New fight arises at fort
Lines form over condos beside history

March 17, 2006
By BJ CORBITT | The Brunswick News

Darien's Fort King George historical site could soon be neighbors with condominiums, a possibility which is raising the hackles of people who claim the development will compromise the area's history and environment.

The McIntosh County Commission voted Tuesday to approve a request to re-zone the property of Buena Pitts, adjacent to the fort, from single-family to multi-dwelling residential.

Fort King George was founded as a British outpost in 1721 and served as a focal point for ongoing struggles among the British, French, Spanish and American Indians to control the land.

A three-story, 18-unit condominium complex is planned for the adjacent property.

That idea doesn't sit well with Peyton Lingle of Townsend. He thinks that condominiums rubbing shoulders with the fort will ruin the Lowcountry charm of the area around the Darien River.

"It's an almost architectural arrogance," Lingle said. "They've come up with a design that would look very good on Interstate 95 or up in Atlanta and want to put it next to the river."

Ad Poppell, a Darien lawyer who chairs the McIntosh County Friends of the Fort chapter, said building close to the graves of British soldiers buried on fort property is a bad idea. There is also the chance that the property to be developed contains the remains of Indians who were converted to Christianity by Spanish missionaries, Poppell said.

"All development is not bad, but any time it's next to historic sites we get concerned," Poppell said.

"It just seems such a pity to erect a building that close to (the fort). You could literally throw something out your window and have it end up in a cemetery."

Geoffrey Branch, project manager for the proposed development, said concerns about how the condominiums will impact the historic nature of the area will be taken into consideration.

"We've actually named this project The Battery and we're playing with some different designs to stay in that time era," Branch said. "We want to utilize the historic value of this area.

"I don't see where a (condominium) project is going to make any of those 35,000 people who come through (the fort) each year not go there."

Branch said if the property turns out to be a burial ground, state regulations will require that the development be conducted in such a way as to not to disturb the remains.

"Obviously, anywhere we go in Coastal Georgia we're governed by history," he said. "We're taking every stride and effort to maintain the integrity of the burial grounds. We're governed by laws, but a lot of people don't want to listen to us when we say that."
There are other concerns, too.

Deborah Sheppard, executive director of the Altamaha Riverkeeper, an environmental group based in Darien, is worried that the development will compromise the water quality of the nearby river, primarily through storm runoff.

Branch said the proposed development will be connected to the city of Darien's drainage infrastructure.

Beyond all the detailed arguments, the most common root of disagreement seems to be the potential impact the condominiums could have on the fort's aesthetic presentation and historical ambiance.

"It's not hard to imagine how a three-story condo looking out of a family neighborhood adjacent to a historic park isn't a great idea," Sheppard said.