Sometimes, it’s not whether you win or lose, but whether you fight. Such is the saga of the effort to save the beach at Jekyll Island. In this interview, Sen. Jeff Chapman (R-3) and David Egan of The Initiative to Protect Jekyll Island, explain the cautious victory that has materialized out of defeat in the effort to get the Georgia Legislature to care about preserving Jekyll.
To summarize, it was last June, 2007 that the Jekyll Island Authority solicited proposals for the development of a 45 acre tract of land on Jekyll Island. That began a flawed, if not corrupt, bid process that resulted in a display of arrogant hanky-panky by the JIA, the award of a development bid to a big-time Republican contributor (Mercer Reynolds), a lawsuit by a disappointed bidder, and an effort by Sen. Chapman to get the Georgia Legislature to demonstrate leadership in protecting the open beach at Jekyll.
When the Georgia Legislature failed to care, the JIA announced that it had decided to “do the right thing” and relocate the proposed development so as to not interfer with the beach. This change of heart is not, in my opinion, due to any virtue of the JIA. Rather, the JIA is trying to make it appear it has heard the public and is now going to do the right thing. Bah, humbug. All the JIA is doing is trying to spin the recent action by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources which declared the beach area within the proposed development to be subject to the Georgia Shore Protection Act. What does that mean? Simply, the JIA can’t develop the area.
So, what is the lesson to be learned from this effort at Jekyll Island? Several things.
First and foremost: Many of the independent boards in Georgia don’t work, at least, not when it comes to protecting our natural resources from abuse by developers. Remember the ejection of Sally Bethea from the DNR Board last year! Gov. Perdue appoints the members of the JIA, as well.
Second, the only thing that is ever going to keep developers from developing your back yard is the law. This battle was lost, but for the Georgia Shore Protection Act which was passed more than 20 years ago when environmental issues received a little more attention prior to the push to develop every foot of land in Georgia.
Third, the Georgia legislature is virtually useless when it comes to doing the right thing. They refuse to correct their mistakes, such as the immunity they gave emergency room doctors and hospitals in 2005. They refuse to protect much of anything if it doesn’t affect their pocket book or improve their chances for re-election. They just don’t care. These arrogant self-promoters (and let there be no mistake, I am referring to the Republican leadership, particularly in the House under His Royal Sinus, Glenn Richardson) favor business interests in all things. Their mistress is the Chamber of Commerce, not the people of Georgia. They pass tax breaks for business in a year when they could not pass tax reform for individuals, and they did it in a year when, due to the Bush recession, no one should have gotten a tax break. They want to eliminate property taxes because they own so much commercial and investment property they would love to be able to pass that tax burden onto the average Georgian that owns a house by fooling him into paying more, much more, in sales taxes, under the guise of eliminating the property tax. They favor insurance companies and always make education the first victim of budget cuts.
Last but not least, fighting the arrogance of the JIA and other state agencies and boards is, ultimately, worthwhile. You just have to be strong enough to let the battle play out and every once in a while something unexpected will save the day.
Three cheers to Sen. Chapman and David Egan and everyone who supported the effort.
If you’ve read in the paper about what’s now on the drawing board for the beach area in question, it looks like there still will be limited beach access. It seems like most of the comments I’ve seen have been against removing the beach parking areas, but the proposed new plan replaces them with a nature center, bath houses and “green space.” I’m wondering if it’s like the green space that was put in where the parking lot below (south of) Blackbeard’s used to be. Now a meandering road through man-made dunes and trees with limited parking spaces, the former parking lot has lost its appeal for beach-goers. Sure, it’s prettier, but if you’re not the first in line and you’re not the most agile person in the world, you’re going to have trouble getting to the once easily accessible beach there. The new proposal could still block access.
I’ve been wondering for years why the JIA hasn’t made any attempt to resurface the beach parking lots. Now I see it’s so they can claim they’re deteriorating (all to their own neglect, they fail to add) and do an end run around the only vehicle the people have to protect their beach access — The Shore Protection Act. The new plan will still block the beautiful panoramic views of the water from Beachview Drive (if it even still exists after all this) and limit beach access parking.
I’ve said it in other forums and I’ll say it again here. If the politicians are so confident that this arrangement with a private partner to develop Jekyll Island is such a great thing, put it as a straw poll on the ballot in November and see if the people of the state of Georgia agree with it. I suspect you’d find in the end that they only supporters it has is the developers themselves and the politicians that are trying to gain something for themselves. I do not believe the people of this state agree with the drastic changes that are being proposed.
I also do not believe that our representatives are representing us. It appears they have lost the definition of their job. As for the JIA, I get that they want to “privitize” Jekyll, but then who would pay them? Public land should never be put under the management of a for profit company.
I really think we need to go back to the beginning, look at the island, define the sensitive areas, and then plan for the redevelopment of the existing footprint. Every space that is natural needs to remain natural. That means, we don’t put playgrounds, volleyball courts, or new buildings on the beach. We do not cut down or “transplant” 200 year old oak trees. We do not dredge out areas where bird and animal habitat will be destroyed. I , for one, am skeptical of the “new”plan. Will they, the JIA and LL, actually listen to us this time before they make a plan, or is the plan already made and we are just going to wait until after elections for them to show us what they plan to do with our island?
Thank you so much for keeping Jekyll in front of the public.
A great description of what has taken place regarding the impractical, overambitious and overhyped Jekyll Island Revitalization Plan proposed by Linger Longer and supported by some members of the Jekyll Island Authority.
The Jekyll Island Authority (JIA) Board, in particular its chairman, Ben Porter and chairman of the Conservation Committee, Mike Hodges, have repeatedly restated their commitment to their mission “to be trustworthy stewards to conserve the natural and cultural resources of the island.” Nice sounding words BUT good stewards of Jekyll Island State Park WOULD HAVE: 1. Adopted the Conservation Plan as a guiding force in any “revitalization” of the park. Instead the board underwent a tedious process of taking out any language in the plan that would restrict development and then buried the plan in their lawyer’s office where it has sat for six months waiting for “review.” 2. Conducted environmental impact studies of the island which would include the delineation line of the Shore Protection, Marshlands and Wetland’s Protection Acts BEFORE fashioning a Request for Proposals for developers. Instead, Hodges and Porter insisted at a public meeting that identifying environmentally sensitive areas could be done CONCURRENT with development. 3. Focused on nature based/ecotourist attractions to increase visitation to Jekyll rather than to build more condos, hotels and time shares on a sensitive barrier island, especially considering that five hotels are currently in varying stages of being rebuilt which will add substantial numbers of new hotel rooms and condo units to the island. 4. Initiated capacity studies to estimate the impact of development on the island’s natural resources, animal life, infrastructure, and quality of visitor experience to Jekyll on their own accord rather than having to be pressured into doing so by conservation and concerned citizen groups at a late date in the development plans.
The JIA board needs to realize that the people of Georgia understand that ACTIONS demonstrate stewardship responsibility NOT the empty words they have spoken time and time again, “We on the Jekyll Island Authority Board take our stewardship of Jekyll Island’s natural resources very seriously.”
Thank you, Mr. Wilson, for covering this saga of the fight for Jekyll Island. As a native Georgian, I never thought such a proposal as the Linger Longer could be on the agenda. It appears that many Georgians now question the motives of self interest as the Jekyll Island Authority prepared to move forward with a ridiculous development, and though they have made a hic cup of change, all eyes and ears need to be open to what lies ahead and their willingness to truly act as guardian of the state park. People like Senator Chapman, Representative Buckner, and David and Mindy Egan have really towed the line to protect Jekyll. I sincerely thank you for your coverage and honesty.
And here we have the latest moves in what more and more is appearing to be a carefully devised plan to sell Jekyll Island’s soul to the highest bidder.
1. Buried on Page 4A of The Brunswick News this morning, it appears the JIA board has stacked the cards in their favor again by choosing C. Jones Hooks as the new Director of the JIA. Though they’re not saying it’s a done deal yet, he’s the only one left on the short list and hamptonroads.com is reporting he already has the job. Mr. Hooks is the President and CEO of Hampton Roads Economic Development Alliance in Virginia, a public-private partnership for the purpose of business attraction and assistance. He’s been described as “fearless.” It would appear the JIA has itself a ringer! Imagine that. Hmmm…I wonder what his salary will be and how that will compare to what he’s making at HREDA. Will his new salary be paid by the JIA or Linger Longer…or both?
2. In retaliation for the organized effort against irresponsible development of Jekyll Island, the JIA is now threatening to not renew the leases of private homes past 2049, when they all expire, apparently in an attempt to thwart the grassroots movement created initially by island residents. It’s the old grade school mentality of, “If I can’t have it, you can’t have it either!” C’mon children…play nice! They are even going so far as to say that’s the way the people want it, including Sen. Chapman. Now where have I heard this veiled threat before? Oh yeah…Jerry Keene, addressing a meeting of the Jekyll Island Citizens Association about a year or so ago. They like to pull this one out every time
the natives get restless and threaten to throw a monkey wrench into their plans.
I can’t for the life of me imagine that if the Linger Longer development comes to fruition that it will generate the kind of revenue required to grease all these palms. What CAN these people be thinking???
Wilson, my ears have been tuned in to every word that was spoken in your interviews covering what’s going on with Jekyll Island. I love your straight forward approach to the truth. It is not hard to figure out when someone doesn’t answer a question or tries to evade it that they have something to hide. The people of Georgia need to know the truth about what is going on on Jekyll Island. And you have provided us with just that. Thank You, Wilson!