The wrong fix might be in store for Jekyll Island

July 23, 2007

If the reaction of residents of Georgia's Jekyll Island is any indication, Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle's appointments to a legislative committee are an early sign the state-owned property might be shaped into an exclusive resort jammed with high-end condos and hotels rather than the nature-friendly, value-priced family vacation spot it had been in the not-too-distant past.

In fairness, Cagle makes a good point when he points out the geographic diversity of his appointees to the Jekyll Island Oversight Committee, which would monitor lease and contract agreements under consideration by the authority that governs the property. Cagle's appointees are Senate Majority Leader Tommie Williams, R-Lyons; Senate Economic Development Committee Chairman Chip Pearson, R-Dawsonville; and Senate Natural Resources Committee Chairman Ross Tolleson, R-Perry.

Commenting on the appointments last week in a Morris News Service story, Cagle spokeswoman Jaillene Hunter made the point that Jekyll Island is an important resource for the entire state, and that the lieutenant governor's office "wanted the committee to reflect that diversity." And indeed, as has been previously noted on this page, it would be hard to find anyone who's lived in Georgia for any length of time who hasn't been to Jekyll Island and been charmed by its largely unspoiled nature and its small-town feel. (Editorial, "Jekyll planning will be watched by entire state," Jan. 10).

Nonetheless, it would have been nice if Cagle's appointments to the oversight committee had included someone like Sen. Jeff Chapman, R-Brunswick. It's a safe bet that many Georgians who remember Jekyll's heyday as a family vacation spot would have sacrificed a bit of geographic diversity on the committee for someone like Chapman, who served as a voice for Jekyll Island residents, and for preserving the island's southern end as, the legislature considered how best to shape the island's future in its session earlier this year.

And, in that light, it's interesting to note that two other potential appointees recommended to Cagle's office by advocates for protecting Jekyll Island from massive development - Sen. Bill Cowsert, R-Athens, and Sen. Regina Thomas, D-Savannah - weren't named to the committee.

David Egan, a co-director of the Initiative to Protect Jekyll Island, told Morris News Service he doesn't expect island advocates to fare much better with House Speaker Glenn Richardson,. The speaker has yet to make his appointments to the Jekyll Island Oversight Committee, but he appears ready to reject three names submitted by advocates.

While it's still too early to know in what direction the legislative committee might want to steer Jekyll, Cagle's appointments - and Richardson's, when they are made - are a clear signal that Georgians who want Jekyll to be what it once was will have to be vigilant to ensure that future for the island.