Savannah council adopts zoning text amendment to enable limited density bonuses, removes RSF‑6 provision

The Savannah City Council on March 27 approved a zoning text amendment that creates a framework for an affordable‑housing density bonus program and the future adoption of an affordable‑housing overlay, with a key change: language covering the RSF‑6 (residential single‑family 6) district was removed before passage.

The amendment, introduced as a joint petition by the mayor and council and by Brianna Paxton, lays out how property owners within specified zoning districts could be eligible to add limited additional housing units in exchange for affordability commitments or other regulatory adjustments. City Manager Vangel explained the ordinance would be adopted in two steps: first the text adopted today, then a geographically specific overlay map that defines which neighborhoods and parcels may use the program.

Why it matters: Council members and neighborhood representatives said the change could help increase housing supply in parts of the city where modest densification is an option, while others said more outreach and safeguards were needed for neighborhoods that fear incompatible development. After hours of public comment and council debate, the council voted to approve the petition with the RSF‑6 provisions removed, 7–2.

The ordinance establishes procedural details for how additional units would be authorized in participating districts, including reduced setbacks and other development standard adjustments that typically accompany density bonus programs. City staff said the overlay, to be noticed and returned to council in coming meetings, will precisely define which neighborhoods are included; the text alone does not name specific neighborhoods.

Supporters — including faith leaders representing 23 congregations — urged council to move forward, saying the program could produce more attainable housing. Those urging caution asked for more neighborhood outreach and clearer limits (for example, preventing clustering of duplexes where not appropriate). Council members described the proposal as a first step that can expand over time: “Let’s start where we know it will work and grow the program,” City Manager Vangel said.

Council action: A substitute motion to proceed with the petition while removing the RSF‑6 elements passed; the clerk recorded the final passage as “motion passes 7 2.” The council directed staff to post notice for the overlay and to return the overlay map for hearings and votes in subsequent meetings.

What happens next: Staff will circulate and notice an affordable‑housing overlay map (the geographic layer that will determine eligible parcels) and return to council for hearings. Council members said they expect additional public meetings and targeted outreach in neighborhoods that were not included in the initial overlay or that requested more discussion.

Context: Staff and multiple council members referenced the November public hearing on the proposal, the 2021 Savannah Housing Action Plan, and subsequent community engagement. The council explicitly excluded some neighborhoods (including areas where residents expressed opposition) from the initial overlay; staff said districts proposed for the overlay include sections of the historic Victorian districts, Thomas Square, parts of Live Oak and a portion of Hudson Hill/Bayview if council later opts in.

Council members and staff emphasized this text is a policy framework; the map will define impacts on particular neighborhoods and trigger additional notice and hearings.

Ending: Council members who supported the motion said they expect the program to be adjusted as it is implemented; members who opposed the final language said more neighborhood work remains. The council’s vote authorizes staff to proceed with the overlay‑map process required to make the density program operative.