Wednesday, December 20, 2006

The Bottom Line: More Savannah Bureaucracy

Behold, the old gas station at the corner of Drayton and Charlton. Yesterday, the city's Historic Review Board (communists) doomed this structure to sit unimproved for a while longer, possibly until it falls down. The Board denied developer Richard Guerard permission to construct a 20 unit residential building that would have saved and improved the current structure, which is four walls and the canopy you see on the front. Their reason was that the design did not integrate into the surrounding styles. I guess a dilapidated gas station fits into the scenery a little better. I wasn't the least bit surprised to read that last year, the Historic Review Board blocked another developer from tearing the structure down to make way for new construction.

Bottom line, the building is an eyesore. It is on the National Register of Historic Places, but it's a dump. It's four walls, a canopy, and a fence. The Historic Review Board needs to come off it and let someone do something with this property.

You can read the full story by Scott Larson here on SavannahNow.com.

12 comments:

Ryan said...

"Bottom line, the building is an eyesore."

You've been back in Savannah for less than a year, and already you're talking like someone in Vox Populi. Kind of weird, man.

Joe said...

"Hey, look at me, I'm Ryan. I make comments about stuff and things."

Bottom line, Ryan, you're missing the point. The major crime committed here wasn't that Guerard's project was denied even though he tried to preserve what's left of the structure. What "grinds my gears" is that less than a year ago, the Board denied another developer permission to demolish the gas station, which needs to be and probably will be done anyway.

What will almost certainly happen though is the City will decide to knock the building down and use tax dollars to pay for it. But you don't care, you live in Athens: The sweetest, most awesome, mellowest, crunchiest town in the country.

Sweet, dude.

Ryan said...

You don't even realize the turn you've made to the dark side. Look how concerned you are with something that, even just a year ago, wouldn't even draw a second of your attention. Now here you are, middle-aged Savannah wife, saying "bottom line," and studying up on other people's boring business.

I expect your next post to be a complaint about some road construction or something about the school board. Don't lose your edge, baby.

Joe said...

The building is not the issue here. The issue is that needless government regulation is preventing anyone from doing anything with this structure. Imagine how frustrating this is for the owner. He can't restore it and he can't tear it down. It just has to sit there until it falls down on its own.

Bottom line, I'd be pissed.

HANK said...

Go take a shower Ryan, I'm sure you haven't taken one in weeks.

Joe said...

"...and studying up on other people's boring business."

I guess this is boring because it wasn't on TV. It didn't have the deep, dramatic voice-over to tell me how exciting it's going to be on an all new four-hour two-night season premiere.

Ryan said...

I'd understand posting this story on the blog if it were someone we knew trying to get something done on that property. But we don't know this person. It's nosy. Why do you care about an old gas station? Any answer you give me will be some explanation of the government's role in this, but it won't tell me why you, Joe Wood, care about something like this.

Know your role, monkey: Make us laugh.

Michael said...

Joe, I thought the article was great, and pertained to the livelihood of Savannah, which I thought was one of the points of the board. Ryan, keep those 24 updates coming like anybody gives a damn.

HANK said...

Good point Michael.

Ryan, do you know anyone physcially affected by your TV shows or movies?

At least Joe's posts are about real people and places.

Ryan said...

The difference here is that I can acknowledge that 24 is just a stupid TV show that ultimately means nothing. But you guys are dead serious about this local situation, which may have made sense if it were near Memorial Stadium or Seawright Drive, but it's not. You bunch of quilt-sewing old hens.

Michael, I'm really sorry that I was so inconsiderate in catering to the huge majority of people on this BC blog who graduated from Aquinas and Georgia Tech.

Stephen, go back to creating parties that remind of you when you actually mattered.

Michael said...

Ryan, you might want to check the sidebar for the BC blog that Will runs.

Joe said...

Also, I didn't read this in People or InStyle, this was in the newspaper.