Nearly 100-home Port Wentworth development moves forward, while residents raise concerns

A group of Port Wentworth residents have organized to express their concerns about a proposed nearly 100-home development in the downtown area.

In August 2023, the city signed a letter of intent with Coastal Empire Habitat for Humanity to sell and develop the land. In January, officials held a town hall for resident feedback on an early mock-up of the development. The area would be in front of the Norfolk-Southern Railway and behind the Port Wentworth Soccer Fields.

According to City Manager Steve Davis, it's the first development to come to the area in 50 years and is part of a long process to revitalize the downtown area. The plan is to build up to 95 homes.

Since the town hall, residents of downtown have rallied and organized, presenting a petition with 120 signatures to the Planning and Zoning Commission during the public hearing for the zoning map amendment development.

"We have some concerns and some stipulations regarding the zoning amendment that we want to address," said Manda Faye Dunnigan at the hearing. "We have come together and created a statement. If the city takes development action, PUD is the preferred zoning classification, with Habitat being the preferred welcome addition to Old Port Wentworth. However, the following aspects are of great importance and need to be adequately addressed by the city as well as Habitat."

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Dunnigan laid out the need for the city to address: the preservation of natural habitat and wetlands, traffic, infrastructure and a barrier wall for safety and increased noise reduction. Other residents expanded on her points about traffic, public safety and preservation during their individual statements, urging the planning and zoning commission to treat all of these things as a priority and not an afterthought.

"I do believe that Habitat for Humanity would be an asset and a welcome neighbor," said Ginny Jackson, a resident of downtown. "It is my sincere hope that every effort is made to reduce the impact on our environment and retain as much of the natural habitat as possible. However, the absence of the required tree survey and concept plan leaves me skeptical that due diligence has and will be done."

Jackson laid out how the tree canopy and thus the wildlife in the area has disappeared in the past five years she's lived there, and how it will further impact the residents and the animals living there if necessary steps aren't taken to preseve it.

"This is a threat to their survival, and a threat to biodiversity, which is a threat to all of our survival," Jackson said. "These trees provide natural energy conservation by protecting against the heat loss, shade, and cooling the environment. They improve our air quality which is desperately needed in a community engulfed by the adjacent port, paper mill and more. These trees also provide sound buffer from the trains, their horns and vehicle traffic."

Dunnigan also requested that instead of the development options that were presented during the town hall with one option having 85 units, and the second having 92, that both be reduced to 65 or 60, with the belief that it would significantly enhance the development and surrounding community.

After the public hearing, Davis took the time to address as many concerns as possible without having the document of the concerns the residents had listed and signed. In regards to traffic, he said the city is very limited on what they can and cannot do on state highways and interstates, but they are working with their partners across the state. He also mentioned that Chatham Area Transit will be in operation in the city starting next month, which should help alleviate some of those traffic concerns.

"The one young lady that spoke, she did a very excellent job of speaking and discussing some of the impacts with the animal life and the other stuff," Davis said. "It generated some questions for me, and maybe we can reach out to our state partners at the Department of Natural Resources and see if they can help us address some of that."

He also said, in reference to some residents believing Georgia Port Authority had plans to expand the railway, that there were no current plans for expansion.

"As far as the actual unit count, we'll have more discussions over that on what we can do to come up with a happy medium," Davis said. "But I think that some of these things are things that we're trying to address, and that the city is willing to work with the residents there."

The Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously approved the zoning map amendment from R-3 to PUD. It will now head to Port Wentworth City Council for a public hearing and action Feb. 15.

Destini Ambus is the general assignment reporter for Chatham County municipalities for the Savannah Morning News. You can reach her at dambus@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Port Wentworth Habitat for Humanity development heads to council for approval