Tag Archive for 'save jekyll'

Jekyll Island Update: From The Bleakly Report to A Revised Plan!

Published
by
Wilson
on October 8, 2008
in Podcast
. 9 Comments

Things are moving fast on Jekyll Island. Last year, the Jekyll Island Authority (JIA) got sued for a poorly executed (if not illegal) bid process. In the 2008 legislative session, Sen. Jeff Chapman tried to get the attention of the Oversight Committee to see if they would slow down the development plans of the JIA and Linger Longer, its “Revitalization Partner.” When the juggernaut appeared unstoppable, the law in the form of The Georgia Shore Protection Act stepped in to stop beachfront development. The skies cleared, the wind calmed and the ball sat in JIA’s court.

Then, on September 15th the Bleakly Advisory Group (the same group, I think, that handled the development bid process in 2007) revealed its report analyzing visitation on Jekyll Island. Needless to say, this analysis was greeted with some degree of skepticism considering the JIA’s previous conduct.

In this interview, Sen. Jeff Chapman, David Egan of Save Jekyll.org and Dr. Ken Cordell discuss the Bleakly Report. Dr. Cordell is a professor at the University of Georgia who is acting as a consultant to Sen. Chapman in evaluating the validity of the report’s findings. You can read his analysis, but his conclusion is:

In the title and in the lead paragraph of the Bleakly Group study, emphasis is on two things. First, development is described as an assumed future for Jekyll Island. Second, development is considered as the means of preference for increasing revenues. There are perhaps a number of solvent other options available that would enhance revenues and/or reduce costs. One could be hotel and associated improvements, but no new residential or commercial development. In the above review text, one model for taking into account the two primary goals of park management is offered—the Visitor Experience and Resource Protection model used by the National Park Service. The primary goals of park management, whether national or state, are providing quality visitor experiences and protection of park natural and cultural resources. VERP emphasizes careful consideration of visitor management and visitor numbers within a framework of carrying capacity. Increasing visitation and development dramatically can have significant and long-lasting effects on visitor experiences and park resources. Under current market conditions and fast developing trends, it is unclear whether new development would increase visitation. If visitation were increased to the forecasted levels identified as needed to increase revenues to between $45 and $50 million by 2023, it is unclear what the overall impacts would be. Interesting opportunities exist for further study of Jekyll Island options.

Then at a JIA meeting on October 6, 2008 Linger Longer revealed a development plan that is significantly different from the 40+ acre development it proposed last year. If you view the presentation Page 7 is entitled “We Listened and Learned.” Maybe so, I am not sure. The main changes are noted at Save Jekyll:

The project site has been reduced from 63 acres to 22 acres, and the cost from $352 million to $100 million.

The number of hotels has been reduced from three to two, with plans for the upscale 400-room hotel having been abandoned. The total number of hotel rooms has been reduced from 725 to 350.

The 277 unit condo village has been abandoned. If condos are included in the new plan, they will be built as loft units above the retail shops, and would be limited to 70 or so units.

Beachview Drive is not being rerouted as planned, but rather will intersect with Jekyll’s entrance parkway in a Y shaped fashion, without any loss of the current view of the ocean. This change in road design will necessitate amending Jekyll’s Master Plan, since 1.75 acres of undeveloped land will be affected.

No development will take place north of the convention center - the children’s playground and miniature golf course will stay where they are. The parking areas north of the convention center will be reconfigured and rehabilitated at the JIA’s expense.

The north (main) part of the convention center will be being renovated; the south part will be rebuilt. The total size of the new convention center will be close to that of the existing structure.

The 160 time-share units that were in the original plan are in the new plan as well and will be located between the convention center and the Days Inn.

Last, but not least, JIA presented a proposed amendment to the development plan which appears to be limited to making a nominal change to the entrance road onto Jekyll Island.

Due to what happened October 6th, this interview may be a little out of date, but even these developments do not insure Jekyll’s future. Whatever the development that becomes a reality, the fact remains that the developer, Linger Longer, is going to make tens of millions of dollars. With so much at stake it is regretable that the initial bid process was unfair and flawed. There will always be a taint on whatever is built.

There is also concern that the ultimate contract between the JIA and Linger Longer will give too much control to Linger Longer over all future development. That contract is being negotiated and vigilance is the watchword. Stay tuned!

 
 Chapman, Egan & Cordell on Jekyll Island [30:33m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (118)

When It Comes to Jekyll Island, The Only Good Republican is a Co-Conspirator!

Published
by
Wilson
on October 4, 2008
in Podcast
. 0 Comments

When you think of Jekyll Island, you don’t think about fancy or expensive. You don’t think of money. You think of quaint, laid back and of the ocean. Jekyll has one of the longest stretches of undeveloped beachfront views of the oceans on the east coast. But, if those ramrods of riches, those guardians of power and practitioners of secrecy, the Jekyll Island Authority, have their way, all of this is going to change. And, at least one Republican business will put hundreds of millions of dollars in its pocket, Linger Longer, a Mercer Reynolds development company.

For a year now, Jekyll has been the battleground between the politically powerfulI and those who think Jekyll is first and foremost a state park which should be preserved for the families and children of Georgia, without the exclusivity of Amelia Island. During this last year, I have interviewed all the primary participants in this struggle over development on Jekyll: (1) the JIA that is charged with a public trust which they seem not to understand, (2) Linger Longer, the private company that seeks the inside tract in controlling all that is Jekyll’s future, (3) Wade Shealy, whose company was the first victim of the JIA’s skullduggery, (4) David Egan, the citizen activist who seeks to Save Jekyll, and (5) Senator Jeff Chapman (R-3), who may be risking his political future inside the Republican party by seeking to steer Jekyll on a different course than that proposed by the developers.

Earlier this year, Jekyll Island got a reprieve from beachfront development as a result of law, The Georgia Shore Protective Act. While those opposing development of the beachfront may have found solace in April, the JIA and Linger Longer were still actively plotting their next strategies to pour concrete where it had never gone before.

One of those strategies is to keep everything secret, tell no one anything, even members of the JIA. Enter Ed Boshears, a loyal Republican lawyer from Brunswick, who supported Governor Perdue, twice. But, Ed has a fatal flaw when it comes to Republican politics in Georgia. He isn’t afraid to ask questions and he doesn’t just go along to get along. Ed takes seriously his responsibility as a trustee of state property, set aside for enjoyment by the people of Georgia.

In this interview, Ed describes his efforts to do his job as a member of the JIA, and the results: kicked off the JIA board. But Ed isn’t taking it lying down. He is talking to anyone who will listen and has even requested a grand jury investigation.

Regardless of the merits of any proposal the JIA or Linger Longer put forward, their strongarm conduct to control information and deny the public any meaningful participation is shameful. And that is putting it mildly, for me, at least. This is no way to run a State Park. Jekyll is a State Park bought for the people of this state, not big-shot political contributors and appointees as some sort of personal fiefdom to do with as they please.

But what really gets me is that even when a state authority is caught playing politics, even when it treats the citizens as unworthy of sincere consideration, no one, elected officials, that is, does anything about it. No one, not the Governor, not the legislature, not the Republican leadership comes to the aid of the people. None of them are outraged at the sheer display of arrogance. None of them are offended by the JIA tactics.

Where is the leadership of the Republican Party in the State of Georgia?

Where is the Governor, the lame duck, Sonny Perdue? ANSWER: In Spain!

Where is Casey Cagle who says he wants to change the politically charged atmosphere in Georgia, and who intends to run for Governor in 2010?

Where are Sen. Eric Johnson, President Pro Tempore of the Georgia Senate, and Rep. Jerry Keen, House Majority Leader, who are both “advisory” members of the JIA?

Where is Sen. Tommie Williams, a member of the Senate Oversight Committee, who used to be a country boy who grew up poorer than dirt before he started selling pine straw gathered by Mexican laborers, some legal and some not?

Where are these Republicans? Moving up the ladder. They do what Republicans do best: support money and turn a deaf ear to people.

Take Ed, a long-time Republican. He gets no respect. He gets no consideration. His questions, not even worthy of a response.

Take Senator Chapman, in my opinion one of the rare Republicans who wants to listen, understand and do the right thing. Why can’t he get the JIA’s attention with one phone call?

Why? Because the Republican leadership in this State, from Sonny on down, do not tolerate anyone, much less a Republican, asking questions. That is why the little dictator in the House, Glenn Richardson, removes recalcitrant Republicans from their committees and banishes them from the capital if they dare question his decisions or authority.

In this Republican administration, the only good Republican is a co-conspirator, someone who will go along to get along, who will put party loyalty over the welfare of the people of this state.

It is truly disgusting!

 
 Ed Boshears, Former Member, Jekyll Island Authority [29:53m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (131)

The Beach at Jekyll Island: A Hopeful Reprieve

Published
by
Wilson
on April 14, 2008
in Podcast
. 7 Comments

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.

 
 Jekyll Island, Sen. Jeff Chapman, David Egan [28:09m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (504)