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Page 4, May 20, 2019, The Islander
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Matthew J. Permar - Publisher
Elise J. Permar - Publisher 1972-2003
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Letters
I would like to thank the many,
many people on the Island and Main
land for their growing support of Ger
man Village residents who are facing
the disruption of our quiet, peaceful
way of life. It is heartbreaking and
disappointing to find that good Chris
tian people on the Land Trust board
think they have the right to destroy a
long established neighborhood. Just
because they say it is legal, which I’m
not sure it is, does that make it right?
What is right for every neighborhood
in Glynn County should be also be
right for German Village.
We are not “noise.” We are people
and deserve the same respect that
we have had for the Land Trust for
many years. If they achieve their
wish to turn a quiet neighborhood
street into a busy, dangerous, traffic
clogged park gateway, then respect
and public confidence in the Land
Trust will suffer and membership
will decline. At least ten people have
told me they have already dropped
their memberships.
Thank you again to our support
ers. Your concern and care for your
fellow Glynn County citizens is deep
ly appreciated. You demonstrate the
true meaning of community.
Angie Burns
St Simons Island
I am writing in follow-up to the
article on the German Village appeal
hearing. The Zoning Board hearing
was the FIRST and ONLY opportu
nity German Village residents, and
actually any Glynn County citizen,
have had to comment on this con
troversial project. Unfortunately,
this opportunity comes only AFTER
County planning staff approved the
project as a mere routine admin
istrative matter with no public in
volvement. This opportunity to be
heard is the result of our neighbor
hood having to file and pay for an ap
peal of the staff decision.
Quite honestly, I never thought I
would have to stand before the zon
ing board of appeals to ask for pro
tection against an organization with
a mission statement that says it is
there to enhance the quality of life
for our island community for pres
ent and future generations. I never
thought I would have to fight for the
safety of my neighborhood, for the
right for it to remain a neighborhood
and not the gateway to a waterfront
park with an estimated 18,000 visi
tors a year.
The origins of zoning and land
use planning are rooted in the need
to ensure public health and safety
and eliminate nuisances. Our Glynn
County Zoning Ordinance was ad
opted with the clearly stated purpose
of “promoting health and safety...
lessening congestion in the streets...
and promoting desirable living con
ditions and the sustained stability of
neighborhoods.”
Although the Musgrove property
allows parks, the R-6 zoning of the
Village Bluff subdivision clearly does
not allow parks. Park access through
residential Village Drive conflicts
with the County’s Comprehensive
Plan, Strategic Plan, and Zoning Or
dinance. Goal 4 of the Strategic Plan
states “Through planning, Glynn
County seeks to... PROTECT EXIST
ING FAMILIES.” If our zoning does
not allow a park in our neighborhood,
then why should we have associated
nuisances of park traffic?
The Land Trust and DNR simply
agreed to a purchase with too many
self-imposed hardships. We should
not be punished because of the Land
Trust’s inability to negotiate access
through the property they bought
for nearly $11 million. Frankly, how
anyone can buy 260 acres with over a
mile of major road frontage and still
can’t access it is boggling. Perhaps
they need to scale back their plans
for the park if they can not safely ac
commodate them.
As far as Land Trust concern for
their neighbors, emails obtained
through Open Records show strong
demands by SSLT leaders to have the
County censor our public stakeholder
comments in the new Comprehensive
Plan regarding public boat launch
access through the neighborhood.
These emails reveal that the Land
Trust Director was even given a shot
at revising our comments.
The County Planning Director ap
proved a “parking” permit that will
allow the piecemeal development
and expansion of the park at Mus-
grove/Guale. Staff approved a per
mit for only a small portion of the
park without any public involvement
or opportunity for input. Important
zoning, land use, traffic, and public
safety issues were not considered at
all.
In contrast, the Islands Planning
Commission boldly denied the Dol
lar General application stating that
minimum requirements were not ad
equate, approval was not automatic
and the Commission had discretion
to consider other factors, such as
traffic, public safety and established
residential communities. Shouldn’t
our established residential neighbor
hood have the same considerations?
County residents rely on our lead
ers to uphold not just the law, but
the intent of the law. The SSLT
should have to follow the steps that
any other developer would have
to follow. The quality of life for all
Glynn County residents, the stabil
ity of our neighborhoods, and our
safety depend on it.
Anne Ditmer
President, Village Bluff Property
Owners Association
St Simons Island
Tee off with
THE
>iSLANDER
and Scott Ryfun
every weekday morning
from 7-10 a.m.
Straight Talk
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