Parochial school to relocate to historic Gould Cottage

The Gould Cottage's halls could soon once again ring with the laughter of children.

The Habersham School, a private K-12 parochial school that opened last fall on Wilmington Island, has the Ardsley Park landmark under contract for purchase. The Savannah Zoning Board of Appeals approved a variance request Wednesday that clears the way for the sale.

Renovation of the 13,774-square-foot brick building will begin as soon as the deal closes. School officials plan to open on the new site this fall.

"This is a good use for" the Gould Cottage, said attorney Phillip McCorkle, speaking on behalf of the Gould Cottage's current owner, Union Mission. "There needs to be something in there, or it's going to continue to deteriorate and become an eyesore."

The Gould Cottage has been vacant since soon after Union Mission acquired it in 2006 and has been listed for sale since 2010.

The Habersham School's projected growth prompted its leadership's interest in the property. The school has approximately 80 students currently enrolled and is near capacity at its home in the Grace Church of the Islands on Concord Road.

Enrollment is expected to top 100 students this fall and could grow to 200 in future years. The school offers a "Christian classical" education. Parents of existing students urged school leaders to relocate to a more central location, according to McCorkle.

"The school should be a huge asset for the neighborhood," said Brad Durham, who has worked on the deal on behalf of the school. "No neighborhood needs an unoccupied 15,000-square-foot building."

Several neighbors did share concerns with the Habersham School's plans for the Gould Cottage. They cited potential traffic issues connected to the pick-up and drop-off of students. They also expressed parking worries, particularly in regards to on-street parking on surrounding roadways and the use of an unpaved area of the site for parking.

Their objections prompted the zoning board to initially deny the petition. But after the dissenting neighbors and school officials talked through those issues outside the hearing room, the zoning board was asked to rehear the variance request.

The board approved, and after McCorkle outlined several conditions the school had agreed to, the petition passed.

"We hope they will be good neighbors to all of us," said Stacey O'Connell, who lives down 55th Street from the school. "We're comfortable with their plans now."

The Gould Cottage has stood across Atlantic Avenue from Hull Park since 1933. Edwin Gould, a wealthy New Yorker, established the Tudor-style building in 1933 as a new home for the Savannah Female Orphan Asylum.

Renowned local architect Cletus Bergen designed the cottage, which served as an orphanage for several decades. Parents and Child Development Services Inc. acquired the property in the 1970s and utilized it for offices, counseling and other programs. Union Mission absorbed Parents and Child Development Services Inc. in 2006 and relocated staff and programs to its main campus downtown.

The building has become a squatter's haven in recent years, according to one of the neighbors who spoke at the meeting.