Jekyll Island bill passes House committee
March 20, 2008 at 2:45 pm by Thomas Wheatley in NewsA state House committee narrowly approved a bill that has become an eleventh-hour attempt by concerned legislators and citizens from across Georgia to maintain Jekyll Island’s charm and avoid a controversial 63-acre development they say will both damage the state park and make it less affordable.
The amendment, introduced by state Rep. Debbie Buckner, D-Junction City, was tacked on to SB 367 — a bill sponsored by Sens. Ross Tolleson, R-Perry, and Eric Johnson, R-Savannah — which repeals the Georgia Coastal Management Act’s June 2009 expiration date. The amendment is geared toward keeping the southern end of the island’s beach accessible to visitors.
State Rep. John Heard, R-Lawrenceville, asked if the committee was micromanaging the redevelopment process and usurping power granted to the Jekyll Island Authority, the governor-appointed board that is responsible for the development of the protected island. Buckner said the committee was reacting to the wishes of Georgians concerned with the way that very entity has been operating. Allegations of fuzzy math to determine Jekyll Island’s visitor statistics have been lobbed by residents, islandgoers and politicians alike.
“There have been numerous problems with [the authority's] openness and amenability,” Buckner responded. “It is the public that asked us to come forward with this bill. It is their property.”
The bill now moves to the House Rules Committee, where it may face scrutiny and risk being stripped of Buckner’s amendment. House leaders have already voiced support for seeing Jekyll Island be redeveloped and are wary of disrupting the process.
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