About The Islander. (St. Simons Island, Ga.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (July 22, 2019)
THE ^ISLANDER Published by Permar Publications www.theislanderonline.com • ssislander@bellsouth.net July 22, 2019 Established in 1972 Vol 48 Issue 28 New Brunswick FBO The new Manning Aviation FBO - Fixed Base Operator - is nearing completion at the Brunswick Golden Isles Airport. This view is from the street side of the new facility. When it is finished it will feature palm trees, landscaping and a brick-lined side walk. The facility represents a $4 million investment by the Manning family. David Manning is at the door of the new building. Islander Staff Photo - Shierling New BQK FBO almost finished By Pamela Permar Shierling BOC overturns ZBA ruling By Pamela Permar Shierling On a 5 - 2 vote at their Thursday, July 18 meeting, the Glynn County Board of Commissioners (BOC) over turned a County Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) ruling which would have protected a neighborhood and followed the County’s own zoning ordinances. The issue is simple: The Village Bluff (German Vil lage) Property Owners Asso ciation (POA) has been asking since 2017 that the St. Simons Land Trust’s privately owned, but open to the public, Guale Preserve water front property including a boat launch, not be accessed by way of Village Drive. Village Drive is the only way into and out of German Village subdivision. The only way the POA was able to be heard by the BOC was to ap peal a Guale preserve building permit approved by the Coun ty Community Development Department. The appeal was heard by the ZBA on June 6 and the ZBA voted to uphold Com munity Development’s issu ance of a building permit for a “storage shed,” but prohib ited the use of Village Drive as access to the preserve and required that further develop ment of the preserve trigger a site plan and be sent to the Is lands Planning Commission. Walter Rafolski, Chairman of the ZBA described Village Drive in his statement to the BOC as “a “minor street” un der our Subdivision Regula tions. Our County website states “the Subdivision Regu lations dovetail with the Zon ing Ordinance.” Section 501 defines a “minor street” as “used primarily for access to abutting residential property; designed to carry no more Turn to Page 2 ZBA overturned In about a month the Brunswick Golden Island Air port - BQK - will have a new FBO (fixed base operator) facility. Manning Aviation, also the current FBO, will move into their new building at the east ern end of BQKs runway. The Manning family has been involved in the FBO and aviation business since gener al aviation has been at BQK. Manning Aviation is now owned by brothers David and Richard Manning. David estimates their total investment in the new FBO, fuel farm, and hangars at about $4 million. The new location is part of the East Apron Relocation Project at the airport that will allow Manning Aviation to meet the growing demand for hangar space and general aviation services. The new FBO / terminal is 4,000 sq. ft. The offices and conference room will overlook the BQK apron and runway. It is being built by M.D. McDonald Construction of Brunswick. The facility will offer at tractive, well-planned spaces designed for pilot and passen ger comfort. The facility is built for pilot convenience including a flight planning room, pilot’s lounge, restrooms with showers, and a separate snack room. The back of the build ing, which faces the road side of the airport, features a porte-cochere so clients can pull up close to the building and under cover. Soon the back of the build ing will be lined with palm trees and a brick-lined side walk leading into the building from the parking lot. The fuel farm, a highly specialized and secure com plex, will initially house two 20,000-gallon jet fuel tanks and a 12,000-gallon AVGAS fuel tank for piston prop planes. A third 20,000-gallon jet fuel tank will be added in the future. A new jet fuel truck is al ready in service allowing even faster service for both resident and transient aircraft. Airport zoning use changes okayed by BOC By Matthew J. Permar After spending the bet ter part of two hours on the Zoning Board of Appeals / German Village / St. Simons Land Trust issue last Thurs day night, the Glynn Coun ty Board of Commissioners (BOC) were faced with anoth er knotty issue at the McKin non St. Simons Airport. The Glynn County Airport Commission (GCAC) was at the BOC meeting (Thursday, July 18) 18) with a request for additional commercial uses in Tracts A, B, and C at the McK innon Airport. In the end, after some con fusing discussion about four different versions of the re quest, the BOC unanimously approved “Version 4.” Tract A is the largest air port tract and contains the Turn to Page 9 Airport zoning City approves MRP plan over objections By Pamela Permar Shierling Last week (July 17) the Brunswick City Commission approved the Urban Redevel opment Agency’s (URA) re vised plan for the Mary Ross Waterfront Park over the ob jections of Brunswick Kiwanis Club Stewbilee committee members. The major changes are to the southeastern portion of the Park. Objections con cerned the placement of the splash pad which will be placed in this portion of the park slightly north and east on the Park’s Bay Street side. The playground will remain in its current location along the Gloucester St. extension. Turn to Page 4 Mary Ross Park County-Wide News - Read County-Wide 0 9492229970 3
