The house museums and other properties that unlawfully double as party venues downtown received at least a six-week reprieve Tuesday from the Chatham County-Savannah Metropolitan Planning Commission board.
The MPC voted to continue a petition to alter the city of Savannah zoning ordinance to allow an “assembly hall” as a special use in several mixed-use zoning classifications. Under the petition, properties such as popular party venues the Harper-Fowlkes House, Davenport House, Owens Thomas House and Trustees’ Garden would have to seek permission to rent their spaces for private functions such as weddings, receptions and other gatherings from the Savannah Zoning Board of Appeals.
Tuesday marked the second time the MPC has chosen to postpone a decision on the issue. The petition initially came before the board three weeks ago, prompted by the city citing the Harper-Fowlkes House museum on Orleans Square for renting its courtyard for parties.
Such a use is not included in the Savannah Zoning Ordinance for many mixed-use residential districts, including those home to most of downtown’s house museums. But it wasn’t until the neighbors of the Harper-Fowlkes House complained about the museum’s raucous parties and pointed out the use was in violation of the ordinance that the city took action.
The issue took on greater significance because of its potential impact on the other venues in the area, like the Davenport and Owens Thomas houses and the Morris Center at Trustees’ Garden. All those properties are technically in violation of the ordinance when they rent their spaces for gatherings.
Several MPC board members voiced their frustrations with the situation on Tuesday. Amending the ordinance as the petition suggested was, in the words of commissioner Ben Farmer, “overkill” and not in the best interest of the community.
Members of the public who spoke at Tuesday’s meeting echoed that sentiment. The problem is with the Harper-Fowlkes House, not the other house museums around town, they said.
“To use a hunting analogy, let’s not use a shotgun when a rifle will do,” said Gay Stevens, who lives on Perry Street across from the Harper-Fowlkes House.
The MPC board will consider the issue again at the Sept. 17 meeting and will hold workshops with Harper-Fowlkes House representatives, neighbors and the operators of other house museums and venues in the meantime. The goal, according to MPC board members who voted in favor of continuing the petition, is to come up with a more suitable solution to the issue.
There are other options. Geoff Goins, the city’s zoning administrator and the man charged with enforcing the zoning ordinance, suggested the assembly hall use could be added as an accessory function in the mixed-use zones and the MPC could attach conditions to that, such as limiting hours for special events.
Savannah City Council will make the ultimate decision on the petition and any potential amendments to the zoning ordinance. The MPC merely makes a recommendation to council on the issue.
BREAKOUTS
ABOUT THE HARPER-FOWLKES HOUSE
Ada Harper Fowlkes left the historic home and several other area properties to the Society of Cincinnati upon her death in 1985. The society, members of which are descendents of commissioned officers who served under Gen. George Washington during the American Revolution, used the house strictly for meetings and club functions up until 2007. The economic downturn led the group to open the house as a museum to the public in 2007, and more than 3,000 visitors tour the site each year. The Harper-Fowlkes House Trustees began offering the house as a special events venue two years ago and made approximately $90,000 off rentals in 2012.
Other special event venues potentially impacted by the proposed ordinance change:
• Davenport House
• Owens Thomas House
• Morris Center at Trustees’ Garden
• Andrew Low House*
• Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace*
* Currently, owners of these properties do not rent out their space for private functions