Jekyll Island, GA: Why people don't trust developers and their enablers
Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 02:04:53 PM PDT
Because they lie to get what they want. It's that simple. It's an epidemic these days- instead of honestly debating disagreements, just characterize those you don't agree with as "misguided" and lie about them (and while you're at it, fudge a few statistics here and there).
The Jekyll Island State Park Authority is a body appointed by the Governor to protect and manage Jekyll Island State Park. The guy who heads it up, Ben Porter, is a developer by trade. He is also the person Governor Sonny Perdue tried to illegally install on the GA DNR board. That stunt ended up as an ethical embarrassment. Porter landed on a nice little cushion at the JIA.
An earlier diary this week addressed an amendment currently under consideration to protect the island from irresponsible development. Today Porter threw a hissy fit in response to the amendment.
This of course, is the same guy who called Senator Jeff Chapman a liar when the Senator discovered that the JIA hadn't publicly acknowledged all of their income when making a case for the proposed development.
The latest from "Just the Facts:"
Opponents of Jekyll Revitalization Misguided
Jekyll resident David Egan is right about one thing in his March 26 letter to the editor entitled “House Should OK bill preserving Jekyll,” the Georgia General Assembly holds the key to the future of Jekyll Island. Either Jekyll Island will continue its downward spiral or investment will be made in infrastructure and accommodations that will bring Georgians back to this precious resource.
The title should be "Opponents of Jekyll Revitalization Mischaracterized." And by the way, investment is being made in infrastructure and accommodations already (see below). You'd think as Chairman of the JIA, Mr. Porter would be touting that fact. Go figure.
Just last year, more restrictions were put in place to limit any redevelopment on the south end of the Island. The public ignored the fact that this additional protection benefitted a Jekyll resident who funds the Jekyll Citizen’s Association lobbying efforts at the Capitol. This year, this same select group of individuals, most of whom live full-time on the Island they like to call a “state park” (no other state park has residences), have decided that even more restrictions should be put in place. They believe that vacationers should not be able to stay in accommodations along the shoreline, which is, of course, where most people would naturally like to stay. This group of individuals has started a campaign to “save” what essentially is a large asphalt parking lot along the beach. What they really want to do is stop the beach village project.
"Just last year" the JIA proposed opening up the south end to developers by doing away with a very popular soccer complex and 4-H center, both of which host many kids from all over the state. That's what people objected to.
Developers and Mr. Porter prefer to call the island a "resort." The citizens of Georgia, who actually own the land, prefer to call it a State Park.
The "select group of individuals," Initiative to Protect Jekyll Island State Park, has over 10,000 members, most of whom can't live on Jekyll Island because there's just not that many houses. Thousands of people from all over the state of Georgia don't own homes in the park and oppose this development. Mr. Porter keeps saying a "small group" and he's lying.
Of course vacationers should be able to stay in accommodations along the shoreline. In fact, Jekyll has 2 brand new developments being built on shoreline property. Another existing shoreline property will be developed as soon as it clears litigation (probably by Linger Longer, the group behind the controversial proposal). A fourth shoreline property will be redeveloped soon with a mix of hotels and condos. A 5th shoreline property will be redeveloped completely within 5 years. That's in addition to the shoreline properties already available, including the Days Inn and Villas By the Sea. I encourage anyone and everyone to stay at one of these shoreline accommodations on Jekyll Island State Park. Mr. Porter should be doing that too. After all, that's part of his job.
What thousands of citizens want to save is a small stretch of the main public beach where you can see the ocean from your car. Why? Because there are no hotels or condos between the road and the shoreline, a really rare thing these days. As chairman of the JIA, a body entrusted to steward public land, Mr. Porter thinks that's a dandy place to build an entire beach village.
He then mischaracterizes the intent of the amendment:
To the dismay of the Coastal Resources Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, the environmental lobby hijacked a bill last week that reauthorizes the Georgia Coastal Management Act, which brings in millions of dollars in federal grants that are critical to protecting vital areas of the coast. An amendment was tacked on that would limit development in the area of this parking lot to nothing but picnic tables and bathrooms. If this misguided amendment were to become law, the Jekyll Island Authority could not even construct the proposed Environmental Discovery Center or Oceanside playground on this property, much less improved bike paths, beach concession areas, improved landscape or even plant trees.
Read the amendment yourself. It wouldn't allow the "Environmental Discovery Center" or "Oceanside playground," both of which are part of the beach village concept and wouldn't be built without surrounding hotels and condos anyway. However, it specifically states "This paragraph shall not prohibit the maintenance or repair of improvements existing within such described area"- you know, things like bike paths, beach concession areas and landscape. Mr. Porter should read things more carefully.
Enough is enough. The vast majority of Georgians wants to see responsible redevelopment of Jekyll Island and do not share the views of the minority who want to close the gate behind them so that they may enjoy their own utopia. The Jekyll Island Authority has no intention of blocking access to the beach, no intention lining the beach with condos and no intention of letting Jekyll fall further into disrepair. This Authority intends to facilitate the most environmentally-friendly development on the eastern seaboard for the 35% of the Island that may be improved. Georgians of all incomes will have a variety of choices in accommodations. The Georgia General Assembly should not allow a small group of residents and some in the environmental lobby to affect policy to the detriment of hundreds of thousands of Georgians who want to see Jekyll Island returned to its heyday.
Finally, a truth; the vast majority of Georgians do want responsible development. They just don't think the Linger Longer plan is responsible.
The reference to "the gate" is particularly ironic, considering that's exactly what most people opposed to the beach village fear; exclusivity on a state park meant for the "ordinary citizen." Frankly, if the residents of Jekyll wanted a gate they could just move one island up to Sea Island. It looks a lot like LLC's other properties.
The original plan calls for beachfront condos. Maybe to Mr. Porter, it's not "lining the beach with condos" because the condos are separated from the beach by a promenade and dunes. Then again, he's a developer. In the real world, that's lining the beach with condos.
Of the three hotels in the current proposal, by far the smallest one is the economy hotel. While all Georgians would have options under the plan, most of thems would be reserved for wealthier Georgians. The view that, right now, anyone can get from their car will be reserved for those who can afford a pricer hotel or a condo. The largely unfettered access to the beach that the public currently enjoys will be replaced by 6 "public access points."
Mr. Porter is smart enough to stick to his talking points. But I think the people who own this state park are smarter. Let's see if those who represent them are.
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