Development and Jekyll Island:
A Brief Chronological Outline
1. Jekyll Island was purchased by the State in 1947 for use by “the plain people” of Georgia.
2. In 1950, the island became Jekyll Island State Park and was mandated to be “available to people of average income” and that its facilities be developed at “the lowest rates reasonable and possible for the benefit of the people of Georgia.”
3. In 1950, the Jekyll Island Authority (JIA) was established as the State agency responsible for the island’s operations and maintenance. It is a financially self-sustaining agency, and it functions under the direction of its Board of Directors appointed by the Governor.
4. In 1971, legislation established that “not more than 35% of the land area of Jekyll Island which lies above water at mean tide” can be developed. Approximately 108 acres within that 35% of the island’s land remains available for future development, according to the JIA. Properties already developed within the 35% zone may be redeveloped at the Authority’s discretion.
5. In 1996, the JIA issued its Master Plan for “the management, preservation, protection, and development of Jekyll Island.” The Master Plan emphasized that Jekyll’s accommodations are the “island’s weakest link,” and that its strongest feature is “the accessibility it provides to an unspoiled microcosm of the coastal environment.” “This unique asset,” the Plan continues, is the one “upon which all future plans for the island’s viability should rest.”
6. In 2004, the Authority updated the Master Plan, reaffirming the mandate that “Jekyll Island be affordable and available to all Georgians,” and identifying opportunities for possible development or redevelopment of existing properties within the 35% development constraint. The 2004 update’s recommendations included a 24-acre Jekyll town center consisting of a new convention center, a convention hotel, a renovated retail complex, and a modest number of condominiums.
7. In March of 2007, the JIA hired a consultant to “define the potential for private sector participation” in the further development of JI; to draft a Request for Proposals (RFP) from developers; and to assist in the selection of a private sector partner to work with the JIA to revitalize Jekyll Island State Park.
8. The JIA indicated that the Authority would follow a very open process in drafting the RFP and would seek and be attentive to public input.
9. On 9 April 2007, the JIA held its sole public session for RFP input, a meeting held on Jekyll Island, unpublicized statewide, and attended primarily by Jekyll residents.
10. On 30 May, House Bill 214 was enacted in response to the JIA’s apparent interest in building estate homes and condos on the site of Jekyll’s soccer complex and 4-H Center. HB 214 protects Jekyll’s south end from further development, and creating a House-Senate Legislative Oversight Committee to monitor Jekyll’s revitalization. To date, the committee has rubber-stamped the JIA’s development plans for Jekyll.
11. On 1 June 2007, the Authority issued its RFP. The document outlined the scope of a proposed 45-acre town center; invited developer proposals to flesh out the town center concept; and listed development and redevelopment options that may be available for its selected private sector partner over the long term.
12. On September 24th, the JIA announced the selection of Linger Longer Communities (LLC) as its private partner. LLC, an affiliate of the politically-connected Reynolds family, is the author of a Jekyll town center spanning a 63-acre site running from the Days Inn through the current site of Blackbeard’s restaurant and extending westward into part of Jekyll’s maritime forest. The town center would be built according to “green” construction standards and would include 277 condominiums, 160 time-share units, a retail center, three hotels, a new convention center, and a public park. The four current oceanfront parking lots would provide some of the acreage for the town center. Curbside parking is planned for those wanting to spend some time at the beach but not staying within the town center.
13. To date, public opinion, as recorded in IPJI surveys, is running strongly against the town center proposal. Thousands of Jekyll’s visitors have said they believe that commercializing Jekyll’s most popular public beach is neither in the best interests of the park nor necessary for Jekyll’s revitalization. Affordability and environmental issue have also figured significantly in sparking opposition to the proposed town center.
14. Unfortunately, the JIA has equated criticism of the town center proposal with opposition to Jekyll’s revitalization. Having dismissed the more than 10,000 supporters of the IPJI as a tiny group of “island residents” opposed to all change, the JIA and LLC have forced those who envision a future for Jekyll different than the official line to seek other avenues to address their concerns, including protective legislation and legal action.
15. In response to public concern over LLC’s town center proposal, Jekyll legislation was introduced in both Senate and the House during the February-April period of this year’s Georgia General Assembly session. The legislation, which was sponsored by Sen. Jeff Chapman in the Senate and Rep. Debbie Buckner in the House, was primarily designed to keep Jekyll’s landmark beach unobstructed and directly accessible to the general public. The Republican Party leaders succeeded in preventing this legislation from reaching the floor for a full vote.
16. In the midst of the efforts at the Capitol to pass protective Jekyll legislation, the JIA’s Board Chairman Ben Porter sent a letter to General Assembly members, stating “the Georgia General Assembly should not allow a small group of Jekyll 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.” This statement was made despite the fact that Mr. Porter and his fellow board members have been made aware repeatedly, and in writing, that opposition to the town center project is not a “resident issue” but extends across the state and beyond.
17. Intense public support for the “open beach” legislation cited above, along with the threat of legal action related to the Shore Protection Act, led to an April 2nd JIA announcement stating that it had abandoned its conceptual plan to build condos, time-shares and hotels within the beachfront area between the convention center and Blackbeard’s restaurant. Instead, that area will be set aside as a public park which reportedly will include an Environmental Discovery Center, a playground, and a mini-golf course along with additional landscaping and some public beach parking.
18. A revised town center proposal reportedly will be issued by Linger Longer by the end of May or early June. Whether LL, in response to the setback that its town center proposal suffered on April 2nd, intends to shift its condo/time-share community westward into Jekyll’s maritime forest and wetlands remains unclear at this point in time. In the meantime, the IPJI will continue to monitor the situation and work toward responsible revitalization of Jekyll Island State Park.
