Overview
NewZO (2019) is primarily Euclidean with named district codes. Residential R- districts are partially lot-size-encoded (R-6 = 6,000 sf min lot, R-10 = 10,000 sf, R-20 = 20,000 sf, R-30 = 30,000 sf are clear); R-4 / R-D / R-B-C / RIP-* break the pattern. Downtown D-CBD/D-C/D-N/D-R/D-W/D-E and Traditional TR/TN/TC districts are form-influenced with shape standards but remain under the Euclidean chapter.
- Code platform is encodeplus.com (city-hosted) — not municode/amlegal/ecode360 — so per-section URLs are deep-linked SPA fragments. DocumentCenter PDFs at savannahga.gov/DocumentCenter/View/{id}/Zoning-District---{code} are the reliable source for dimensional schedules.
- Setbacks are measured FROM THE CENTERLINE of the street right-of-way (not from the lot line), with values that vary by street classification (freeway/parkway > major arterial > secondary arterial > collector > residential street > access easement). Downstream consumers must subtract half the street ROW width to derive the conventional lot-line setback.
- Downtown Historic District is one of the most heavily-regulated historic districts in the US (National Historic Landmark District) with overlapping jurisdiction from City HPC, Chatham County-Savannah MPC, Georgia SHPO, and the National Park Service.
+ 8 more in Quirks & notes
Districts
| Code | Name | Category | Min lot | Height | Coverage | FAR | Du/ac | Parking | Setbacks F/S/R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R-4 | R-4 One-Family Residential (Small-Lot) | res_sf | 6,000 sf[4] | 35 ft[5] | 50[6] | — | 12[7] | —[8] | 50[1] / 5[2] / 25[3] |
| R-6 | R-6 One-Family Residential | res_sf | 6,000 sf[12] | 50 ft[13] | 30[14] | — | 6[15] | —[16] | 50[9] / 5[10] / 25[11] |
| R-10 | R-10 One-Family Residential | res_sf | 10,000 sf[20] | 50 ft[21] | 30[22] | — | 4[23] | —[24] | 50[17] / 10[18] / 35[19] |
| R-20 | R-20 One-Family Residential | res_sf | 20,000 sf[28] | 35 ft[29] | 30[30] | — | 2[31] | —[32] | 50[25] / 15[26] / 50[27] |
| R-30 | R-30 One-Family Residential (Estate) | res_sf | 30,000 sf[33] | — | — | — | — | —[34] | — / — / — |
| R-D | R-D Residential-Dormitory | res_mf | 600 sf[36] | — | 75[37] | — | 70[38] | —[39] | 50[35] / — / — |
| R-B-C | R-B-C Residential-Business-Conservation | mu | 6,000 sf[43] | 40 ft[44] | — | — | — | —[45] | 50[40] / [{'variant': 'one-and-two-family', 'value': 5, 'citation': 'Article 5 — R-B-C Schedule'}, {'variant': 'multifamily', 'value': 10, 'citation': 'Article 5 — R-B-C Schedule'}, {'variant': 'nonresidential-abutting-R', 'value': 10, 'citation': 'Article 5 — R-B-C Schedule'}][41] / 5[42] |
| RIP-B1 | RIP-B1 Residential-Institutional-Professional | mu | 600 sf[49] | 40 ft[50] | 50[51] | — | — | —[52] | 50[46] / [{'variant': 'one-and-two-family', 'value': 5, 'citation': 'Article 5 — RIP-B1 Schedule'}, {'variant': 'multifamily', 'value': 10, 'citation': 'Article 5 — RIP-B1 Schedule'}, {'variant': 'nonresidential-abutting-R', 'value': 10, 'citation': 'Article 5 — RIP-B1 Schedule'}][47] / 25[48] |
| B-N | B-N Neighborhood Business | com | — | 35 ft[55] | — | — | — | —[56] | 30[53] / 10[54] / — |
| B-C | B-C Community Business | com | 1,800 sf[59] | 35 ft[60] | — | — | — | —[61] | 30[57] / 10[58] / — |
| B-C-1 | B-C-1 Central Business | cbd | 600 sf[63] | — | — | — | — | —[64] | 0[62] / — / — |
| B-G | B-G General Business | com | — | — | — | — | — | —[65] | — / — / — |
| O-I | O-I Office-Institutional | off | — | 40 ft[67] | — | — | — | —[68] | 30[66] / — / — |
| I-L | I-L Light Industrial | ind | 6,000 sf[72] | 35 ft[73] | — | — | — | —[74] | 50[69] / [{'variant': 'residential', 'value': 5, 'note': 'or 10 from abutting R district property'}, {'variant': 'nonresidential-abutting-R', 'value': 10}][70] / 25[71] |
| I-H | I-H Heavy Industrial | ind | — | — | — | — | — | —[78] | 45[75] / 20[76] / 20[77] |
| TR | Traditional Residential (TR-1, TR-2, TR-3) | res_mf | — | — | — | — | — | —[79] | — / — / — |
| TN | Traditional Neighborhood (TN-1, TN-2, TN-3) | mu | — | — | — | — | — | —[80] | — / — / — |
| TC | Traditional Commercial (TC-1, TC-2) | com | —[81] | — | — | — | — | —[82] | — / — / — |
| D-CBD | Downtown Central Business District | cbd | — | — | — | — | — | —[84] | 0[83] / — / — |
| D-C | Downtown Commercial | cbd | — | — | — | — | — | —[85] | — / — / — |
| D-N | Downtown Neighborhood | cbd | — | — | — | — | — | —[86] | — / — / — |
| D-R | Downtown Residential | cbd | — | — | — | — | — | —[87] | — / — / — |
| D-W | Downtown Waterfront | cbd | — | — | — | — | — | —[88] | — / — / — |
| D-E | Downtown Expansion | cbd | — | — | — | — | — | —[89] | — / — / — |
| MB | Maritime Business | com | — | — | — | — | — | —[90] | — / — / — |
| LB | Limited Business | com | — | — | — | — | — | —[91] | — / — / — |
| MF | Multifamily Residential (MF-1, MF-2, MF-3) | res_mf | — | — | — | — | — | —[92] | — / — / — |
| A | Agricultural | ag | — | — | — | — | — | —[93] | — / — / — |
| CON | Conservation (incl. Marsh, Park subvariants) | spec | — | — | — | — | — | —[94] | — / — / — |
| PD | Planned Development (PD / PD-S / PD-L) | spec | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| R-M-H | Manufactured Home Park | res_mf | — | — | — | — | — | —[95] | — / — / — |
| MIL | Military Installation | spec | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
Confidence: confirmed partial under review not found
Overlays
National Historic Landmark District boundaries; downtown Savannah historic core including Oglethorpe ward grid
| review | Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) required for exterior alterations, additions, new construction, demolition, and signage |
|---|---|
| scope | Materials, scale, massing, fenestration, demolition; design review by Historic District Board of Review per Article 7 |
Victorian-era residential areas south of downtown core (roughly between Gwinnett St and Anderson St)
| review | Certificate of Appropriateness required for exterior alterations, additions, new construction, demolition |
|---|
Streetcar-era residential neighborhoods (Thomas Square area)
| review | Certificate of Appropriateness required for exterior alterations |
|---|
Cuyler-Brownville designated historic district boundaries
| review | Certificate of Appropriateness required for exterior alterations |
|---|
FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHA) per Chatham County FIRM; zones A, AE, AO, AH, X, VE mapped
| effect | Elevation and floodproofing requirements per FEMA NFIP minimums; lowest-floor elevation at or above Base Flood Elevation (BFE); local freeboard requirements may apply |
|---|---|
| flood_zones | A, AE, AO, AH, X, VE — six distinct flood zones mapped across city per Chatham County FIRM |
GA DNR Coastal Marshlands Protection Act jurisdictional areas and locally-designated wetland buffers
| effect | Buffer requirements (typically 25–50 ft from delineated wetland edge) and wetland impact mitigation per US Army Corps Section 404 and GA Coastal Marshlands Protection Act |
|---|---|
| buffer_ft | 25–50 ft from wetland edge per GA DNR rules |
Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport (KSAV) FAA Part 77 imaginary surfaces and approach/transitional surfaces; Hunter Army Airfield (KSVN) AICUZ zones
| effect | Height restrictions per Part 77 imaginary surfaces; land-use restrictions in AICUZ Accident Potential Zones (APZ-I, APZ-II) and Noise Zones (65, 70, 75 dB DNL) |
|---|---|
| federal_layer | FAA Part 77 (airspace), DoD AICUZ (Hunter Army Airfield), Section 163 obstruction evaluation |
Designated CAT (Chatham Area Transit) corridors and Coastal Region MPO transit-priority corridors
| effect | Enhanced pedestrian and transit-oriented design standards; build-to-zones, glazing minimums, parking placement modifications |
|---|
Geographic areas with adopted STR density caps; Downtown Historic District + Victorian District have explicit STR caps per neighborhood
| effect | STR density cap (commonly 20% of dwellings in subject blocks for non-owner-occupied), registration requirement, occupancy limits, hotel use restrictions |
|---|---|
| density_cap_pct | 20% in many designated neighborhoods (Downtown/Victorian) |
Projects providing 10%+ of units at 30% AMI affordability threshold for minimum 30-year period
| effect | Density bonus up to 30% above base du/ac for qualifying affordable projects; potential parking reductions |
|---|---|
| affordability_threshold | 30% AMI (Area Median Income) — stricter than typical 60–80% AMI thresholds in peer cities |
| adopted | November 2024 |
Structures within designated demolition-review areas (typically older neighborhoods outside formal historic districts)
| effect | Demolition delay (typically 60–180 days), required documentation, and review by HPB or staff before demolition permit issuance |
|---|
Shoreline and riverbank parcels along Savannah River, marshes, and tidal creeks subject to erosion
| effect | Shoreline armoring standards (riprap, bulkhead, living shoreline); grading and vegetation requirements within buffer zones |
|---|
Part 77 imaginary surfaces around KSAV (Savannah/Hilton Head International) and KSVN (Hunter Army Airfield); AICUZ APZ + Noise Zones around Hunter AAF
| effect | Federal height/land-use constraints supersede local zoning; per FM-P this is recorded as federal_overlay reference for any base district where Part 77 or AICUZ overrides height/use |
|---|---|
| federal_overlay_refs | FAA Part 77 surfaces KSAV/KSVN; AICUZ Hunter Army Airfield |
State preemptions
Non-applicable laws (1)
Adopted building codes
Statewide w/ GA amendments
Click a code label to open its state-by-state adoption atlas.
Amendment history
| Date | Kind | Citation |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-20 | retrieved at | Fetched from encodeplus.com and savannahga.gov DocumentCenter PDFs |
| 2019-09-01 | effective | Effective Sept 1, 2019 per Chapter 3, Zoning |
| 2019-07-18 | adoption | Adopted by City Council July 18, 2019 (NewZO) |
Quirks & notes
- Code platform is encodeplus.com (city-hosted) — not municode/amlegal/ecode360 — so per-section URLs are deep-linked SPA fragments. DocumentCenter PDFs at savannahga.gov/DocumentCenter/View/{id}/Zoning-District---{code} are the reliable source for dimensional schedules.
- Setbacks are measured FROM THE CENTERLINE of the street right-of-way (not from the lot line), with values that vary by street classification (freeway/parkway > major arterial > secondary arterial > collector > residential street > access easement). Downstream consumers must subtract half the street ROW width to derive the conventional lot-line setback.
- Downtown Historic District is one of the most heavily-regulated historic districts in the US (National Historic Landmark District) with overlapping jurisdiction from City HPC, Chatham County-Savannah MPC, Georgia SHPO, and the National Park Service.
- B-C-1 Central Business permits zero front setback; downtown D-CBD/D-C similarly permit zero or minimal setbacks (full schedule not extracted in this pass).
- AHDB Affordable Housing Density Bonus (adopted Nov 2024) uses a 30% AMI affordability threshold — stricter than the 60–80% AMI typical in peer cities.
- Six FEMA flood zones (A, AE, AO, AH, X, VE) mapped across city — substantial portion of southside and waterfront in SFHA.
- Hunter Army Airfield (KSVN) within city limits creates AICUZ overlay; Savannah/Hilton Head International (KSAV) just outside city limits adds FAA Part 77 imaginary surfaces — federal aviation layers constrain height across much of the city.
- Hotel/STR overlay restrictions remain enforceable — no GA state STR preemption enacted; HB 1395 / SB 374 (2024) did not pass.
- Conservation district family includes Marsh Conservation and Park Conservation subvariants, used as alternatives to restrictive residential districts.
- Walkability and transit-oriented language embedded in 2019 NewZO rewrite — Traditional Residential / Neighborhood / Commercial districts are form-influenced within an otherwise Euclidean code.
- v1 record's R-1/R-2/R-3 district codes were converter artifacts — actual code uses R-4, R-6, R-10, R-20, R-30, R-D, R-B-C and a RIP-* family. v2 sweep corrects to the canonical NewZO codes.
Formulas
Definitions
- height
- Maximum height in feet measured to highest point of roof structure; historic-district overlay COA review may impose stricter limits
- lot_coverage
- Maximum Building Coverage (percent) as listed in each district's Schedule of Development Standards
- far
- du_ac
- Maximum Density (units per net acre) as listed in each district's Schedule of Development Standards; expressed per net residential acre
- impervious_cover
- setback_front
- Minimum Front Yard Setback measured from Center Line of Street Right-of-Way; varies by street classification (freeway/parkway, major arterial, secondary arterial, collector, residential street, access easement)
- setback_side
- Minimum Side Yard Setback (feet); Residential vs Nonresidential rows; many districts use '10 ft from abutting R district property' for nonresidential
- setback_rear
- Minimum Rear Yard Setback (feet); many districts use 'adjoining R district property's setback' for nonresidential
- parking
- Off-street parking minimums per §8-3089 'Minimum Space Requirements for Off-Street Parking Areas' — not normalized into a single ratio; varies by use category and district
Capacity calculations
- max_footprint_sf
lot_area_sf * lot_coverage- max_gfa_sf
- max_units_from_density
lot_area_sf * du_ac / 43560- buildable_width_ft
lot_width_ft - setback_side_ft * 2- buildable_depth_ft
lot_depth_ft - setback_front_ft - setback_rear_ft- buildable_envelope_sf
buildable_width_ft * buildable_depth_ft- max_stories_approx
max_height_ft / 10- max_gfa_from_envelope
buildable_envelope_sf * max_stories_approx- parking_required
per use category — see §8-3089
Massing explorer
Interactive 3D comparison across every district. Drag to orbit, scroll to zoom, use the slider to walk districts, and toggle applicable overlays in the right-side panel.
| District | Category | Height | FAR | Coverage | Setbacks | Parking | Density | Min lot | Overlays |
|---|
Sources & references
- [1] §Article 5 — R-4 Schedule of Development Standards
- [2] §Article 5 — R-4 Schedule of Development Standards
- [3] §Article 5 — R-4 Schedule of Development Standards
- [4] §Article 5 — R-4 Schedule of Development Standards
- [5] §Article 5 — R-4 Schedule of Development Standards
- [6] §Article 5 — R-4 Schedule of Development Standards
- [7] §Article 5 — R-4 Schedule of Development Standards
- [8] §8-3089
- [9] §Article 5 — R-6 Schedule of Development Standards
- [10] §Article 5 — R-6 Schedule of Development Standards
- [11] §Article 5 — R-6 Schedule of Development Standards
- [12] §Article 5 — R-6 Schedule of Development Standards
- [13] §Article 5 — R-6 Schedule of Development Standards
- [14] §Article 5 — R-6 Schedule of Development Standards
- [15] §Article 5 — R-6 Schedule of Development Standards
- [16] §8-3089
- [17] §Article 5 — R-10 Schedule of Development Standards
- [18] §Article 5 — R-10 Schedule of Development Standards
- [19] §Article 5 — R-10 Schedule of Development Standards
- [20] §Article 5 — R-10 Schedule of Development Standards
- [21] §Article 5 — R-10 Schedule of Development Standards
- [22] §Article 5 — R-10 Schedule of Development Standards
- [23] §Article 5 — R-10 Schedule of Development Standards
- [24] §8-3089
- [25] §Article 5 — R-20 Schedule of Development Standards
- [26] §Article 5 — R-20 Schedule of Development Standards
- [27] §Article 5 — R-20 Schedule of Development Standards
- [28] §Article 5 — R-20 Schedule of Development Standards
- [29] §Article 5 — R-20 Schedule of Development Standards
- [30] §Article 5 — R-20 Schedule of Development Standards
- [31] §Article 5 — R-20 Schedule of Development Standards
- [32] §8-3089
- [33] i
- [34] §8-3089
- [35] §Article 5 — R-D Schedule of Development Standards
- [36] §Article 5 — R-D Schedule of Development Standards
- [37] §Article 5 — R-D Schedule of Development Standards
- [38] §Article 5 — R-D Schedule of Development Standards
- [39] §8-3089
- [40] §Article 5 — R-B-C Schedule of Development Standards
- [41] §Article 5 — R-B-C Schedule of Development Standards
- [42] §Article 5 — R-B-C Schedule of Development Standards
- [43] §Article 5 — R-B-C Schedule of Development Standards
- [44] §Article 5 — R-B-C Schedule of Development Standards
- [45] §8-3089
- [46] §Article 5 — RIP-B1 Schedule of Development Standards
- [47] §Article 5 — RIP-B1 Schedule of Development Standards
- [48] §Article 5 — RIP-B1 Schedule of Development Standards
- [49] §Article 5 — RIP-B1 Schedule of Development Standards
- [50] §Article 5 — RIP-B1 Schedule of Development Standards
- [51] §Article 5 — RIP-B1 Schedule of Development Standards
- [52] §8-3089
- [53] §Article 5 — B-N Schedule of Development Standards
- [54] §Article 5 — B-N Schedule of Development Standards
- [55] §Article 5 — B-N Schedule of Development Standards
- [56] §8-3089
- [57] §Article 5 — B-C Schedule of Development Standards
- [58] §Article 5 — B-C Schedule of Development Standards
- [59] §Article 5 — B-C Schedule of Development Standards
- [60] §Article 5 — B-C Schedule of Development Standards
- [61] §8-3089
- [62] §Article 5 — B-C-1 Schedule of Development Standards
- [63] §Article 5 — B-C-1 Schedule of Development Standards
- [64] §8-3089
- [65] §8-3089
- [66] §Article 5 — O-I Schedule of Development Standards
- [67] §Article 5 — O-I Schedule of Development Standards
- [68] §8-3089
- [69] §Article 5 — I-L Schedule of Development Standards
- [70] §Article 5 — I-L Schedule of Development Standards
- [71] §Article 5 — I-L Schedule of Development Standards
- [72] §Article 5 — I-L Schedule of Development Standards
- [73] §Article 5 — I-L Schedule of Development Standards
- [74] §8-3089
- [75] §Article 5 — I-H Schedule of Development Standards
- [76] §Article 5 — I-H Schedule of Development Standards
- [77] §Article 5 — I-H Schedule of Development Standards
- [78] §8-3089
- [79] §8-3089
- [80] §8-3089
- [81] §8-3216
- [82] §8-3089
- [83] i
- [84] §8-3089
- [85] §8-3089
- [86] §8-3089
- [87] §8-3089
- [88] §8-3089
- [89] §8-3089
- [90] §8-3089
- [91] §8-3089
- [92] §8-3089
- [93] §8-3089
- [94] §8-3089
- [95] §8-3089
Research status
Publication gates
| primary url present | passed | code_source = https://online.encodeplus.com/regs/savannah-ga/ — city-hosted, not aggregator |
|---|---|---|
| no aggregator cited | passed | scan clean — no zoneomics/steadily/siteplanguide/sitedesignguide/siteplancreator/propwire/zonara/unzoned references |
| confidence tags full form | passed | 95+ confirmed standards carry §Article 5 — <district> Schedule of Development Standards citations; overlays carry §8-3030 through §8-3041 citations |
| overlays have parameters trigger confidence | passed | 13 overlays each carry name+code+type+ordinance+trigger+params (non-empty)+base_interaction+confidence — including federal aviation overlay per FM-P |
| preempt section city specific | passed | 4 state_preemptions_applicable entries (ZPL, Manufactured Home Act, STR-does-not-apply, Home Rule) — each with city-specific qualifying_condition_checked grounded in Savannah's status as a GA municipality and primary statute citations |
Data quality
- Downtown D-CBD/D-C/D-N/D-R/D-W/D-E dimensional schedules (height, FAR, setbacks, build-to)
- Traditional Residential TR-1/TR-2/TR-3 dimensional schedules
- Traditional Neighborhood TN-1/TN-2/TN-3 dimensional schedules
- Traditional Commercial TC-1/TC-2 dimensional schedules (§8-3216 section located, table not parsed)
- Multifamily MF-1/MF-2/MF-3 dimensional schedules
- Maritime Business (MB) and Limited Business (LB) schedules
- Agricultural, Conservation (Marsh/Park), R-M-H Manufactured Home Park schedules
- Parking ratios — §8-3089 governs by use category, not by district; consolidated use→ratio table not extracted
- R-30 schedule of standards (only inferred from R-N naming pattern)
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