I spent time this week wandering around significant residential developments that will increase population density in three of Savannah’s older neighborhoods.
Over the years, I’ve written often about the city’s residential density — or the lack thereof.
Our historic neighborhoods once had much larger populations than they do now. Some grand homes used to have a dozen residents, but now may only have one or two.
And our older neighborhoods are dotted with vacant properties and empty lots.
Simply put, many of Savannah’s neighborhoods were built to support far more residents than they have today.
But is there anything wrong with a lower population?
Maybe the best way to answer that question is to consider three developments that are collectively bringing about 500 new residents to parcels that have been vacant for years.
If you haven’t driven down Victory Drive in a while, you might be surprised to see that One West Victory is now rising pretty quickly out of the ground.
The 124,000-square-foot, mixed-use development between Bull and Barnard streets is slated for completion in 2014.
It’s a tricky site. Commercial development would seem to have the best chance for success if it were on the Bull Street side, but that corner of the property is sheared off by railroad tracks.
The developer, Jamestown, has dealt with that issue by building the parking garage near the northwest corner, with a buffer of green space right along the road.
The height and design of the parking garage generated concern during the approval process, but the actual structure is not as imposing as many of us feared.
Restaurateur Hugh Acheson is planning to open The Florence in a restored commercial space just west of the parking garage. The 114 apartments will take up much of the rest of the site.
Worries about parking will persist at least until the site is fully occupied, but One West Victory will have more parking than legally required.
The project is being marketed primarily to college students. The sign at Victory and Bull even promises “Creative Student Living.”
I hear a fair bit of bashing of student renters in the discourse around town, but I’ve found college students generally make pretty good neighbors. Dozens have come and gone from my block over the years. Few are hardcore partiers.
And consider what the addition of 300 new residents on Victory Drive will mean for the area.
Public safety will be enhanced because of the additional security and because of more eyes on the street. The added residents will be a boon for businesses along the Bull Street and Victory Drive corridors.
And we’ll see more entrepreneurs looking at vacant and under utilized properties nearby.
Further south, the 32 units in the Avenues on 61st are also being marketed primarily to college students. The business model allowing rentals of individual rooms rightly prompted concerns from neighbors and from city officials.
There was also a bit of a firestorm earlier this year when construction began and nearby residents saw the scale of the new townhouses.
But the developers needed no height variance; the 40-foot limit had been in place for decades.
Also, the permitting process required the entire site to be raised by a few feet because of drainage concerns, which made the units even higher above grade. Should the plans have gotten additional scrutiny because of that requirement? It’s a complex issue, but I’d say yes.
So I agree the units are too tall relative to the one-story homes directly north, but I disagree with those who see the Avenues on 61st as some sort of invasive monstrosity in the neighborhood.
Now that some of the units are finished, occupied and landscaped, I think they look pretty good.
As I wandered around the new construction last week, I ran into one of the tenants. He raved about the quality of his unit and about the proximity to Habersham Village. He was surprised when I told him of the various controversies.
After our brief chat, he wandered toward Jones Red and White, one of Savannah’s locally owned groceries.
The 36 one-bedroom apartments at the Savannah Lofts at 39th and East Broad streets are also nearing completion.
Earlier this summer, I toured one of the units under construction. The open floor plan includes a loft bedroom overlooking the living, dining and kitchen area.
The exterior design is maybe a little too barn-like, but the finishing touches, landscaping and streetscape upgrades should allow the Savannah Lofts to blend fairly well with the neighborhood, which is dominated by much smaller buildings.
I’m assuming many of the apartments will be occupied by college students, but others will be interested in them too.
Though of different scale and in different neighborhoods, these three projects pose similar problems related to esthetics, parking and scale.
But all three projects bring obvious benefits. Neighborhood retail will get a boost, public safety will likely be enhanced and property tax revenues will increase.
Population growth will also result in additional political power for neighborhoods in the core of the city.
Plus, by living close to services, schools and employment, residents of all these new units will put less strain on streets and roads than they would if they lived in suburban areas.
Sure, many residents will have cars, but most of their trips will be short.
And many residents won’t need cars at all since these are all prime locations for bicycling and walking.
Yes, increased residential density presents challenges, but it also enhances the possibilities for economic growth, community engagement and human interaction.
City Talk appears every Tuesday and Sunday. Bill Dawers can be reached via billdawers@comcast.net and http://www.billdawers.com. Send mail to 10 East 32nd St., Savannah, Ga. 31401.