Cumberland Island National Seashore/Variance Appeal

A statement from the Board of the St. Marys EarthKeepers:

To Whom it may Concern,

In the matter of the Cumberland Island National Seashore (CINS)/Lumar Hardship Variance Appeal, the Board of the St. Marys EarthKeepers has voted, unanimously, to withdraw from the legal challenge mounted by the Southern Environmental Law Center on behalf of our organization and the National Parks Conservation Association. 

We withdraw not because we no longer oppose the variance or the development of the Lumar tract but because we wish to be able to freely disseminate information to the public and rally the citizens in support of a solution to the issue of the 1,000 acres of fee-simple land: a solution that will adhere to, and honor, the CINS enabling Congressional legislation. 

We cannot fulfill our organization's mandate - "To actively inform, encourage and galvanize the residents of St. Marys and the surrounding area in matters of effective environmental stewardship" - if we are constrained by engaging in a potentially-litigious process. 

The St. Marys EarthKeepers will continue to liaise with all involved parties and to mobilize the citizens of Camden County and beyond in service to the wellbeing of Cumberland Island National Seashore. 

We urge all parties involved to allow the National Park Service the time necessary to explore every avenue in their efforts to craft a solution to the conundrum that has long plagued those who cherish Cumberland Island. We have full faith in the intent and abilities of Superintendent Gary Ingram and wholeheartedly support him in his efforts to forge a path that will safeguard the Island – now and for generations to come.

Update

As many of you know, at the County’s request, the April 4th Hardship Variance hearing has been postponed in order to allow all parties time to explore every option.
Please know that we (The Southern Environmental Law Center, The National Parks Conservation Association representative, and the St. Marys EarthKeeper) are working tirelessly - leaving absolutely no stone unturned in our efforts to protect and preserve the Island.

Cumberland Appeal

NOTICE REGARDING THE CUMBERLAND ISLAND APPEAL
Camden County Planning & Development 

The Camden County Board of Commissioners will have a PUBLIC HEARING

DATE: February 7, 2017
TIME: 5:00 pm
LOCATION: Government Services Building located at 200 East 4th Street, Second Floor, Commissioners’ Chambers, Woodbine, GA 31569.

PUBLIC HEARING AGENDA ITEMS:
1) ZV2017-01 Appeal by William R. Bruce (and other signing individuals), of the December 7, 2016 Planning Commission decision to approve Hardship Variance request ZV2016 – 8, to allow up to a 10 lot split minor subdivision, having unpaved road frontage, since there are no paved streets on Cumberland Island. The property is 87.51 acres. Tax Parcel 181 006, Zoned C-P (Conservation Preservation). LUMAR LLC, owner. 

2) ZV2017-02 Appeal by the Southern Environmental Law Center on behalf of the National Parks Conservation Association and the St. Marys EarthKeepers, of the December 7, 2016 Planning Commission decision to approve Hardship Variance request ZV2016 – 8, to allow up to a 10 lot split minor subdivision, having unpaved road frontage, since there are no paved streets on Cumberland Island. The property is 87.51 acres. Tax Parcel 181 006, Zoned C-P (Conservation Preservation). LUMAR LLC, owner.

COMMENTS SHOULD BE SUBMITTED TO kberry@co.camden.ga.us

Cumberland Island National Seashore

This (below) is the letter that was sent to the Camden County Planning Director. We urge everyone to email their comments to County Planning Director Eric Landon at elandon@co.camden.ga.us, and plan to attend the Dec. 7 meeting (6 p.m. at the Camden County Annex Building, 107 N. Gross Road in Kingsland). 


November 28, 2016


Dear Mr. Landon and Members of the Planning and Development Commission, 

On December 7 you will meet to discuss the Hardship Variance that has been filed by Lumar LLC regarding 87.51 acres on Cumberland Island. Citizens have been instructed to confine their comments to the issue of road paving (as required by the County) but we contend that it is impossible to fully analyze the matter without considering Cumberland Island and its surrounds as an entire entity. 

Lumar LLC seeks to create a 10-lot subdivision in the heart of the Island – on land that is less than a quarter-mile from the Sea Camp ferry dock and currently zoned “conservation preservation.” As you know, Cumberland Island is, in many respects, the economic engine of St. Marys Historic District. Our shops, hotels, B&Bs and restaurants rely on a daily influx of tourists and if the wilderness experience of the Island is compromised, our economy will suffer. This holds true for the I-95 corridor and thus all of Camden County. If visitors to the Island encounter bulldozers, noise-pollution, an 87+ acre development, and a decimated environment, the ramifications will be far-reaching. 

Consider, too, the profound environmental cost: old growth forest destroyed, watersheds effected, and the displacement/destruction of indigenous species. 

Cumberland Island’s establishing legislation directed that the Island should be allowed to steadily evolve into a wilder, less-developed national seashore as retained rights expire. A 10-lot subdivision would be a clear violation of this mandate, Congressional will, and the public trust. 

On behalf of the Board and Members of the St. Marys EarthKeepers, we respectfully urge you to deny Lumar LLC’s request. 
 
Alex Kearns
Chair
St. Marys EarthKeepers, Inc.

Almost 88 acres of land - located 1/4 from the Sea Camp dock. 

Update, Dec.4, 2016: 

The lawyer for Lumar LLC has openly stated that the reason behind the variance is that the family (represented as Lumar LLC) wishes to build a 10-unit “compound” on the property in question. The applicant is Glenn Warren, a member of the Cumberland Island Conservancy. (Image below). 

Thornton Morris, another member of the Conservancy, contacted EarthKeepers Chair Alex Kearns. During the conversation, Mr. Morris stated that the purpose of the variance and 10-lot subdivision was to “ease the population burden on the north end and move it to the south end.” He was asked if the plan was to demolish the 7-unit family compound on the north end but he declined to answer. He was then asked how their goal would be attained in that the area is zoned Conservation Preservation and building is not allowed.
He replied that the point of the variance was to change that zoning.
We have requested a written statement from the Conservancy.

The Cumberland Island Conservancy’s stated mission: “An integral part of the mission of the Conservancy is to serve as a co-steward of the natural, cultural, and historical resources of Cumberland Island with the National Park Service to provide a rich and rewarding experience for the visitors to the Seashore. We are not a political organization and we do not support groups who claim to “save” Cumberland Island.” http://cumberlandisland.com/conservancy/our-mission/
 
“The Cumberland Island Conservancy, Inc. is a nonprofit entity organized by individuals on the Island and others interested in its preservation. Its current board members include the Right Reverend Samuel G. Candler, Franklin W. “Whit” Foster, Thornton W. Morris, Glenn D. Warren and Per G. Lofberg.” http://cumberlandisland.com/conservancy/our-members/