The Florida Times-Union
January 5, 2008
By CAROLE HAWKINS,
Times-Union Correspondent
A resolution to protect parking on Jekyll Island's main beach appears headed for the General Assembly, and one senator is asking for a public voice vote to back it up with a new approach.
Sen. Jeff Chapman, R-Brunswick, whose district includes Jekyll Island, has posted the resolution on his campaign-funded Web site, which advocates protecting direct beach access on Jekyll Island. Those who agree can submit their names, addresses and contact information as an endorsement.
Today, Jekyll Island visitors can park at one of four large lots overlooking the main beach. But a proposed oceanfront town-square center would cover that area with hotels, condos and shops and move the main parking a quarter-mile inland.
Chapman said that's just not right.
"Building high-priced beachfront condos will displace day visitors from the only beach on the island that is visible at high tide," Chapman said. "It goes against everything that is fair and reasonable for the rest of Georgians."
The state's redevelopment partner for Jekyll Island, Linger Longer Communities, asserts that its plans call for a new 88-space parking lot that, when combined with parking along new streets and in retail lots, will provide plenty of parking for day visitors. Nonetheless, the Jekyll Island Authority has expressed some dissatisfaction with Linger Longer's plans and asked the developer to make improvements.
Within the past year, Chapman has criticized other plans for Jekyll's development, which he said would turn the state park for "the plain people of Georgia" into an upscale resort.
In this most recent resolution, Chapman cites Jekyll's 1996 Master Development Plan, which affirms the island's principle attraction is its accessibility to an unspoiled portion of Georgia's coastal environment.
Protecting access to Jekyll's natural wonders should guide the island's development, that document states.
The Chapman resolution proposes that oceanfront parking areas and beach access points remain convenient to day visitors, with special consideration given to children, the elderly and people with disabilities. Chapman hopes widespread endorsement of the resolution will show other legislators where the public stands on this issue and bring the matter to the floor of the General Assembly for a vote.
If the resolution gains enough backing, it could provide backing for state legislation to protect Jekyll Island's beach access from development, he said.
Chapman said he hopes it won't come to that.
"If I were the Jekyll Island Authority and Linger Longer, I would do everything possible to make sure that is not necessary,'' he said.
Chapman has ridden other waves of populist support in his efforts to restrict development of Jekyll and to protect property owners from expansion of the government's power of seizure through eminent domain, but those were generated by more traditional methods of speeches, newsletters and contacts with activists.
Other legislators have created Web sites, and even a few have begun blogs. But capitol observers say it's unusual for a lawmaker to generate support through an online petition.
Veteran media consultant and political blogger Grayson Daughters of WaySouth Media in Atlanta says Chapman's success depends on his ability to draw attention to his Web site.
"The key about communicating online though is to get people to share the effort with you; thus, the petition [and I haven't explored the content of it yet] will work if you and your network actively distribute the petition through use of online, social media methods," she said in response to an e-mail inquiry.
She suggests using social-networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, and e-mailings as ways to draw attention to it.
"Creating it is one step; sharing it is the next in the online context," she said.
From Chapman's standpoint, the petition represents a broad principle with a statewide following of people who would logically be easiest to reach online.
"This isn't just about Jekyll Island," said Chapman. "It's about protecting any state park from commercial exploitation."
Times-Union writer Walter C. Jones in Atlanta contributed to this report.
This story can be found on Jacksonville.com at http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/010508/geo_231638069.shtml.
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2 comments:
Jekyll Island Project,
My comments and then a solution to this problem is this, I think the whole project is just to close to the beach and they do not allow traffic to drive staight through next to the beach. You have to go about 2 miles around to get to the other side. That to me takes away the beauty and enjoyment of a lovely scenic drive next to the beach. I saw the maps of the project and it shows that as soon as you get on Jekyll Island that all you see now is a detour to the right or left to go around the project and a bunch of buildings and trees everywhere. This to me is just one step closer to being just like Sea Island, where now they have guard gates and no public is free to come in. Sea Island did have public beaches but now you can not go to them unless you pay to stay at the hotels over there. That to me is taking away the freedom of the public access and giving it to the rich. That is wrong and Jekyll Island can become just like this too one day.
My solution to Jekyll Island is this, I think that there should be a two way street, with palm trees in the middle, straight to the beach and parking on both sides at an angle. Then I think there should be a two way street next to the beach all the way through the project, with palm trees in the middle, and have parking at an angle on both sides. Then there can be plenty of access parking and if you want to just drive and see the beautiful beach, you can. In other words, I think their whole project should be back away from the beach about 40 yards or 120 feet and allow the access of the public to have their freedom to the beach still without pushing back their project to far from the beach also. This will be great for everyone's enjoyment and freedom of public access close to the beach.
Jekyll Island Project,
My comments and then a solution to this problem is this, I think the whole project is just to close to the beach and they do not allow traffic to drive staight through next to the beach. You have to go about 2 miles around to get to the other side. That to me takes away the beauty and enjoyment of a lovely scenic drive next to the beach. I saw the maps of the project and it shows that as soon as you get on Jekyll Island that all you see now is a detour to the right or left to go around the project and a bunch of buildings and trees everywhere. This to me is just one step closer to being just like Sea Island, where now they have guard gates and no public is free to come in. Sea Island did have public beaches but now you can not go to them unless you pay to stay at the hotels over there. That to me is taking away the freedom of the public access and giving it to the rich. That is wrong and Jekyll Island can become just like this too one day.
My solution to Jekyll Island is this, I think that there should be a two way street, with palm trees in the middle, straight to the beach and parking on both sides at an angle. Then I think there should be a two way street next to the beach all the way through the project, with palm trees in the middle, and have parking at an angle on both sides. Then there can be plenty of access parking and if you want to just drive and see the beautiful beach, you can. In other words, I think their whole project should be back away from the beach about 40 yards or 120 feet and allow the access of the public to have their freedom to the beach still without pushing back their project to far from the beach also. This will be great for everyone's enjoyment and freedom of public access close to the beach.
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