Fresh Loaf

State Sen. Jeff Chapman, R-Brunswick, along with Democratic state Reps. Debbie Buckner of Junction City and Stephanie Stuckey-Benfield of Decatur, was one of the few voices during last year’s legislative session to criticize the Linger Longer project on Jekyll Island, a historic state park.

The op-ed below by Chapman is the first in three that the senator says will lay out the case for increased examination of the Jekyll Island Authority, the Governor-appointed state agency that oversees the park, and the idea of “selling off” state land to the private sector. In closing, he says he’s requested the state conduct an audit of the authority’s activities during the last three years.

Chapman admits it may seem strange for a senator to write a series of articles about the topic, but:

in the case of Jekyll Island State Park, there are issues involved which demand the attention of elected officials who have been given the honor to serve the public good. Transparency and accountability in government, responsible management of publicly-owned assets, and respect for the public trust are all wrapped within the Jekyll issue, as is the principle of eminent domain, not in the traditional form but in an upside down way with the taking of publicly-owned land and using it for private profit—a kind of eminent domain in reverse.

Senator, the Internetz are yours. Below and after the jump is Chapman’s full editorial:

Last year, when the Jekyll Island Authority (JIA) granted a rent reduction of some $10 million to hotel developer Trammell Crow (TC) to replace the Buccaneer Resort, there were many who saw it as a sweetheart deal. Now the authority is spreading the love.

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In an op-ed distributed today, Republican State Sen. Jeff Chapman of Brunswick — an ardent supporter of Jekyll Island under the Gold Dome — says even though Linger Longer has drastically scaled back its redevelopment plan for the state park, the matter is far from settled.

On October 6th, Linger Longer Communities revealed its revised plan for a Jekyll Island town center. The new plan, at first glance, suggests a town center much different than the over-sized and condo-dense beach village in Linger Longer’s original proposal, and closer to what many Georgians have been calling for over the past year. While the town center question may be decided in the public’s favor, the long-term future of Georgia’s only coastal state park, unfortunately, is far from secure.

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State Sen. Jeff Chapman, R-Brunswick, fought hard and fast against members of his own party during the most recent legislative session to protect Jekyll Island, the state park and getaway.

The senator earned an Arnie award because he stood up to the powers that be during the legislative session and voiced the wishes of not only his constituents, but those around the state who protested the proposed Linger Longer development that critics said would’ve blocked public access to the beach and made the longtime vacation spot too expensive for the average Georgian.

Chapman released an editorial through the Senate Press Office that, because of space constraints, we may not be able to publish in next week’s print edition of CL. I’m posting the entire letter after the jump.

It’s a good read from a lawmaker, who along with several other legislators such as state Reps. Debbie Buckner, D-Junction City, and Stephanie Stuckey-Benfield, D-Decatur, pushed to preserve the state park.

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Remember those Jekyll Island bills I wrote about just the other day? Well, they’re dead, killed in a committee yesterday afternoon. In a packed hearing held in the catacombs of the state Capitol — in a room that is literally no larger or accommodating than an airport chapel — members of the state Senate Economic Development Committee voted to scrap the bills of state Sen. Jeff Chapman, R-Brunswick, which would have limited development and ensured availability of affordable units to visitors. The legislators who voted against the committee’s chucking of the bills were Democrats.

The meeting started off awkwardly enough when Sen. Chip Pearson, R-Dawsonville, coldly asked several anti-Linger Longer ladies to move from the first two rows in the tiny committee room to allow members of the Jekyll Island Authority, the governor-appointed board that oversees the state-protected barrier island, to sit down. “Is this the only room?” asked one of the ladies wearing “Save Jekyll Island” buttons. “This is all we got,” Pearson replied. “If you want to wait until next week, we can do that.” Not the best way to get things rolling.

Rep. Debbie Buckner, D-Junction City, has several bills speeding their way through the state House that are related to Jekyll Island. We’ll be following those.

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WHO BENEFITS? Critics say plans to build condos, hotels and a retail center may cut off this public beach from Jekyll’s day visitors.

Woe is Jekyll Island, the pristine beach getaway that has fallen into disrepair. Visitors across the state have voiced concerns about plans by a developer – and the actions of the governor-appointed Jekyll Island Authority that oversees the barrier island – to revitalize the state park.

Linger Longer Communities, a development company owned by two GOP cash cows – and fundraisers for presidential hopeful John McCain and potential veep Gov. Sonny Perdue – wants to build a “town center,” hotels and posh condos near a prized public beach.

What’s even more worrisome: Bills proposed by state Sen. Jeff Chapman, R-Brunswick, to protect the island from development have been stonewalled by members of his own party in a legislative committee. Sen. Chapman agrees that the island is in need of revamping, but says the process needs to be responsible and the result affordable for all Georgians.

“If they manage to stop or kill good legislation, then they’ll have a free hand to do anything they want,” Chapman says.

Chapman went on the offensive yesterday and slammed the authority for underreporting its revenues and visitor numbers. The authority’s critics have repeatedly claimed that the data it uses to show a sharp decline in visitors is misleading, noting that the statistics intentionally omitted season pass holders.

For more information, visit the Initiative to Protect Jekyll Island.

(Photo by Greg Lowery)

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