A House subcommittee on Tuesday gave preliminary approval to a bill that spells out how much land on Jekyll Island may be developed.
House Bill 715 was unanimously approved by the Natural Resources subcommittee. It next goes to the full committee, which meets Thursday and could receive a vote on the House floor next week.
The bill changes the long-held policy of setting aside 35 percent of the island for development. Instead, HB 715 sets actual acreage amounts that may be used for commercial purposes. The bill has the support of the state’s environmental groups and was forged through a compromise with the Jekyll Island Authority.
Instead of requiring that no more than 35 percent of the island be available for commercial development, the authority wanted to settle on a hard number. The compromise was 1,675 acres.
All but 78 of those acres are already developed and Hamilton’s bill sets out specific rules for how that remaining land may be improved. Twelve acres are set aside for expansion of the existing campground; 20 acres are available for “unrestricted uses” and the remaining 46 acres must be used for “public health, public safety or public recreation.” Public recreation, the bill says, “specifically excludes residential and commercial development.”
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