Tue, Feb 26, 2008 By ANNA FERGUSON , The Brunswick News

      Jim Langford remains calm in the face of adversity.

      Despite a row of hurdles tossed his way in recent weeks, he has yet to break a sweat.

      As project manager for the revitalization Linger Longer Communities is proposing for Jekyll Island, Langford has met with supporters and opponents, backers and detractors.

      The $341 million plan calls for new hotels, convention center and condominiums.
Opposition is not unexpected. And it’s not as bad as it sounds, he said.

      ”We expected to have opposition to our plan,” Langford said. “But everything is still very much on track. We’re not deterred in the least.”

       Resistance to the plan as outlined by the Jekyll Island Authority and Linger Longer, its private sector partner, extends all the way to the Georgia General Assembly, where bills introduced in the House and Senate threaten to stop or alter the project in a major way.

       The most recent legislation was introduced Thursday in the Georgia General Assembly by Democrats, who are calling for greater preservation efforts to be utilized in the redevelopment plan for the island. Introduced by Rep. Debbie Buckner, D-Columbus, House Bill 1289 calls for revitalization of the island to be energy efficient, affordable and away from Jekyll’s sand dunes.

       The Democratic bill comes several weeks after Sen. Jeff Chapman, R-Brunswick, announced a few measures of his own. Chapman, a long-time opponent to Linger Longer’s $341 million revamping blueprint, introduced bills earlier this month that would essentially put an end to the project.

      Despite the newly launched measures, the Linger Longer agenda is moving forward with overwhelming support from local government, the business community and the Jekyll Island Legislative Oversight Committee, Langford said.

       “We still feel that we are being supported,” he said. “These new bills are pretty unreasonable and we think that is pretty obvious.”

       Ed Boshears, former state senator and a member of the board of the Jekyll Island Authority, doesn’t understand why debate over the new legislative measures is necessary. Linger Longer’s plans are not set in stone and are in the process of being reworked, he said.

       In other words, it’s too soon to take sides, he said.

         “I don’t see what everyone is so worked up about,” Boshears said. “The Linger Longer plan has yet to be finalized. We don’t know what the exact plan will be yet.

        Everyone is looking at this as if it’s either-or. Either you are for Linger Longer or against it. But you can be for Linger Longer without being for every aspect of their plan.”

Tags: Jeff Chapman, jekyll island, jekyll island revitalization, linger longer
Posted in Just the Facts | 1 Comment »

     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
Posted in In the News, Just the Facts | 3 Comments »

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
Posted in In the News | 6 Comments »