magnolia
Registered: 01/18/09
Posts: 9
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Reply with quote | #1 |
As I read this week's Brunswick News concerning the 35-65 developed vs undeveloped reapportionment I was not surprised. I felt that the study by the UGA student would be discredited. The handwriting has been on the wall for many months. But having grown up on the East Coast I have watched similar developments spring up from New Jersey to Florida, as I'm sure many of you have. And you know beach re nourishment is around the corner as the new developments bring in visitors who "deserve" wider beaches.
What has struck me in all this is the backward thinking of JIA, Linger Longer, and their supporters. It is very "20th century". I would be interested to see the average age of the JIA board. They are stuck in the 20th century. So much of what is coming out of the Master Plan to me is focused on playing catchup with other communities such as Hilton Head, Fernindina, and the gold coast of Florida to get the tourism dollar as it has been perceived in the past; shopping, restaurants, accommodations. The time share mentality..get as many people in and out as possible. Where is the 21st century thinking. Aren't we now watching Florida, which overbuilt terribly, struggling to find buyers and vacationers to fill all the available spaces, offering discounts and incentives to draw the public. And in our own area, aren't we watching as those who paid top dollar for Liberty Harbor lots now are foreclosing. Doesn't anyone notice the pages and pages of foreclosures and tax sale notices in the paper, many of them lots in new developments.
We need people who are thinking 21st century. Eco-tourism, respect for environment, understanding of the fragile nature of our island. We need environmentalists who specialize in island ecosystems and who are knowledgeable about the detrimental influences of intrusive plants, the use of pesticides and the destruction of natural environment and habitat. For example I have read with some amusement the issue of cats vs birds. But no one mentions the destruction of the native growth along the marsh which contributes more to the reduction of the bird population than a few cats. How ironic those same people who are against Linger Longer think nothing cutting down the natural growth to improve their view. When I first moved to Jekyll cutting the marsh side area was discouraged...now it is ankle high along much of Riverview Road...and guess what? There are fewer birds. Must be the cats.
The slogan should not be Jekyll Island Defend it, but Jekyll Island, Respect it, Protect it. We all (JIA, LL, Residents and visitors) need to remember that the state is supposed to be a steward of the island for future generations not a manager for the current one. The point was not to make Jekyll economically viable in a competitive market, but exactly the opposite, to preserve a disappearing part of the Georgia coast so all Georgians, and others, can enjoy the undisturbed, pristine ecology of a barrier island. Once that is gone it will never be able to be recovered. What it nature does will be interrupted and we will spend many years lamenting the ignorance and backward thinking of those who do not respect and appreciate the delicacy of this environment. I am shocked that the JIA now says there is more developable property because of the erosion and accretion of the island. Is that natural process going to stop. What happens when a storm removes that accredited land? And how about the idea that that land is already inhabited by wildlife...how about protecting the environment and being on the cutting edge of a new kind of tourism? Where people don't want traffic, bars, and more crowded conditions, but quiet sunsets, peaceful mornings, and no rush.
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