SAVANNAH, Ga. () – In a decisive move, the Savannah City Council has opted to ban hotel developments in three sections of the Savannah Historic District during their latest meeting on Thursday.

This decision comes as the council extended the reach of the Hotel Development Overlay District (HDO). This extension now includes the Victorian, Thomas Square, and Cuyler-Brownville neighborhoods, effectively curbing hotel construction in these areas.

Neighborhood associations from these districts initiated petitions in 2023, aiming to safeguard the historical essence and cultural integrity of their communities.

Leaders from these associations were present at the meeting, passionately voicing their support for the hotel ban to the council members.

They highlighted that the city already hosts 39 hotels, either completed or underway, and argued that previous HDO decisions tended to favor developers over the needs and voices of local residents.

“Neighborhoods must remain places for families, support stability, community centered housing, not transit hotels or short-term developments,” said Gloria Williams, president of Cuyler-Brownsville Neighborhood Association. “We need policies that will protect neighborhoods, not destabilize neighborhoods.”

The Hotel Overlay Study presented three options to the City Council. 

The three options in the presentation included: 

• Option 1: Within the expanded HDO District, hotels with 40 rooms or less would be permitted as a Special Use in all TC-1 and TC-2 (Traditional Commercial) zoning districts.
• Option 2: Within the expanded HDO District, hotels with 40 rooms or less would be permitted as a Special Use in designated areas limited to properties facing Anderson and Henry streets between Whitaker and Drayton streets.  All of these parcels are zoned TC-2, except for one parcel, which is zoned TC-1.
• Option 3: Within the expanded HDO District, no hotels would be permitted.

You can find more about these options here. 

If city council were to vote in favor of the petitions, they were voting “yes” for option three, banning hotels from those areas. 

The planning commission, as well as the city manager, recommended option three. The city council voted unanimously in favor of option three. 

Citizens cheered and shouted “thank you for listening to us” from the crowd. 

Mayor Van Johnson said this is not against tourism, but for both tourism and residents.

“As we continue to grow and people find more ways to be creative and drawing, we also have to protect those that are here and choose to make their homes here and they’re here 24/7 365 days a year,” said Van Johnson.

The HDO expansion only prohibits hotels, establishments with 16 rooms or more, from these areas, but does not prohibit inns or bed and breakfasts. 

The Savannah Area Chamber and Tourism Leadership Council (TLC) previously told they requested there be no expansion of the HDO.