About The Islander. (St. Simons Island, Ga.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (June 24, 2019)
Page 4, June 24, 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 Sports Writer Dave Jordan Pew News Patty Gibson - 912-638-8844 Contributors Ginny Johnson 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 June 5, 2019 Mr. Mark Williams, Commissioner Via US Mail and Email Georgia Department of Natural Resources, 2 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, SE, Suite 1252 - East Tower, At lanta, GA 30334 SUBJ: Request for Alternative Pub lic Boat Ramp Access to die DNR/Mus- grove/Guale Reserve Boat Ramp Dear Commissioner Williams: By this letter, on behalf of the resi dents and property owners of the histor ic German Village neighborhood known as Village Bluff on St. Simons Island, I am formally requesting that the Geor gia Department of Natural Resources initiate and grant approval for an access road across the Musgrove Plantation/ Guale Reserve property to die DNR boat ramp located in the northeast comer of the above referenced property. The GA DNR has the full authority to grant such access by virtue of long-standing pohcy and practice, by virtue of the documents filed with various state and federal agen cies related to acquisition of portions of the Musgrove Plantation property, and under the terms of the conservation easement apphcable to the property. As currently proposed by the St. Si mons Land Trust, supported by actions of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and the Glynn County Com munity Development Department, Vil lage Drive is proposed as the sole access road to the new boat ramp. Should this decision stand, German Village will for ever be negatively impacted. This nega tive impact is totally avoidable. In all possible scenarios, the access road to the boat ramp should originate along the one mile of frontage the Mus grove Plantation/Guale Reserve proper ty has on Lawrence Road, and should be contained entirely within the Musgrove Plantation/Guale Reserve property and along its border shared with Village Bluff subdivision, rather than through the Village Bluff subdivision via Village Drive. As such, the boat ramp access road can and must totally avoid using Village Drive, which is a narrow, limited access residential road that runs through the heart of die quiet, established neighbor hood of German Village/Village Bluff. Within die German Village neighbor hood, children currently play and ride their bikes in front of the homes that front Village Drive. At present, and for almost a century, the only traffic concerns by residents, parents and the children in the neighborhood is the traf fic generated by local residents and the occasional driver who is lost and mistak enly turns on to Village Drive. As one viable, alternative boat ramp access route, the German Village resi dents propose, and I support, that the DNR and the St. Simons Land Trust use the existing, platted maintenance road, which is legally referenced and acknowledged in die grant application docmnents and environmental site as sessment report as a cleared but un paved road called “Contractors Road.” The proposed route could then cross the existing drainage ditch and follow the northern edge of the Musgrove Planta tion/Guale Reserve property, terminat ing at the boat ramp. It is my understanding that the ex istence of the residential subdivision to the north of Musgrove Plantation/Guale Reserve was not taken into consider ation or referenced in the grant applica tions or conditions originally imposed by the conservation easement into which the St. Simons Land Trust and DNR entered. Necessarily, consideration of the quality of life and safety of this neighborhood is of utmost importance, and the actions of the St. Simons Land Trust in promoting use of its park must have as little impact on the adjoining neighborhood as possible. Currently, the conservation ease ment permits repair and maintenance of roads existing at the time of its cre ation. These facts alone could eliminate tiie need for access to the boat ramp and park via Village Drive. Further, the cur rent negative situation imposed by use of Village Drive as the only access to the boat ramp constitutes a change in condition that permits modification of the conservation easement to allow the location and creation of a new road on Musgrove/Guale Preserve property to access its boat ramp and other sections of tiie park. As a Georgia State Representative, I stand ready to assist my constituents and the German Village/Village Bluff community in accomplishing an alterna tive access for park visitors to reach the boat ramp. As you know, Commissioner, I prefer to work with you for a solution that best serves all parties, minimizing tiie obvious negative impact to area resi dents, without affecting the overall proj ect. This issue - the alternative route so lution - is about fairness and reasonable accommodation for those who citizens who reside in the area and who desire minimizing tiie impact tiie Musgrove/ Guale Reserve project will have on their neighborhood and chosen lifestyle. Sincerely, Jeff Jones, R-167 Ponate A Boat or Car Boaq'pAngel r 2-Night Free Vacation!’ mmm- www.boatangel.com sponsored by boat angel outreach centers STOP CRIMES AGAINST CHILDREN H-ALyARJNS Local seafoods, grilled steaks, local vegetables, nightly specials, great wines. A buzzing bar with specialty cocktails. Dinner served: Mon.-Wed. 5-9 pm. Thurs.-Sat 5-10 pm. 55 CINEMA LANE ST. SIMONS ISLAND 638-9100 HALYARDSRESTAURANT.COM Inspired Italian cuisine, inside or outside. Bring friends and see all that’s new! Mon.-Thurs. 11 am-9 pm Fri. 11 am-10 pm Sat 5-10 pm. Sun. 5-9 pm 75 CINEMA LANE ST.SIMONS ISLAND 634-2202 TRAMICIRESTAURANT.COM Chef Dave Snyder and the crews of the Halyard Restaurant Group invite you to join us! 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