The Savannah City Council Thursday held fast to its original approval of a text amendment change in building height restrictions on River Street. In a 7-2 vote, identical to the one Council held on May 15 on the issue of The Kessler Collection to add two stories to the current height ordinance governing major construction projects on River Street. The ordinance limited structures to a maximum three stories above River Street and two stories above Bay Street. 

The March 15 vote by the Council moved the project forward to review from the Savannah Historic District Board of Review. The matter was slated to return to City Council on May 29 for first and second readings of the petition concurrently, Alderman Mary Ellen Sprague opposed the readings, causing the matter to be postponed until Thursday. 

Unlike the March 15 meeting, there was no attorney presentation, lengthy testimony, demonstrations or further discussion. The opportunities for such things had come and gone. Surprisingly, there was no mention of the multi-plaintiff lawsuit filed in Chatham County District Court before the City Council proceedings on Thursday, by Attorney Thomas Hash Jr. representing 10 plaintiffs suing the City Council of Savannah and Kessler. The suit alleges a host of violations of existing ordinances pertaining to notification periods and decreased property values due to an obscured view of the Savannah River.

In a properly conducted voting process which included a letter to the Council from Alderman Tom Bordeaux voicing in abscentia his continued opposition to the proposed ordinance change, the Council voted 7-2 Thursday to approve the text amendment to the ordinance, making it official.

Harold Yellin, a partner at HunterMaclean Lawyers and counsel for Kessler, declined comment after the vote, citing the active litigation. Yellin said he did have comment but could not speak publically about the vote or the case until all legal matters are resolved.