The fight over Jekyll Island State Park

What happens when cronies of a Governor get appointed by the Governor himself to an authority that oversees a public park which happens to be an island developers have coveted for years? You get the fight over the direction of the development of Jekyll Island that’s going on now.

I sincerely believe that the Jekyll Island Authority thought they could make this little deal without garnering much protest. Earlier last year the JIA suggested that the South End of the state park, which is undeveloped and extremely ecologically sensitive, be open to private developers. Public and political reaction was intense; the authority eventually backed down. We thought we had won. Then to the surprise of many, they unveiled a partnership proposal by Linger Longer Communities to build over 400 condos/timeshares and three brand new hotels on a stretch of the main beach, which currently has only a convention center and some public parking lots on it.

The selection of Linger Longer Communities shouldn’t be surprising. Jamie Reynolds (of the Reynolds group, which owns LLC) has a long history with Lonice Bennett, a key aide to Perdue, along with Ben Porter, who is now on the JIA board; Bill Donohue, the executive director of JIA; and Joe Tanner, who is now a lobbyist for Southeast Landco, a Reynolds company.

A word on the JIA before I continue; a representative of the JIA said something to the effect that she hoped we, the public, would trust them. After the shenanigans of the whole South End issue along with some of the things detailed in the article here, it’s pretty damn hard to trust them.

Back to the proposal at hand. Only 35% of the island may be developed. Three hotels have closed within the last few years, prompting a drop in available rooms. LLC cites a magical 47% loss of visitors to the island- I say magical because no one has explained where that number comes from. The JIA has, with a great deal of public support, encouraged the re-development of existing properties; most people agree that the accommodations need to be better. Three properties are now in some stage of complete redevelopment, a mix of hotels and condos. Another has been approved to add condos.

LLC wants to build new construction on the main beach. One person claimed that the proposal is in a footprint of original development. Technically, yes it is; there is a convention center and 4 parking lots that line a bike trail right at the edge of the dunes. Jim Langford, the LLC spokesman, actually said the convention center takes up a lot of that space. It takes up about a forth of it. The rest is open oceanfront that you can see as you drive along Beachview Drive. No houses. No condos. No hotels until further up the road. It’s incredibly rare these days.

In developer-profit-world, people who can pay top dollar for rooms and condos get the prime real estate. The “economy hotel” that’s an average of $108 a night (yearly average, not seasonal) is a block away from the beach. Day visitors, it’s proposed, can park in a parking lot less than a quarter of a mile away rather than right next to the beach. Langford and the JIA contend that’s still a good option. I’d like for them to walk it, loaded with picnic supplies, chairs, towels and four kids.

They also say that tons of parking is available at the other beaches on the South end. The two lots they reference tend to fill up even in the off-season (with 47% less people there, natch). One beach is too muddy and full of silt to swim in. The other beach requires a long, long boardwalk trek through the dunes. Not fun carrying a load of stuff, especially if you could just go to the main beach and park right there. The area north of the main beach has no walkable beach at high tide. Everyone goes to the main beach because it’s the easiest one to get to, to enjoy and play on. LLC says that they increase public access points. That’s not the same as having the parking lots right there with no condos or hotels between you and the beach, not by a long shot.

So far as I know (at least it’s not on the website), there’s been no plan to accommodate for more traffic on the island other than “build more roads.” They haven’t explained how they’ll be able to keep people off the dunes if 400+ condos and 3 hotels are added to this “small” area. They haven’t addressed in any meaningful way the effect that this addition will have on the turtle nesting grounds. And they have yet to explain why they couldn’t just propose to rebuild a site they have already bid on which is, at present, a hotel on the beach (the Days Inn).

Senator Jeff Chapman, in response to public input, issued a formal resolution calling for the protection of Jekyll Island’s open beach from commercial exploitation. You can sign it here at www.jeffchapman.us.

LLC followed by a media blitz in which Langford questioned the Senator’s justification and, classically, painted a picture of Senator Chapman as a misguided individual who has failed to recognize the truth about the proposed Jekyll oceanfront village. Langford described the proposed Jekyll village as a small community bordering just only eight percent of the total beachfront area, and a project which would not obstruct the beach in any way, shape or form. However, there are before and after maps on savejekyllisland.org that tell the real story. And seriously, how can you build between the road and the beach and not obstruct the beach?

Chapman has come under attack not only from LLC but- you guessed it- from the Governor himself.  From what I can tell, the majority of support for the project continues to be from the people who stand to make money off of it. A developer who lost out in the bidding process estimated that his profit would have been $500 million. A $500 million private profit off public land. It’s pretty much a shameless give away of the only beachfront Georgia has left that’s pristine and undeveloped.

There’s a great amount of info that can be found on savejekyllisland.org. I suggest if you have time, check it out. And please visit Chapman’s site. And, Jekyll, of course; it’s one of the most beautiful places in the world. For now anyway.

•  We have to save Jekyll!

  Jekyll Island is one of my favorite places in the world, and it's a true testament to some very wise people through the years that the island has avoided the fate of other sea islands like Kiawah, Hilton Head, Tybee, and St. Simons.

  I have been inspired by your diary to stop this stupid candidate war bullshit and get off my ass and do something to help protect Jekyll.

  Thanks for the excellent diary.

  by Jim J on Mon Jan 14, 2008 at 02:31:16 PM PDT

•  I sympathize greatly...

  here is South Florida just about anything that can be developed is being pushed.  The development is now hampering Everglades restoration (along with lack of sufficient funding).  With our several year drought, water supplies have greatly dwindled.  Now, in order to aid farmers, the SFWMD is willing to drop Lake Okeechobee to a level of 6 feet.  What a nightmare.

  by LtdEdishn on Mon Jan 14, 2008 at 02:31:40 PM PDT

•  This is very interesting

  My grandmother lives in Brunswick, so I've spent a good deal of time in that area.  The Golden Isles have a very raw beauty to them, with the marshes and trees and Spanish moss.

  Jekyll Island's biggest draw is nature.  Quite frankly, if someone wants to come down to that area to stay at a nice hotel on the beach, odds are that they're going to go to Sea Island or St. Simon's instead.

  Good luck!

  by GoldnI on Mon Jan 14, 2008 at 02:36:46 PM PDT

•  Links for the lazy

  Jeff Chapman's Resolution. Go. Sign.
  Save Jekyl Island.org

  I signed and left a comment at Chapman's site.

  Thanks seaturtle. A sad thanks. Keep fighting.
  It's almost time for the Open Thread. You should make a comment over there, and put a link to the diary.

  by emmasnacker on Mon Jan 14, 2008 at 06:02:06 PM PDT

•  I grew up on Jekyll...

  ...and my parents still live there.  I was just there for New Year's, and was able to spend a little time kayaking in the marsh and biking through the woods and out near the beach.

  Jekyll Island is unique.  It's the only Island on the Georgia coast that is state-owned, yet accessible by auto.  It's "kinda developed", not in an almost totally natural state, like Cumberland or Sapelo, and certainly not an human-clogged mess, like Tybee or Saint Simons.

  When I moved to DC, I went to explain to my parents what it's like to live here, without representation that I'm allowed to vote for myself.  We realized that's just what it's like on Jekyll.  The people who live there have NO SAY on the Jekyll Island Authority (JIA).  The entire JIA is made up of people appointed by the governor, and they're almost exclusively from Atlanta, or somewhere that is not Jekyll Island.

  The people of Jekyll have almost no voice, and can't fight for themselves.  They need the rest of the people of Georgia to stand up to the corrupt Sonny Perdue and keep him and his cronies from destroying the 65% of Jekyll that has been kept in its natural state "for the plain people of Georgia", as the law states.

  by IMGoph on Mon Jan 14, 2008 at 08:55:35 PM PDT

•  Thanks for reading this!

  If you can, pass along the Champman resolution (jeffchapman.us). We had hoped that a lawsuit filed by a rejected developer would slow doen the process but the suit was dismissed yesterday. Perdue is ready to push to make this a done deal. IMGoph (lucky you growing up there) is exactly right in saying the JIA dictates everything. Perdue kicked off the members he didn't like and this is what we're left with.

  by seaturtles on Tue Jan 15, 2008 at 07:54:14 AM PDT

•  Jekyll Island needs to be improved

  A full rebuttal of this misleading and inaccurate diary cannot be written in the space allowed for comments.

  A full Diary is available but some points should be noted here:

  • Gov. Purdue is responding to a critical need on the coast, not giving a hand-out to cronies
  • Visitation to Jekyll Island has dropped 47 percent since 1990 – the number is not magical and is fully explained in this linked Diary
  • Local businesses are suffering because Georgians have decided not to visit the island
  • The project is not being built along the open oceanfront; it is largely replacing the Convention Center, asphalt parking lots and strip mall; the mile and a half of open oceanfront to the north of Blackbeard's restaurant will remain open and is not included in the proposal
  • The proposed development site is less than 1 percent of the entire island and is currently developed today
  • Day visitors will be able to park closer to the beach than today; the very last parking space – furthest away from the beach – is a five minute walk to the beach; this lot, however, is intended for the Convention Center, not day visitors
  • Currently, day visitors must compete for parking with guests of the Convention Center; the proposal will separate the two groups making the beach more convenient for day visitors
  • In the proposal, there are no condos between the closest parking spaces and the beach; there is direct access
  • All construction will be west of the dunes so the dunes will not be touched
  • Sen. Chapman’s resolution is asking for the preservation of environmentally unsound asphalt parking lots (full details and a quote from the resolution in this linked Diary)
  • The false assertion that Linger Longer will make a $500 million profit is unfounded and was initially floated by a losing developer and circulated by redevelopment opponents
  • The public process is ongoing and your suggestions for improving Jekyll Island are welcome

  To learn more or register your comments, please visit RediscoverJekyll.com or JekyllIslandAuthority.org.

  To read an entire diary about why redevelopment of Jekyll Island is good for Georgia and to see another side of this issue, please go here:

  Jekyll Island needs to be improved: A Diary

  by holden97 on Thu Jan 17, 2008 at 10:16:34 AM PDT

  •  some responses

    bird-dogging here:

    you say that the project is "largely replacing the Convention Center, asphalt parking lots and strip mall", and then later state, "The proposed development site is less than 1 percent of the entire island and is currently developed today".

    that's not true.  the proposed development would require a rerouting of the ben fortston parkway, and would lead to the cutting down of many acres of maritime forest.  beachview drive would be rerouted inland, with construction both east and west of this new road.  from shell road south to the days inn, maritime forest would be cut down.  that's not currently developed land.  in fact, some of that land (near shell road) is land where cutting happened over a decade ago when george chambliss was chair of the JIA.  the forest has begun to recover there.  if i remember, chambliss was removed as JIA chair shortly after that development debacle nearly happened.

    forested land will be affected negatively by this development.  i would be much more likely to get behind the project if it was guaranteed to not exceed the currently developed footprint, but that is not the case.

    by IMGoph on Thu Jan 17, 2008 at 08:42:02 PM PDT

  •  are you serious?

    I have spent many days on the beaches of Jekyll Island.  I still go.  I still love it.  I am fearful of the recent actions taken by the JIA.  I am concerned about the proposed LLC's development plans.  I actually like much of the proposal.  I think that many people do - even those that seem to be in opposition to the LLC's plans.  What concerns me - and probably others - is the way that this action has been taking place.  It all seems to subversive and so shady and so politically and economically motivated......
    I read your most recent posting and I am very curious about this: how in the world could the day visitors actually park closer to the beach than they are able to now?  HOW?  What beach are you talking about?  I can't figure that one out.  But what I do know is this - - I do know the difference between propaganda and legitimate concern.  You are repeating LLC's propaganda over and over and over again - probably becauce you authored most of it, and your words seem especially brilliant to you.  They are transparent to the rest of the readers.  Your arguments are obviously biased and your attempts to persuade other readers are hampered by your previous misrepresentations and your semantic trickery.  
    My concern is that Jekyll will no longer the the unspoiled and natural beautiful beach that it currently is.  I fear that the common people of Georgia will not be able to enjoy GA's Jewel.  I have no doubt that your proposal will bring more people to Jekyll, and I have no doubt that your proposal will mean more money will be spent on Jekyll.  Is that the bottom line?  Is profit and numbers all that matters?  People are expressing serious environmental concerns.  In your responses (not just on this site, but in the many different public forums where you are forced to defend this redevelopment plan)  - you initially try to appease concerns with some smattering of bullshit.  Usually something along the line of 'now, now, we wouldn't possibly do anything like that.  just trust us...' When that doesnt' work for that - you do your best to make any additional concerns or questions appear foolish or uninformed.  Obviously, the concerned citizenry is neither foolish nor uninformed.  
    You, your company, and your hired PR henchmen have even tried to make Senator Chapman look like he's lost his mind.  Silly Senator - listening to those darn voters!  Silly Senator, shut up and let us make our millions!
    And isn't is great how (according to your most recent post) the fine Governor of the State of GA isn't helping his cronies out with this sweetheart deal, but he's actually responding to a critial need on the coast.  What a pretty picture you paint.  GA's # 1 concern right now?  Oh yeah, that's easy - it's not the economy; it's not education; it's not over-crowding in our jails and prisons; it's not healthcare or welfare reform; it's tourism!  
    You, sir, are transparent.  You sir, are up to no good.  I know it, and so do so many others.  I have tried to keep an open mind about the Jekyll  matter.  Improvements are needed.  But how much is too much - - - and at what expense?  Once we screw this up, there is no going back.  Please tread lightly with our coastline.

    by gagirl on Mon Jan 21, 2008 at 10:48:03 AM PDT