Savannah Historic District Board of Review

Savannah Historic District Board of Review
Name	Savannah Historic District Board of Review
Established	1970s
Jurisdiction	Savannah, Georgia
Headquarters	Savannah City Hall

Savannah Historic District Board of Review is a municipal quasi-judicial body charged with reviewing proposed changes to structures and landscapes within the Savannah Historic District and advising the Savannah-Chatham County Historic Preservation Commission and City of Savannah authorities. The board operates at the intersection of local preservation practice exemplified by historic preservation movements, landmark designation frameworks such as the National Register of Historic Places and regulatory precedents set by municipalities like Charleston, South Carolina and New Orleans. Its decisions influence projects involving properties associated with figures such as James Oglethorpe and sites proximate to Forsyth Park and River Street.

History

The board emerged amid mid-20th-century preservation activism that followed events like the demolition controversies in Pennsylvania Station and the creation of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. Savannah’s preservation momentum linked to advocacy by organizations such as the Historic Savannah Foundation and municipal initiatives modeled on the Commission of Fine Arts led to local ordinances authorizing review boards. Early cases involved properties in neighborhoods associated with Mercer Williams House and blocks around Chippewa Square; later reforms reflected influences from the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties and comparative practice in cities like Boston and Philadelphia.

Jurisdiction and Authority

Statutory authority derives from municipal ordinances enacted by the Savannah Mayor and Aldermen and interfacing with state statutes in Georgia. The board’s regulatory reach covers alterations, demolitions, new construction, and signage within boundaries listed on the National Register of Historic Places and local landmark maps that include resources tied to Juliette Gordon Low and the Central of Georgia Railroad: Savannah Shops and Terminal Facilities. It exercises review authority similar to bodies in Annapolis and Santa Fe under standards that reference the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and case law from tribunals that have considered preservation zoning, such as decisions involving the United States Court of Appeals.

Organization and Procedures

The board is composed of appointed members with expertise in fields like architecture, landscape architecture, historic preservation, and real estate development, nominated by the Savannah Mayor and Aldermen and confirmed per municipal rules. Meetings occur regularly in chambers used by committees of the Savannah City Council and follow procedural rules akin to those in historic commissions in Alexandria, Virginia and Savannah River. Applications for Certificates of Appropriateness are docketed, notices are sent to property owners and stakeholders including the Historic Savannah Foundation and neighborhood associations around Broughton Street; hearings include staff reports from the city’s preservation office and testimony from architects affiliated with firms that have worked on projects like restorations of the Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace.

Design Review Criteria and Standards

The board applies design standards influenced by the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation, local design guidelines, and precedents from preservation programs in Charleston Historic District and Georgetown (Washington, D.C.). Criteria address façades, massing, materials such as brick, stucco, and cast-iron commonly found on the city’s riverfront warehouses, and contexts around squares like Johnson Square. Reviewers consider compatibility with historic districts containing resources associated with St. John’s Church (Savannah) and Wright Square, balancing retention of historic fabric against changes proposed by property owners and developers tied to projects comparable to adaptive reuse efforts at places like Tybee Island Light Station.

Notable Decisions and Controversies

The board’s rulings have shaped high-profile controversies over demolition of historic houses near Factors Walk and infill developments on parcels adjacent to River Street and Broughton Street. Cases involving proposals for modern interventions near landmarks such as the Mercer-Williams House Museum and redevelopment schemes by developers linked to downtown revitalization have prompted appeals to the Savannah-Chatham County Historic Preservation Commission and occasionally litigation referencing preservation cases from jurisdictions like New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission and Los Angeles Conservancy precedents. Disputes have raised questions about economic incentives for preservation, tax credits such as the Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives program, and the role of heritage tourism centered on Savannah’s historic district.

Public Participation and Outreach

The board’s process includes public notice, hearings, and opportunities for comment by parties including neighborhood civic associations, preservation NGOs such as the Historic Savannah Foundation, and institutions like the Telfair Museums. Outreach efforts mirror practices used by municipal preservation offices in Boston Landmarks Commission and involve publication of agendas, staff reports, and guidance for applicants working with preservation architects and contractors experienced in treatments like masonry conservation and window rehabilitation.

Impact on Preservation and Urban Development

Through its review authority the board has been central to sustaining the integrity of streetscapes linked to Forsyth Park Historic District and commercial corridors like Broughton Street Historic District, enabling adaptive reuse of industrial buildings related to the Central of Georgia Railway while regulating infill compatible with the city’s historic plan attributed to James Oglethorpe. Its interventions influence development trajectories, heritage tourism economies associated with the Savannah Historic District, and policy debates paralleling those in Charleston, South Carolina and New Orleans Historic Districts over preservation priorities, affordable housing, and urban growth.

Category:Historic preservation in Georgia (U.S. state) Category:Savannah, Georgia