIP-D. 

This agenda item, the first of three related to the project on this agenda, is the supplemental amendment to the text of the Zoning Ordinance to amend the boundaries of the Mid-City District, along with amending other sections of Article K (File No. 18-005583-ZA). The intent of these rezoning requests is to provide an avenue for the development of residence halls, a structured parking facility, and other uses associated with the Savanah College of Art and Design. 

MPC staff found that due to the scale of the project, a more feasible alternative would be to include all the properties submitted for rezoning into the Mid-City District and propose amendments relevant to certain properties but not Mid-City at-large. If the Planning Commission's alternative zoning district and text amendment are approved, the petitioner has indicated that the three orginal petitions will be withdrawn.

The amendments in this agenda item would make the following changes to Article K:

      Sec. 8-3199 - Boundaries: Extends the boundaries of the Mid-City District to the south across Victory Drive to include the subject 14 properties;

Sec. 8-3205 - Site Plan Review: Add "/college dormitory" between the words "residential" and "units";

Sec. 8-3216 - Traditional Commercial Districts (TC-):

(2) Principal Uses: Add two new uses "Apartment building used by college" and "Dormitory" and refer both to Standards in Sec. 8-3218(3).

(3) Design Standards: Add "Provided however, that for properties within Mid-City on the south side of Victory Drive the provisions of Section (4)(b) below, shall apply."

(4) General Development Standards: Create (b)

(b) For properties zoned TC-2 that are located south of Victory Drive, the following standards apply:

i. Density. No maximum density shall be required for dormitory units.

ii. Footprint. The maximum building footprint shall be 20,000 square feet.

iii. Rear Yard. No rear yard setback shall be required.

iv. Building Entrances. Building entrances shall be required every 150 feet along Victory Drive; building entrances shall be required every 50 feet along Barnard Street and Montgomery Street; and no building entrances shall be required along 44th Street.

v. Facades. Facades fronting Montgomery Street and Barnard Street shall incorporate transparent features (windows and doors) over at least 30 percent of the ground floor; facades fronting Victory Drive shall incorporate transparent features (windows and doors) over at least 20 percent of the ground floor; and facades fronting 44th Street shall not be required to incorporate transparent features.

vi.Height. The maximum building height shall not exceed five (5) stories and 65 feet, provided, however, the following shall be required:

Maximum building height within 20 feet of Victory Drive shall not exceed four (4) stories and 55 feet; or

Non-habitable rooftop structures such as cupolas, chimneys, tanks, and supports, parapet walls not over 4 feet high, or Mechanical or Access Structures shall neither be considered a story nor count against the maximum height.

Mechanical or Access Structures shall be defined as enclosed, nonhabitable structures above the roof of a building, other than tanks, towers, spires, dome cupolas or bulkheads, occupying not more than one-third of the roof area. Mechanical or access structures used solely to enclose stairways, elevator machinery, ventilation, air conditioning apparatus, or other similar enclosures, shall neither count as a story nor count against the maximum height.

Sec. 8-3218 - Civic Use Standards: Add the following standards for Apartment Used by College, Dormitory and renumber the existing standards.

(3) Apartment Used by College, Dormitory.

(a) Such use shall abut a collector or greater classified street;

(b) No more than two students shall resident within a unit;

(c) The facility shall have a full-time resident manager.

(d) Such uses shall be protected by the college or university security force or the equivalent;

(e) No signs, banners, clothing, or similar items (except the name of the dormitory) shall be displayed in any window, on any railing, or on any exterior portion of the building.

(f) No loud noise(s) shall emanate from the building in excess of the noise levels permitted by the Noise Control Ordinance for the City of Savannah, Georgia, sections 9-2031 through 9-2041

Approval