Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 2, DECEMBER 22, 2008, THE ISLANDER
Page 2
Jekyll Island boat
ramp open to public
The Coastal Resources Division
(CRD) has announced that renova
tion of the Jekyll Island public boat
ing access site has been completed.
Improvements include a larger, resur
faced boat ramp, a larger boating ser
vice dock, and more parking area.
“Jekyll Island now has one of the
best public boat ramps along the Geor
gia coast,” said Shawn Jordan, coor
dinator of boating access projects at
CRD. “We know anglers and boaters
have been frustrated with the construc
tion delays, but I’m confident they’ll be
pleased with the final results.”
The new concrete-surface ramp is
50-ft wide allowing three boaters to
launch or load simultaneously. It is
130 feet long and extends well below
the low tide line making it possible for
boaters to safely launch and recover
their vessels at all stages of the tide.
The service dock now provides 200
feet of perimeter providing space for
several boats. Two acres of crushed-
limestone-surface parking area was
added to the site. The lot also includes
concrete-surface handicapped parking
and space for anglers fishing in the Ski
Rixen Pond.
This $400,000 renovation of the
Jekyll site was one of four projects
made possible by a $1.5 million CRD
budget enhancement approved by the
Georgia legislature in 2007. Although
these funds were not officially part
of the Go Fish Georgia Initiative, the
intent of the legislature was to improve
coastal boating access just as the Go
Fish Georgia Initiative is improving
freshwater boating access throughout
the state.
The boating ramp site is located on
the west side of Jekyll Island State Park
Negotiations to build hotel
at McKinnon airport end
The Glynn County Airport Com
mission announced last week that a
combined terminal/hotel building, pro
posed for McKinnon St. Simons Island
Airport, will not be built.
The airport’s fixed base operator
(FBO), Golden Isles Aviation (GIA),
together with MMI Hotel Group,
owner of The King and Prince Beach
& Golf Resort, presented a proposal to
the airport commission more than two
years ago.
“This was a unique concept — to
bring a hotel and FBO together into one
building at a general aviation airport,”
said Steve Brian, executive director of
the airport commission. Brian said the
project was proposed as an extension of
GIA’s contract that would have them
invest in a significant capital improve
ment project. GIA has been the FBO
at the airport for 20 years, providing
aircraft service to the flying public.
In the end, the complex financial and
legal issues associated with the concept
were not resolved, Brian said. “All the
parties negotiated in good faith. Unfor
tunately negotiations have come to a
close without an agreement.” “I
along the shoreline of Jekyll Creek. A
sign marks the entrance to the access
road at the Tidelands Nature Center.
The Jekyll ramp offers quick access to
the St. Simons and St. Andrews estu
aries, the lower Satilla River, and the
Atlantic Ocean. There is no special fee
for the boat ramp although users must
have a valid Jekyll Island State Park
parking pass. Restroom facilities are
located on the site.
For more information on coastal
Georgia boating access, visit www.
CoastalGADNR.org and click on boat
ing information. □
The 2008 Historic Brunswick Ornaments are now available,
this year featuring "St. Mark's Episcopal Church."
A great gift at only $8.00 available at downtown merchants and
the Brunswick DDA office, 1229 Newcastle St. (Old City Hall).
Call 912-265-4032 for more information.
Also, collector's sets of four (1998, 2001, 2002, 2004)
specially priced at $25.00 per set
Brunswick Downtown Development Authority
1229 Newcastle Street
Brunswick, GA 31520
912-265-4032
“Imagine The Possibilities”
County approves controversial alcohol
license for Ocean Lodge
By Matthew J. Permar
St. Simons Island businessman-
hotel owner Joe McDonough was
granted a somewhat controversial alco
holic beverage sales license last week
by the Glynn County Commission for
his Ocean Lodge hotel on Beachview
Dr. on St. Simons.
The controversy arose when a num
ber of area residents voiced opposition
to the license at the Thursday, Dec. 18
county commission meeting.
In addition, there was a list of eight
stipulations relating to McDonough’s
site plan and hotel parking issues that
were recommended by the county's
Community Development staff as
requirements for the license.
After about 45 minutes or more of
discussion, when the motion to approve
McDonough's license was finally made
by Commissioner Tony Thaw (Dist.
3) no mention was made of the eight
conditions.
Thaw's motion to approve passed on
a 4-3 vote with Thaw and Commission
ers Don Hogan (At Large Post 1) Carl
Johnson (Dist. 1) and Jerome Clark
(Dist. 5) voting to approve.
Prior to Thaw's motion for approval,
Commissioner Cap Fendig (At Large
Post 2) moved to deny the license, but
it failed on a reverse 3-4 vote. Voting to
deny were Fendig and Commissioners
Uli Keller (Dist. 2) and Howard Lynn
(Dist. 4).
Attorney Foster Lindberg represent
ed Deanna and Alton Brown who were
among those who opposed the license.
Lindberg pointed out that Ocean
Lodge is within 200 yards of St. Simons
Island Elementary School and there
fore does not meet the distance require
ment for an alcoholic beverage license.
According to the staff report, the
county commission could grant Ocean
Lodge a license because of an excep
tion in the Alcoholic Beverage License
ordinance.
The ordinance states that the com
mission can grant an exception to the
distance requirement if "the property
line of the proposed site to be licensed
is separated from the property line of a
school, college, or church or recognized
place of worship by a permanent natu
ral or physical barrier of such nature
as to render it highly unlikely that
the distance of travel on the ground,
between the two property lines, would
be less than 200 yards."
The staff report only quoted the
exception, it did not identify what the
"permanent natural or physical bar
rier" was in this particular case.
Lindberg disagreed with County
Attorney Aaron Mumford and said the
exception did not apply. Lindberg said
there was no barrier that was in keep
ing with the ordinance.
"Using this exception," said Lind
berg, "you could put a liquor store right
next door to a school."
Lindberg also said his clients
had not received adequate notice of
McDonough's license application.
Another attorney, Tom Lee, agreed
with Lindberg that the distance
requirement not been met and that
the exception didn't apply.
Lee said he was part of another
license involving the physical barrier
exception but in that case there was a
large ditch separating the school from
the establishment selling alcohol.
"I disagree with the county attor
ney," said Lee, "the barrier exception
was put in there for a real, serious
barrier. You need to take a long hard
look at this because it will open the
door to other lounges in this area. If
you approve this one, you are writing
Turn to Page 9
Ocean Lodge
Correction
In the photograph captions on page
18 of last week's issue that accompa
nied the article titled 'St. Simons resi
dents receive Bishop Gartland service
awards' Savannah Bishop J. Kevin
Boland was misidentified as John A.
Kennealfy.
Kenneally is Pastor of St. Williams
Catholic Church. Boland is in the pic
tures with Gartland Award winners
Camille Penders and Sue Kilchenstein.
□
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