June 2012 Issue

    INSIGHT

       
       
       Jekyll parking fees chasing away
            "ordinary" folks
        by Patrick Anderson, Publisher


    The Jekyll Island Authority is losing site of its mission. State
    legislation enacted in 1963 amended the Jekyll Island State Park
    Authority Act to specifically favor the "ordinary people of the State."
     Of course, no one wants to be considered ordinary, but it's clear
    the park is meant to be affordable for everyone.

    The legislation states in part that income arising out of the
    operation of the Park “shall be used by the Authority for the sole
    purpose of beautifying, improving, developing, enlarging,
    maintaining, administering, managing and promoting Jekyll
    Island State Park at the lowest rates reasonable and possible for
    the benefit of the ordinary people of the State of Georgia.” Ga. L.
    1963, p. 391 (Act No. 330). Here is a link to a time line of state
    legislation affecting Jekyll Island.

    For most of its history since the Authority was chartered in 1950,
    it did a good job of living up to its mission. However, in 2009 the
    daily parking fee rose from $3 to $5, and a major shift began
    developing. More and more "ordinary" people from Glynn and
    surrounding counties stopped using the beaches of Jekyll Island
    and shifted their beach loyalty to St. Simons Island.

    This shift is nowhere more apparent than at the public access point of the Coast Guard Station on St. Simons. Prior to 2009,
    the only time the Coast Guard Station parking lot would overflow was on Memorial Day weekend and the Fourth of July. In
    recent years, the popular beach access point overflows every weekend of the spring and summer when the weather is nice
    enough to spend a day at the beach. The parking lot fills up by noon (sometimes earlier), and cars with plates from Glynn,
    Camden, Brantley and McIntosh counties start cruising the neighborhood streets looking for places to park.

    Most end up parking along the "protected" marshlands, sometimes lining up over 1/2 way to Demere Road along the East
    Beach Causeway. Others cruise the East Beach neighborhood or the residential areas along Wood Avenue. Out of frustration,
    some end up encroaching on private property and getting towed. Traffic cops try to control things, and sometimes give tickets
    to "ordinary" people who park too close to fire hydrants or intersections. It's a mess.

    As if  the $5 daily parking fee isn't chasing enough people away from Jekyll Island, the Authority has increased the fee to $6
    effective July 1, 2012. According to The Brunswick News, executive director Jones Hooks is blaming their budget problems on
    higher fuel costs, state employee retirement costs, and of all things, an increase in the price of turtle medicine. In my opinion,
    the Authority has totally lost focus on its mission. They should be returning the parking fee to $3, not raising it to $6. Perhaps
    then they could retrieve some of the weekend customers they've run off in their zeal to become a "world class vacation and
    meeting destination."

    Compare these two mission statements about the use of Jekyll Island income, one from the past and one from the present:

    1) From the 1963 legislation mentioned earlier: income arising out of the operation of the Park “shall be used by the
    Authority for the sole purpose of beautifying, improving, developing, enlarging, maintaining, administering, managing
    and promoting Jekyll Island State Park at the lowest rates reasonable and possible for the benefit of the ordinary
    people of the State of Georgia."


    The abandonment of the 1963 mission statement is obvious in almost every Jekyll Island Authority decision made over the
    past decade. A new 128,000 square foot convention center has just opened, Hyatt and Westin are developing hotel projects,
    and 39 beach front cottages are being planned. Are these for the "ordinary" people?

    I'm not opposed to a vigorous convention business for Jekyll Island. But if the Authority can't make its budget without
    another parking fee increase, they ought to take a head count of all the customers they ran off when they raised it from $3 to
    $5 in 2009. And if they're not going to take the 1963 legislation seriously, then they should lobby the State to repeal it.


                                                                                Contact the author: Patrick@StSimonsLetter.com
the St Simons letter is published by Patrick Anderson & Associates, Inc. Copyright 2011. All rights reserved.
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Beach lovers cruise Wood Avenue looking for parking after the
Coast Guard Station parking lot overflows
Typical weekend congestions at the entrance to the public
parking at the St. Simons Coast Guard Station. Cars parked
too close to intersections get citations from local police.
St. Simons Coast Guard Station parking lot now exceeds capacity every nice weekend during
the Spring and Summer. Such was not the case prior to 2009.