About The Islander. (St. Simons Island, Ga.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (May 20, 2019)
Page 4, May 20, 2019, The Islander Publisher's Statement THE ISLANDER (USPS 002430), A member of the Georgia Press Associa tion and Glynn County’s only weekly newspa- per is published 51 weeks a year for $35 per year in Glynn County and $40 per year in the United States outside Glynn Comity by Permar Pub lications, Inc., 1604 B Newcastle Street, Brunswick, GA 31525. Periodicals post age paid at Brunswick, GA. The Island er is also available to subscribers online at www.theislanderonline.com. Contents of The Islander, including advertising, may not he reprinted or re produced in any form without written permission of the publishers. POST MASTER send address change to The Islander, P.O. Box 20539, St. Simons Island, GA 31522. Publication Deadline Publication Date: Every Monday Deadline: Thursdays, 12 PM for ads and news copy for the following Mon day’s edition. Holiday Schedule On Monday Post Office holidays, The Islander is printed on the Friday before. 2019 Postal Holidays Tuesday, Januaiy 1 New Year’s Day Monday, January 21 Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Monday, February 18 President’s Day Washington’s Birthday Monday, May 27 Memorial Day Thursday, July 4 Independence Day Monday, September 2 Labor Day Monday, October 14 Columbus Day Monday, November 11 Veterans Day Thursday, November 28 Thanksgiving Day Wednesday, December 25 Christmas Day Holiday Deadline: Wednesdays, 12 PM for ads and news copy for the following Monday’s edition. Mission Statement: to publish the truth without fear or favor. Established 1972 Matthew J. Permar - Publisher Elise J. Permar - Publisher 1972-2003 Gertrude Bradshaw - Co-Editor 1972-1991 Managing Editor & Advertising Manager Pamela P. Shierling 912-265-9654 Church News Patty Gibson - 912-638-8844 Contributors Ginny Johnson, Jeff Lane, Phone Number 912-265-9654 email: ssislander@bellsouth.net www.theislanderonline.com Award Winning Newspaper 1975 1980 1985 • 1976 19811992 1977 1982 1999 1978 1983 2002 1979 1984 2008 2012, 2016 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 WGIG 1440 & 98.7
