Savannah City Council has paved the way for six new townhome units to fill a vacant lot on the city’s south side.
Council approved on a 7-1 vote to rezone 0 Mohawk St. to a low-density, multi-family district despite concerns from the Southside Neighborhood Association and other residents. The site is across the street from a new multi-family apartment development but neighbored by a one-story, single-family home.
Residents expressed concern via written comment and at council’s Aug. 27 meeting about townhomes not matching the neighborhood character. Supporting council members weighed those concerns with the city’s need for housing—an annual target of 464 needed by 2030 to meet projected population growth.
“I can’t in good faith argue that we need
more housing on the south side, and that we’re in a homeless crisis and a housing crisis, then deny housing that’s needed,” said the district’s Alderman Kurtis Purtee.
The rezoning request received about 30 written opposition petitions in addition to three in-person commenters at council’s meeting. The Southside Neighborhood Association opposed the proposal and was represented at council’s meeting by association president Anand Rao.
Rao said the rezoning would be “inconsistent with the established character” of the existing neighborhood. Rao also raised concerns about a multifamily development creating more stormwater runoff than a single-family home, potentially worsening flooding of the site.
“We want to protect the single-family residential character of our neighborhood,” Rao said.
The projects developers are Eric Scott and Ashley Scott of Savannah-based SDG Construction Services Inc., who also served as a contractor on development of 16 apartment units at 916 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. for people transitioning out of homelessness. Eric Scott said at council’s meeting he aimed to rent all the units at Mohawk Street at a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-designated affordable rate.
Eric Scott said his plan was to apply for funding through the Savannah Affordable Housing Fund to help achieve that level of affordability.
“Savannah says it needs more housing at this scale, and I believe this can be a model for that housing,” Scott said.
Concerns about the size of the townhomes were also brought up at the meeting, with concerns two-or-three story structures could create sight lines into the homes or backyards of nearby residences. Scott said his plan was to have a mix of one- and two-story townhomes, with the two-story structures placed away from nearby single-family homes.
Purtee charged the developer with working with residents after the approval to help alleviate some of their concerns. The only no vote on council was At-Large, Post 2 Alderwoman Alicia Miller Blakely, who supported resident concerns about height.
The discussion among council about the needs for more affordable housing showed the latest example of the group grappling with addressing the city’s shortage while preserving neighborhood character. Savannah Mayor Van Johnson again touted the need for the city to allow more density, where appropriate, to help drive prices down.
“It becomes difficult for us because we are charged with being able to preserve what is, but we’re also charged with looking toward our future by examining what’s happening in our present,” Johnson said. “Each day I’m contacted by someone that talks about the availability of housing that is affordable to them. Some of them work for the City of Savannah.”
Evan Lasseter is the City of Savannah and Chatham County government reporter for the Savannah Morning News. You can reach him at ELasseter@savannahnow.com.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Savannah council backs rezoning for new townhomes on south side
