Score one for the downtown Savannah’s house museum operators in their fight for their right to party.
Pending approval from the Savannah City Council, the city’s zoning ordinance will be amended to allow museums such as the Davenport House, Owens-Thomas House and Harper-Fowlkes House to host weddings, retirement parties and other special events.
Operators will need to petition the Zoning Board of Appeals for that use. The zoning board can impose conditions, such as hours of operation, number of events and location of loading and unloading of equipment and party attendees.
The Chatham County-Savannah Metropolitan Planning Commission voted Tuesday to recommend the amendment to City Council.
Council’s decision will close a summer-long debate over the appropriateness of special events venues in predominantly residential neighborhoods. Many downtown house museums have long been rented out for parties in unknowing violation of the zoning ordinance.
The illegality of the parties became an issue earlier this year when Orleans Square residents balked at repeated raucous gatherings in the Harper-Fowlkes House courtyard. Neighbors had lobbied unsuccessfully against the gatherings for close to two years, even since the property’s owner, the Society of the Cincinnati, turned the house into a museum.
Neighbors seized upon the zoning ordinance as a way to stop the parties. The city’s zoning administrator cited the Society of the Cincinnati in April, prompting the group to petition for the ordinance amendment.
The situation’s potential impact on the other house museums, as well as the Charles Morris Center at Trustees’ Garden, led to public outcry. The MPC staff held several meetings with stakeholders and commissioners twice delayed a vote on the amendment.
The ordinance change recommended Tuesday pleased the Harper-Fowlkes House operators. The other house museum operators, many of whom expressed dismay over being punished for the Society of the Cincinnati’s sins against its neighbors, were less pleased with the outcome.
The head of the Historic Savannah Foundation, which operates the Davenport House, shared his concerns about the discretion the amendment gives to the Zoning Board of Appeals.
“Our fate is now in the hands of the ZBA, and that could be problematic because of all the use restrictions they can impose,” Historic Savannah CEO Daniel Carey said. “We’ve done receptions and parties for decades, and we’ve always been good neighbors. We want to continue to be good neighbors.”
The Society of the Cincinnati, meanwhile, is making progress with its neighbors. Attorney Dana Braun, representing the owners of three properties located across Perry Street from the Harper-Fowlkes House, outlined an agreement he reached with the house operators. The deal involves limits on amplified sound, pickup and drop-off locations, attendees and number of events.
The agreement gives the Society of the Cincinnati a framework to use in applying to the Zoning Board of Appeals.
City Manager Stephanie Cutter, who sits on the MPC board, pledged that the city would do its part to enforce the ordinance.
“We wouldn’t be at this point if the entity had worked this out with the residents to begin with,” Cutter said. “We have to put some things in place to ensure the quality of life. We have talked about processes that we can incorporate to ensure that.”
CELL TOWER DECISION DELAYED
Vantage Tower Group and AT&T’s petition to build a 120-foot cellular tower at 57th Street and Waters Avenue was continued Tuesday by the Chatham County-Savannah Metropolitan Planning Commission.
More than a dozen residents and business owners of the Edgemere-Sackville neighborhoods spoke against the project during the meeting. They expressed concerns ranging from health to property values.
Vantage wants to tear down a condemned and vacant house on the proposed site to make way for the tower.
“I would prefer that house be there instead of AT&T,” said Shirley Wilson, who lives and operates a daycare center down the street from the tower location.
The MPC will hear the petition again at its next meeting on Oct. 8.