07 LC
25 4722
House
Resolution 182
By:
Representatives Williams of the
165th,
Thomas of the
100th,
Buckner of the
130th,
Hugley of the
133rd,
Porter of the
143rd,
and others
A
RESOLUTION
Urging
the Jekyll Island Authority to exercise the greatest caution and restraint in
its supervision of the necessary redevelopment of resort and other facilities on
the island; and for other purposes.
WHEREAS,
Jekyll Island State Park has been the property of the people of the State of
Georgia for almost 60 years, during which time thousands of our citizens of all
stations in life and all economic means have been able to enjoy visiting this
largely unspoiled barrier island; and
WHEREAS,
Jekyll Island has been preserved through the prudence of legislative action
setting aside 65 percent of its land area with permanent protection from
development, while allowing suitable construction and reconstruction on the
remaining area to accommodate visitors; and
WHEREAS,
the Island´s governing body, the Jekyll Island Authority, is contemplating
various redevelopment and new development plans for the Island, in view of the
fact that certain of its existing hotel and convention facilities are in need of
expansion and renovation; and
WHEREAS,
others among the Island´s assets, including its historic and carefully
preserved Historic District, its popular and heavily used 4-H center, its
campground, and its world class youth soccer fields, continue to serve the
Island and the state and its people very well, meeting numerous social and
educational needs while preserving large portions of the Island´s natural
environment; and
WHEREAS,
Jekyll´s unique appeal to tourists has historically extended beyond its
attractive beaches and resort facilities, and has always depended upon the
natural beauty of its sand dunes, marine forest, freshwater wetlands, saltwater
creeks and salt marsh, and its wildlife, including its amazing and unique
population of birds; and
WHEREAS, Jekyll´s south end beach is invaluable to the endangered loggerhead sea turtle, nesting birds, such as the Wilson´s Plover, and many species of foraging shore birds that are deserving of special protection; and
WHEREAS, Jekyll´s south end beach is invaluable to the endangered loggerhead sea turtle, nesting birds, such as the Wilson´s Plover, and many species of foraging shore birds that are deserving of special protection; and
WHEREAS,
those irreplaceable natural features continue to constitute the single greatest
asset of this "crown jewel" of our system of State Parks, and their preservation
is of the highest interest to all of the people of Georgia; and
WHEREAS,
certain among the redevelopment proposals contemplated by the Jekyll Island
Authority are thought to contemplate a concentration of luxury resort facilities
that would yield high financial returns, but that would preclude their use by
Georgians of ordinary means; and
WHEREAS,
some of these luxury resort development proposals would cause the construction
of significant numbers of permanent single family luxury homes and/or
condominium units that would be subject to long-term lease by new full-time
residents, increasing the permanent resident population of the Island, thereby
increasing demand for numerous services peculiar to such residents and
increasing demands on existing infrastructure; and
WHEREAS,
such new residential construction within the boundaries of this State Park may
also cause displacement of other existing, low-impact land uses within the
"developed" portion of the Jekyll landscape, and may also inevitably negatively
affect the natural systems now coexisting with those low-impact uses;
and
WHEREAS,
the General Assembly of Georgia has a duty to protect all of the interests and
assets of the present and future citizens of this state.
NOW,
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that this House urges
the Jekyll Island Authority to exercise the greatest caution and restraint in
its supervision of the necessary redevelopment of resort and other facilities on
the island, assuring that such redevelopment shall maintain the authority´s
statutory obligation to serve the needs of all of the state´s people,
particularly Georgians of average income, while imposing the least possible
negative impact on the Island´s existing natural environment.
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this House urges the Jekyll Island Authority to take
such steps as the authority finds necessary to stringently limit new development
of any sort on the island´s south end, preserving the current low-impact
uses of that area, and that its population of permanent residents continues to
be limited to current sustainable levels.
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this House urges the Jekyll Island Authority to ensure
that all development and redevelopment plans for Jekyll Island State Park hold
promotion of the enjoyment of its natural beauty and unspoiled natural
environment as its primary consideration, given the irreplaceable character of
those assets, and given the growing economic worth of such values in a world in
which they are vanishing daily.
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this House urges the Jekyll Island Authority to
establish an environmental protection plan that provides information to the
public in advance of development or any discussion thereof with potential
developers as to where on the island development shall be authorized under such
plan.
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this House urges the Jekyll Island Authority to ensure
that any buffer areas required in connection with any development on the island
shall not be considered as an undeveloped portion of the island for purposes of
determining what percentages of the island land area are developed or
undeveloped.
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized
and directed to transmit an appropriate copy of this resolution to the Jekyll
Island Authority.