A bill that could lead to more development on Jekyll Island cleared the Georgia Senate, but not before senators adopted amendments to severely limit growth on the island’s ecologically important south end.
The underlying bill simply extends the Jekyll Island's Authority lease to manage and oversee construction on the island, where the buildings are widely considered to be rundown.
But the Authority is considering development plans that could include new luxury condos that eclipse the public facilities on Jekyll's ecologically sensitive south end, where a soccer field and educational center now stand.
That could be an economic boon to the state-owned island, according to Sen. Don Balfour (R-Snellville). He says convention planners have told them they bypass Jekyll in favor of seaside resorts in Florida that have better facilities.
"The average Georgian isn't going there," he said.
But another Gwinnett County senator, Renee Unterman (R-Buford) warned against rampant growth.
"Here in north Georgia, it looks like New Jersey," Unterman said. "Do we want take those same standards and put them on coastal Georgia?"
She noted that lobbyists representing developers, including those with ties to the Ritz-Carlton Lodge in Greensboro, were on the other side of the chamber door, awaiting the vote.
"The alligators are out there and they’re snapping…because there's big, big, big money involved," Unterman said.
A bipartisan group of lawmakers successfully pushed through a series of amendments that would give lawmakers a greater say over the Authority’s plans, and forbid more people from moving permanently to the island.
"We have the opportunity to protect something we don't have the money or manpower ever to recreate," said Sen. Jeff Chapman (R-Brunswick), who sponsored the amendments.
This version of the bill differs dramatically from the version that passed the House a few weeks ago.
Note: Early Friday afternoon, the House disagreed with the Senate. A conference committee will try to hammer out a compromise, which both chambers will vote on.
The underlying bill simply extends the Jekyll Island's Authority lease to manage and oversee construction on the island, where the buildings are widely considered to be rundown.
But the Authority is considering development plans that could include new luxury condos that eclipse the public facilities on Jekyll's ecologically sensitive south end, where a soccer field and educational center now stand.
That could be an economic boon to the state-owned island, according to Sen. Don Balfour (R-Snellville). He says convention planners have told them they bypass Jekyll in favor of seaside resorts in Florida that have better facilities.
"The average Georgian isn't going there," he said.
But another Gwinnett County senator, Renee Unterman (R-Buford) warned against rampant growth.
"Here in north Georgia, it looks like New Jersey," Unterman said. "Do we want take those same standards and put them on coastal Georgia?"
She noted that lobbyists representing developers, including those with ties to the Ritz-Carlton Lodge in Greensboro, were on the other side of the chamber door, awaiting the vote.
"The alligators are out there and they’re snapping…because there's big, big, big money involved," Unterman said.
A bipartisan group of lawmakers successfully pushed through a series of amendments that would give lawmakers a greater say over the Authority’s plans, and forbid more people from moving permanently to the island.
"We have the opportunity to protect something we don't have the money or manpower ever to recreate," said Sen. Jeff Chapman (R-Brunswick), who sponsored the amendments.
This version of the bill differs dramatically from the version that passed the House a few weeks ago.
Note: Early Friday afternoon, the House disagreed with the Senate. A conference committee will try to hammer out a compromise, which both chambers will vote on.
