Footprints can be misleading, to say the least, and certainly when the sizes look the same but the characteristics and impact are designed to be quite different.

Jekyll Island has a well-documented history of preserving the size of the footprints made while obscuring the long-term impact of the brand new shoe that is meant to replace the old one. One only needs to remember two fairly recent events that support this idea, hence, not every footprint is necessarily equal.

When the old Holiday Inn Beach Resort, constructed in 1972, was demolished in 2006, it was first replaced with a much smaller hotel, The Hampton Inn & Suites, in 2010. Nine years later, the remainder of the “old footprint” was used to construct Ocean Oaks, featuring 40 luxury homes. While the actual footprint, i.e. developed acreage, has remained the same, the designation and characteristics of such has changed dramatically. A 136-room hotel combined with 40 permanent homes has a very different impact on the island’s infrastructure then its previous use as a 205-room hotel. That impact is felt not only in capacity, but also on shared municipal infrastructure such as water, sewage, and road usage, let alone the overall quality of life.

A second example can be found on the north-side of the island, namely the original footprint of the Sand Dollar Motel. Constructed in 1971 as a 263-room motel, it was demolished in 2015 to be replaced with 125 cottages for permanent and vacation occupancy. Again, the original footprint remained the same but the impact on the island changed.

In both cases, the specific character of the footprints has had a major impact on municipal structures and has placed more pressure on the overall infrastructure than any other development in the last 30 years.

It is important to understand that the quality of life and existing infrastructure do not solely rely on fixed acreage, but instead are far more susceptible to the character of the footprint rather than its size. Size obviously matters, but not as much as the weight placed on each square acre.

As new discussion are under way to amend the existing 2014 Master Plan with a redesign of the golf courses, it is important to keep the above in mind, now more so than ever before. After all, replacing a golf course with any new designation will only multiply the potential impact of the newly created footprint. A golf course has minimal or almost zero impact on the island overall, so any replacement, be it development, croquet, new parking, or a new clubhouse, will always have a larger impact than before. Most certainly when large pieces of the footprint are reserved for future development, which remain unidentified at the time of crucial decision making.

In essence, no decision should be made about any of the options available until full disclosure is provided about the entire footprint and its long-term impact on the island.

A partial new footprint is not an option. Either the entire shoe fits into the future of the island, or none at all.

That is where the next discussion should take us when we discuss new development plans or alterations to existing Master Plans. Approving a partially developed new footprint without knowing the future of its entire impact is the equivalent of blindsiding those that will be impacted the most, i.e. the permanent residents.

Remember, a development plan without a vision is only a band aid, not a cure.

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Enjoy and please feel free to comment.