theislanderonline.com
Published by
Permar Publications
ssislander@bellsouth.net
August 19, 2024
Established in 1972
Vol 52 Issue 34
Brunswick waterfront plans
Top: The concept
layout for a long
term mixed use
project at Torras
Landing.
Right: 1970s
concept of the
Torras Landing
project drawn
by architect Ed
Cheshire.
Drawings provided
by Atlantic Southeast
Enterprises.
WATERFRONT
WATERFRONT
PAC approves Torras Landing rezoning
Media gets array
of updates
By Matthew J. Permar
Glynn County administra
tors and commissioners up
dated local media on a variety
of issues during last week’s
roundtable meeting.
While not the first topic on
the agenda, Police Chief Scott
Ebner expressed his concerns
about an increase in domestic
violence cases and the preva
lence of fentanyl-laced drugs.
Comparing Fiscal Year
(FY) 2023 to FY 2024 in his
presentation, Ebner noted an
increase in domestic violence
cases at an “alarming rate” of
724 in 2023 up to 799 in 2024.
Ebner noted that some are
repeat offenders.
County Manager Bill Fallon
said, “Domestic violence calls
are always the most difficult
and dangerous for officers.”
Ebner said that traces of
fentanyl was being found in
almost all drugs being sold
on the street, including mari
juana, hydrocodone, meth,
MDMA and Xanax.
Ebner said 2024’s 226 drug
overdoses were down from
2023’s 374. However that
was tempered by an increase
in overdose fatalities - 10 in
2023, up to 14 in 2024.
In 2024 37 of the overdoses
involved fentanyl.
Other statistics provided by
Ebner in a hand-out included:
aggravated assaults up from
151 in 2023 to 172 in 2024;
and robberies from 26 to 30.
Homicides dropped from four
in 2023 to one in 2024. Rapes
declined from 25 to 20.
The total number of arrests
for violent crimes increased
from an estimated 1,673 in
2023 to 1,754 in 2024.
Burglary and vehicle thefts
were both down from 2023 to
2024. Burglary from 210 to
192 and car theft from 142 to
123.
Car accidents also dropped
overall, including accidents
with injuries, but hit-and-run
Turn to Page 5
County updates
A Brunswick development
that has been in the planning
stages for many years is final
ly coming to fruition and has
taken the first steps toward
development.
Last week (Wednesday, Au
gust 14) the Brunswick Plan
ning and Appeals Commission
(PAC) approved the rezoning
of 90 plus acres along Bruns
wick’s waterfront.
The property known as
By Pamela Permar-Shierling
Torras Landing is owned
by Michael Torras, Atlantic
Southeast Enterprises.
The rezoning, which will
go to the City Commission for
final approval, was from Ba
sic Industrial (BI) to Mixed
Use City Core and Historic
(MUCCH). The rezoning will
allow inclusion of a range of
complimentary residential
dwellings, commercial spaces,
hotel(s), restaurants, nightlife
establishments, outdoor and
green spaces for hosting pub
lic gatherings, a marina with
a boat yard, a dry-stack boat
storage facility, and vari
ous supportive and ancillary
operations.
The Waterfront develop
ment will be located on land
that fronts on Academy Creek,
Turn to Page 5
Torras Landing
County-Wide News - Read County-Wide
Page 2 - BPD receives grant
-Torras Foundation donates to KG IB
Page 3 - GIDA approves grants, loans
Page 4 - D.A. King - Looking for a Better Life
Page 8 - Pro Direct breaks ground
Page 10 - County paid for law suit costs
Page 11 - Golf tournament winners
Page 12 - Back Talk
BOE lowers
millage rate
1/2 mil
By Pamela Permar-
Shierling
Last week (Tuesday, Aug.
13) the Glynn County Board
of Education (BOE) lowered
its millage by half a mil drop
ping the rate to 14.9 mils, the
lowest rate in 25 years.
Public hearings on the mill-
age rate are scheduled for
12:00 noon and 6:00 p.m. on
August 22 and 12:00 noon on
August 29.
The 14.9 rate will re
duce the system’s income by
$955,100 but with the 6.4%
increase in the tax digest, the
system’s general fund will be
left in the black at the end of
FY 2025.
Even though the millage
rate has been reduced, it is
still considered a 3.1% tax in
crease since the rollback rate
Turn to Page 9
Millage rate
Khurana fails
in bid for
November ballot
By Pamela Permar-
Shierling
Last week (Tuesday, Aug.
13) Senior Judge David Cav-
ender ruled quickly against
Laura Khurana’s bid to be
placed on the November ballot
as an independent candidate.
Khurana was a candidate for
the Glynn County Commis
sion At Large Post 2 seat.
Judge Cavender, of the At
lantic Judicial Circuit, was
appointed to hear Khurana’s
petition when all the judges
of the Brunswick Judicial Cir
cuit recused themselves.
To be placed on the ballot
in Georgia as an independent
a petition signed by five per
cent of the registered voters is
required.
After the Glynn County
Board of Elections (BOE)
Turn to Page 6
Khurana
0 94922 29970
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