Concerned citizen who spent years fighting for Savannah alcohol ban says she can’t stay silent

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - A dispute over alcohol permit approvals within Savannah city limits is drawing attention from community members after the city council’s July meeting sparked debate among local officials.

The controversy centers on the West Bay Street area in Savannah’s First District, where an alcohol overlay zone prohibits businesses from selling alcohol. Two locations within that zone are at the center of the dispute — one a business seeking an alcohol license, the other the home of a community member who says she helped start the conversation to implement the ban more than 20 years ago.

Community member speaks out

Pamela Oglesby Fox, a long-term West Savannah resident, said her neighborhood suffered for years because of businesses selling alcohol in the area.

Oglesby specifically remembers one liquor store that opened a club in the back, that drew large crowds throughout the night.

“It might be 300 people out here — night after night after night, it was completely chaotic,” Oglesby Fox said.

Oglesby Fox said she will not stay silent as the debate has resurfaced.

“It may or may not happen, but I can’t take the chance,” she said. “I’m scared — petrified to death. I can’t take the chance to wait and see if you do this, what will happen.”

She said she does not want additional alcohol sales permitted in the area.

“I don’t want any more alcohol sold in this area,” Oglesby Fox said. “We had enough of that. It took a long time to get from that place. And I’m too afraid to go back.”

Alderwoman weighs in

Alderwoman Bernetta Lanier of the First District said the overlay has not been formally reviewed since it was put in place.

“We should have reevaluated it after so many years and to see if we needed to continue, adjust, or eliminate it — and we have not done that,” Lanier said.

Lanier said the overlay is now preventing local business owners from succeeding and placed blame on city administration.

“The problem that you’re seeing now is a council and management problem because we have not done what we should have done as public administrators in taking care of Savannahians and Savannah business people,” she said.

Lanier said the business owner at the center of the dispute gives back to the community and that the overlay works against efforts to build wealth in low-income areas.

“I’m not going to play about our young business people who are from this area because we are about creating generational wealth and low-wealth communities by using asset-based economic and community development,” Lanier said. “This young business owner, she places benefits back into the community.”

Oglesby Fox said she and Lanier are close friends who fought together for the overlay years ago, but she is urging city council to continue upholding it. She said allowing one exception could unravel the entire system and potentially open the door for businesses across Savannah to sell alcohol in restricted areas.

“This train is pulled out of the station, the overlay is in place, and I expect it to stay there,” she said. “Next destination, I don’t know where they’re going to go.”