Savannah residents cite parking concerns after MPC proposal on East Broad and 38th streets

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - Some residents of a Savannah neighborhood say parking has become a major concern near the intersection of East Broad and 38th streets, where a proposal passed by the Metropolitan Planning Commission would reduce parking at a 36-apartment complex.

District 2 Alderman Detric Leggett said he is asking the commission to review the proposal again.

Parking a top concern for residents

Most of 38th Street has historic houses on each side of the road. An event space and dance studio sit. next to a 36-home apartment complex, located at the East Broad intersection.

“Round here having a parking spot is like having food,” Leggett said.

Virginia Mobley, a lifelong 38th Street resident, said infrastructure changes have not been able to account for the number of vehicles each house owns now.

“You’re never going to come up with any solution at all,” Mobley said. “It’s a car problem.”

What the proposal includes

The proposal passed by the Metropolitan Planning Commission cuts the parking spaces for the 36-apartment complex to 29, with 10 street parking spots.

It also creates a future use for the building next door, making it a 102-seat restaurant. The petitioner said that is not his intention at this time.

Leggett lives a couple of streets away. He said people saw that the building might change and became upset.

“It turned into a fire storm on social media because this has actually been a staple of this community, a lot of exercise goes on here, dance classes, a lot of families backyard dancing they learn to do it here,” Leggett said.

Leggett and some residents said the parking margins cannot shrink further, as they contend with biweekly road sweeps and houses that hold two or more tenants.

“Basically we’re playing musical chairs four and five times a week,” Mobley said.

Other neighbors said commercial buildings in the area have increased in recent years. They described the neighborhood as one of the last residential communities in its area.

Mobley said parking issues have become a reason for people to move out.

“I work, I come back, I can’t park in front or even in the block of where I live,” Mobley said. “And years ago I heard from people who were moving out of the area and their number one complaint, it was not crime it was not living conditions it was we cannot park anywhere near our house.”

Leggett said the proposal will not go to Savannah City Council until there is an agreement.

“It definitely will not see city council until we have an agreement that this will not be a restaurant and this is something the community wants,” Leggett said.

Residents said their concern is not with the petitioner but with limited parking on some Savannah streets. They said it is something to monitor in the future.