A Vote on Tuesday for incumbents and their bad judgment is a vote for more lawsuits. Here’s a case in point.
In ZV2016-8, the Camden County Planning Department was asked to provide a variance to allow the subdivision of an 87-acre property into a Ten-lot subdivision. That seems like a normal request except this was for a private lot within the boundaries of the Cumberland Island National Seashore. The property shares an island-wide border with the Sea Camp Ranger Station, Beach Dunes, and Campground.
To allow the variance, the request had to meet ALL FIVE criteria required by the Camden County Unified Development Code. In fact, the variance was granted in violation of at least four of the five criteria. Only by distortion of the facts, and by ignoring that the US Congress had declared all property on the island could be acquired by the Federal government, was a report generated by the Planning Department approving the zoning variance even determining on their own that "Relief, if granted, would not cause substantial detriment to the public good...." . They were quickly proven wrong when their decision was quickly appealed to the Camden County Commission to overturn that decision. More than 100 Camden citizen/voters signed the appeal to the Camden County Commission to reverse the illegal decision by the Planning Department.
The Camden County Commission has sat on the APPEAL to overturn the variance FOR SIX YEARS. The Appeal still must be adjudicated.
The County Commission cut out citizens and made a deal to allow the National Park Service and island landowners to negotiate a deal. Such a deal would violate the Act of Congress enabling Cumberland Island National Seashore and all bets protecting the Seashore would be off. Dozens to hundreds of new homes could be built. Hundreds of new beach driving permits would be issued increasing the threat to our nesting sea turtles, public safety, and the natural environment.
The public has been excluded from any negotiations. Camden's elected officials should worry that they could screw up the original agreement requiring that all commercial activity like tours and ferry rides originate in Camden County. Then, goodbye to most of the 70,000 annual visitors and the jobs serving those Cumberland visitors provided by our hotels, restaurants, stores, and gas stations as Jekyll Island and Fernandina snap up that business.
The law is very clear. Camden’s obstinance will ultimately end in a VERY EXPENSIVE Federal court case.
Just today, we received the following response from the Department of Interior to see if they had taken even the first step of a public hearing since 2018 to legally change their obligation to the citizens of the United States:
Seven Years and No Action:
The NPS hasn’t even held a SHAM public hearing like Camden County attempted last week on the mini golf. The courts are already adjudicating the lawsuit against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers alleging the Corps issued a dock permit for the Lumar property without the required full environmental review. The former Park Superintendent granted his approval for the dock with NO PUBLIC input.
The LUMAR variance is a terminal threat to our National Seashore and will bring out the really big guns to defend Congress’ promise to preserve Cumberland Island:
Commission Chairman Ben Casey and Commissioners Lannie Brant and Trevor Readdick have been around long enough to have stopped this travesty. They even continue to ignore that they built the County Gun Range on land not zoned for gun ranges. Members of the public cannot simply ignore the law but several County Commissioners must think the law doesn't apply to them. Their failure to protect Cumberland Island is just one more example of elected officials catering to special interests rather than protecting their constituents.
Readdick and Casey have sat on this issue for years. They have not served the public interest in Cumberland Island National Seashore. (Turner and Goodman - who have served only two years of their four-year terms - must act now to protect Cumberland Island and the economy of Camden County.)
Cumberland. Island must be protected!