Controversial 336 Barnard project nabs exception for front door
Zoe Nicholson
As more than two hours of public debate began at the Historic District Board of Review Board meeting Wednesday, Metropolitan Planning Commission Exec. Director Melanie Wilson wanted to set the record straight for a room full of "passionate" residents ready to oppose the controversial home project at 336 Barnard St.:
"I wanted to be really clear with regards to what the criteria is for our special exceptions," Wilson said. Those criteria are if the project would be "located, operated and maintained in a manner in conformance with the goals,policies, and objectives of the Comprehensive Plan and the provisions of this Ordinance," according to city code.
The public hearing was for a special exception at 336 Barnard St., an approved three-story home that has a planned front entrance on the north-south fronting street. City code in the National Landmark District requires front entrances on east-west streets, but allows for exceptions when considering public welfare and safety.
The exception was approved in a tie-breaking vote from HDBR Chair Ellie Isaacs.
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Andrew Jones, a preservationist who has staunchly opposed the project for months and has already appealed zoning decisions for the project, stated during the meeting that he would appeal the decision "up to the Superior Court" if necessary.
MPC staff presented the facts ahead of the hearing. While against current ordinances, the MPC found there are 136 buildings within the Landmark Historic District with north-south facing entrances, 80 of which were constructed in the 1800s.
Since 336 Barnard St. is a subdivided lot, the east-west entrance would face the historic lane that abuts the property, should developers follow the ordinance as written. Wilson said the MPC recommended approval of the exception because it creates a safer environment for homes' primary entrances to face the main streets, making emergency vehicle access easier and safer.
The two hours of public comment ranged from protecting the integrity of the 300-year-old Oglethorpe Plan and the loss of affordable housing (the site of 336 Barnard St. currently houses four rental units), but board members ultimately said they made their vote based on the special exception criteria laid out before them.
More than 20 people spoke out about the project in person and more than 40 submitted written comments. Most of the public comment section was in opposition to the project's special exception — including comments from "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" author John Berendt and the president and CEO for the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation — but several key figures in the city's preservation community spoke out in support of the project, including the board chair, preservation director and president of the Historic Savannah Foundation.
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Less than a third of public comment was in support for the project, while the remaining voices staunchly opposed the exception request. The chief argument against the project is that it flies in the face of the 1733 Oglethorpe Plan, the town plan created by Savannah's founder, Gen. James Oglethorpe, to help build out his burgeoning, agrarian colony. The Oglethorpe Plan is also referred to as the Savannah Town Plan.
"The construction of a single-family residence on the rear of this tything lot with its primary entrance facing the north-south oriented Barnard Street will not be detrimental, nor have a negative impact on the Savannah Town Plan," Ryan Jarles, director of preservation for HSF, said during public comment. "This building will not damage the planned layout of streets, lanes, squares or blocks ... The items most important in the Savannah Town Plan will remain intact and undamaged."
Nearly 450 people have signed an online petition to oppose the project, according to Change.org. And while board members asked the public to keep comments firmly to the issue of where the front door should go, residents lamented the project as an example of the negative impact recent developments in the Historic Landmark District have had on the city's historic charm, and how it's threatened the city's National Parks System's designation as a Landmark District.
"All our violations and city planning is going to destroy the city. We got the Landmark Historic District in 1966 and we're gonna lose it and I wouldn't blame them if they snatch it away from us," Savannah resident John Coy said during public comment. "We've already made some mistakes."
Should the decision rendered by the HDBR be appealed, the Board of Zoning Appeals will hear the case in 2023.
Zoe is the Savannah Morning News' Investigative Reporter. Find her at znicholson@gannett.com, @zoenicholson_ on Twitter, and @zoenicholsonreporter on Instagram.