OPEN GOVERNMENT HEROES: BABS McDONALD and MINDY and DAVID EGAN, Jekyll Island activists: How many visitors does island get?

By Lori Johnston
For the Journal-Constitution
Published on: 03/16/08

 

Babs McDonald realizes that open government comes with a price.

Earlier this year, McDonald, who lives in Athens, requested documents from the Jekyll Island Authority concerning sharp declines in the number of people visiting the island.

The information she wanted was not in one file, the authority responded, but she was free to examine all the files she wished —- 186 boxes containing 1,000 pages each, at a cost of $425. Or she could order copies of everything, which would come to $46,500.

“I could just imagine myself walking into a room with a monitor, i.e. guard, and looking at these boxes. Where would I begin?” said McDonald, who works for the U.S. Forest Service. “As a citizen of the state and as a scientist, I believe they ought to be held accountable for sharing how they arrived at those figures. I can’t imagine that the information would be on 180,000 pieces of paper.”

Eric Garvey, senior director of marketing and business development for the authority, said the authority’s staff was not able to reasonably fulfill McDonald’s request.

“She wanted all these archived documents. It was unfortunate that it did seem like a lot of money,” he said.

McDonald and others involved in the Initiative to Protect Jekyll Island, which claims 10,000 members, are concerned about plans for a giant $352 million redevelopment of the island by Linger Longer Communities. The plan envisions a “town center” built on 63 acres on Jekyll with hotels, condominiums, time shares, a convention center and a retail center. It also calls for park space and an environmental education center.

Opponents say the authority, known as the JIA, has not been forthcoming in responding to requests for information related to the project.

Garvey dismisses those charges.

“Not only does the Jekyll Island Authority take its responsibility to open government seriously with respect to documents, we also answer any correspondence we receive,” he wrote in an e-mail to the AJC. “We understand we are a public entity, and if someone requests a document, most often times it is just handed to them. We do get more formal requests from time to time, and those we log and coordinate responses with our representative from the attorney general’s office.”

David and Mindy Egan are the founders and co-directors of the Initiative to Protect Jekyll Island. Part of the Egans’ argument about the Linger Longer redevelopment plan is that the JIA has understated the number of visitors to Jekyll as a way of showing that the island is in need of redevelopment.

David Egan says visitation has not declined by 47 percent between 1996 and 2007, as the JIA reported, but by 15 percent.

In addition, the group is often told that information it wants from the JIA is not available, Egan says, or the information is not provided in a timely fashion.

The activist said he has not received a response to questions submitting in writing earlier this year about the original master plan for a 24-acre development, which now has more than doubled in size. When he asked that question at a board meeting in January, he says he was told to submit the request in writing.

“You get a question that people don’t want to answer, and the response is, ‘Stick it in writing.’ You stick it in writing, and it dies,” he said.

Garvey, the JIA’s marketing chief, said the authority has “no record of receiving this question in a letter or in e-mail.” He added that “we reject the charge that the JIA is not responsive to the public, and we are prepared to demonstrate our responsiveness with copies of our log, copies of correspondence, etc.”

The Egans have set up a Web site —- savejekyllisland.org —- and have become lightning rods in the debate over Jekyll’s future. They joined forces with McDonald in Athens and also found an ally in Atlantan Dory Ingram, a frequent Jekyll visitor who worries about the barrier island.

“Mindy and David have been completely dedicated to seeing that the visitors to Jekyll Island and the people of Georgia get their say” about development on the island, Ingram said. “This year, we’ve become a pretty prominent voice. It’s obvious that somebody out there is listening and is aware that the people are trying to make their voice heard.”

Babs McDonald, meanwhile, believes the Georgia Open Records Act is a vital tool. It was passed “so that government can be accountable, even when it doesn’t really want to be accountable,” she said.

“I guess I wish that the people of the state would demand, because it is their state park, that the JIA open up its records,” McDonald said. “If they can’t, I think we ought to say, ‘Uh-uh, you can’t do this kind of project and not be accountable for the numbers.’ “

Tags: atlanta journal constitution, Georgia Open Records Act, jekyll island redevelopment, jekyll island revitalization
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     This post is in response to Al Hurt’s editorial in the Atlanta Journal Constitution 02/05/2008.

     By Eric Garvey, Senior Director of Marketing & Business Development Jekyll Island State Park Authority

     Jekyll Island, Ga. — The Jekyll Island State Park Authority is not accustomed to making headlines or stirring up controversy. Most of our work here involves things like protecting sea turtle nests, preserving historic sites, serving conventioneers, taking care of day visitors and vacation guests; and maintaining some of the country’s most natural and pristine beaches.

     But since last fall, when the Authority chose a private revitalization partner to assist us in redeveloping the central area of the island, a small number of vocal critics have raised questions and, frankly, have spread misinformation about the Authority’s efforts and its mission.

     The General Assembly created the Authority in 1950 to manage Jekyll Island, a state-owned coastal treasure to be enjoyed by all Georgians. Each day we work hard to be trustworthy stewards, conserving and preserving the island’s vast natural and cultural resources through the use of revenues generated by providing services, programs and amenities that maximize benefits to everyone on the island.

     To accomplish our mission, we must attract visitors to Jekyll Island each year, and generate enough revenue to keep state taxpayers from paying the substantial cost of running the island.

     Faced with lagging attendance and declining revenue, the Authority launched an effort to revitalize its aging hotels, shops and convention center. Because the majority of the structures were built in the 1960s, it was clear that the change was going to involve a great amount of redevelopment. The Authority is not a real estate developer, and it made good sense to find a high-quality private partner to help us.

     In September 2007, the Authority concluded a public Request For Proposal by selecting Georgia-based Linger Longer Communities as our revitalization partner. In its proposal, Linger Longer presented a Beach Village concept that would create a wonderful new destination on the island.

      There have been understandable questions about the revitalization, but there are a number of key facts that the public should know:

      The Beach Village proposal is a concept plan. This is not a final plan, and public input is being used to change and enhance it. The Authority, working with Linger Longer, will take as much time as needed to ensure we have a plan that limits impact on the natural environment, returns reasonable revenue to the Authority, and best serves the people of Georgia.

      The Beach Village concept plan is contained for the most part to previously developed areas, where the aging convention center and strip shopping center sit. It covers less than 2% of the island and our final plan will improve both the view and access to this beach area.

      There are no plans to build on the beach. All construction will be behind the natural sand dunes, and will comply with Georgia’s Shoreline Protection laws.

      The Beach Village will be a model for an environmentally-sensitive development, using LEED and EarthCraft standards for all new construction. Jekyll Island will be the first coastal area to do this.

      The Authority has repeatedly committed that Jekyll Island, including the new Beach Village, will remain affordable and accessible to all Georgians.

      The Beach Village plan was recently discussed in a series of public meetings throughout Georgia. Linger Longer and Authority representatives have been touring the state talking with civic groups and environmental organizations, as well as many Jekyll Island and Georgia residents in their homes.

      The Authority’s Board of Directors and the Jekyll Legislative Oversight Committee have also held public sessions, the most recent on Jan.15th at the State Capitol. The bulk of these meetings have been dedicated to hearing public feedback.

      And as a state entity, the Authority holds monthly public meetings, always reserving time on its agenda for public comment.

      Our critics, though vocal, are a minority. Many people across the state, from business leaders to island residents to regular guests, support the plan to enhance the offerings on Jekyll Island.

      While recently in Brunswick, Gov. Sonny Perdue gave strong words of support for Jekyll Island’s revitalization. The Legislative Oversight Committee, including its leaders, Senate Majority Leader Tommie Williams and House Majority Leader Jerry Keen also have commended the progress-to-date.

      The Glynn County Commission has publicly endorsed the plans, as has the Brunswick/Golden Isles Chamber of Commerce. The Tourism Development Alliance of Georgia voted to support Jekyll Island revitalization, and meeting planners from around the state have committed more than $25 million in new business if the plans progress.

      Over the past fifteen years, Georgians have voted with their wallets — by not coming to Jekyll Island as they used to, and instead spending their beach vacations in other states. That silent, but powerful vote demonstrates a need for change.

      Based on public input that we continue to receive, the Authority with Linger Longer is making revisions to its plans, and we expect to release a revised version this spring. The revised concept will again welcome an additional round of public comment and review.

      In addition, we will continue each day to welcome all Georgians and their guests to Jekyll Island, care for sea turtles and restore our historic sites. And to help provide on-going facts, we will post updated information, here at the web address www.jekyllislandfacts.com.

Tags: atlanta journal constitution, jekyll island, jekyll island public comment, jekyll island redevelopment, jekyll island revitalization, linger longer
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Sen. Jeff Chapman is calling the people of Georgia to adopt his resolution to “preserve public access” to the beach at Jekyll Island. He claims that a proposed revitalization of a small portion of the island “threatens to severely diminish direct access to virtually all of the park’s main public beach.”

To be kind, this claim is completely off the mark.

Under the proposed plan, every current public access point will continue to exist and the beach will be as open as ever to all visitors. In addition, changing facilities and restrooms will be upgraded to further accommodate everyone, particularly day visitors.

The revitalization is designed to bring more Georgians back to Jekyll, where visitation has declined more than 47 percent since 1990, due in part to aging facilities and infrastructure.

Sen. Chapman claims that the beach “would be blocked” by the proposal’s town center. In fact, the existing convention center currently blocks much of the view, and it will be moved further inland under the plan.

It is also important to note that, of the nine miles of Jekyll beaches, the beach village site will border only about 4,000 feet, less than 8 percent of the total beachfront area. And every inch of this beach will continue to be just as available to the public as it is today.

Sen. Chapman quotes from the 1996 Jekyll Island Master Plan, which states that the island’s “principal attraction is the accessibility it provides to an unspoiled microcosm of the coastal environment. It is this unique opportunity upon which all future plans for the island’s viability should be based.” However, his resolution claims that accessibility requires maintaining nearly five acres of 1960s-era asphalt parking lots that abut the beach and sand dunes. Stormwater runoff from these lots can cause erosion and pollute the waterways.

Under the revitalization plan, these unsightly and environmentally unfriendly lots will be replaced with over 2,000 parking spaces on porous surfaces bordered by trees. These porous surfaces will ensure that nearly 100 percent of rainwater is captured and reused in an appropriate way that protects the natural environment.

In addition to the environmental improvements, parking will be spread throughout the town center and a short walk from the beach and other amenities. More than 700 of these spaces will be within a three-minute minute walk of the beach. Detailed maps of existing and proposed parking areas are available in the maps section of the website, www.rediscoverjekyll.com.

The essence of the plan is to enhance access to Jekyll while adhering to environmentally sensitive design and construction. Linger Longer Communities, which is partnering with the Jekyll Island Authority on the revitalization, proposes one of the first Earthcraft Coastal Communities on the East Coast. This designation requires adherence to a rigorous scoring system, created by the Southface Energy Institute, that awards points for water management, landscape and habitat preservation, green building standards and provisions for pedestrians and cyclists.

Rather than utilize the town center area exclusively for development, Linger Longer considered how to establish a viable commercial hub for the island while enhancing the available green space in the area. The result is a net increase in the island’s green space, with nearly 24 acres of new parks and natural areas. In some cases, developed areas are being repurposed as green space and wetlands.

We offer Georgians a resolution in response to Sen. Chapman’s: “Be it resolved, in view of the aging infrastructure and of declining visitation to Jekyll Island, that just 1 percent of the island’s acreage, including land adjacent to less than 8 percent of the island’s total beachfront, shall be revitalized to the quality standards that Georgians deserve, without reducing public parking or beach access points, and with adherence to extensive and rigorous environmental guidelines to create one of the most accessible and eco-friendly communities on the east coast.”

Vote “yes” on this proposed resolution by visiting www.rediscoverjekyll.com. Let Sen. Chapman know how much Georgians really care about Jekyll Island.

Jim Langford is project executive for the Linger Longer Communities.

Tags: jekyll island, jekyll island redevelopment, jekyll island revitalization, linger longer
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