The title may sound more like the local history or chapter of Area 51, but it is not as dramatic or “alien”. It is however a curious tale that has largely been forgotten or omitted.
First, let’s determine where Lot 352 is located on Jekyll Island.
It is quietly and neatly “sandwiched” between Villas-by-the-Sea, and The Cottages. Although the lot was staked out and identified by the Authority in 1971, it has never been developed. However, it was disturbed in 1954 when North Beachview Drive was originally constructed and paved.
This is where the future controversy, and hence the hidden history, comes into play.
In the early years of Jekyll Island, the original Beachview Drive ran from Ellis Lane to Driftwood Beach, thereby crossing through the current commercial lots of The Cottages, Villas-by-the-Sea, and hence straight through our mysterious Lot 352. When that 1.1 mile stretch was rerouted in 1961, it not only created extra room for expansion of the Beachview subdivision, it also created four large lots* specifically designated for future commercial development.
It will forever be a mystery why the original road was rerouted in 1961, barely seven years after its construction, given the fact that no development requests were made at that time. The very first requests for commercial development were only received in 1971, ten years after the fact.
Mr. Larry Morris was the first one to submit a bid to lease lots 350 and 351, the history of which is very well known**.
The Sheraton Inn submitted a bid to lease Lot 352 while a group of investors, led by Sen. J.H. Henderson simultaneously applied for a lease option on Lot 352-353***. The potential conflict of interest was resolved by the Authority by offering Sen. Henderson a twelve-month right-of-refusal on Lots 353 and 354 instead****.
In the end, Mr. Henderson ended up constructing “By-the-Sea Hotel” in 1973. It ultimately became a Sheraton By-the-Sea Hotel after a bankruptcy filing in 1975, and was ultimately renamed Villas-by-the-Sea in 1981*****.
Now that we know the history of this empty lot, the question is what will or can its future be.
When the 2014 Master Development Plan was written and approved, and all developed areas were identified, how was Lot 352 accounted for?
Was it identified as developed, disturbed, or undeveloped?
One would assume that given the fact that a portion of the original North Beachview Drive ran through the property, that the lot would at least be designated as “disturbed” although not necessarily “developed”.
That begs the question whether or not Lot 352 was included in the remaining 66 acres that can still be developed or whether it falls into the category of the current campground expansion. The former would mean that any future development would automatically have to be deducted from the remaining 66 acres. The latter would mean that a simple approval by the General Assembly can alter its current designation from “undeveloped” into “developed” without ever changing the total acreage.
In the end, the mystery about Lot 352 is not about aliens as much as it is about secrecy and undefined categorization.
Since the debate of future development is yet again rearing its ugly head, now would be a good time to make sure all parties involved at least agree on the designation of Lot 352.
For more information about the history of Jekyll Island State Park or previous blogs, please feel free to click here.
Enjoy, and I hope to welcome you again next week for more revealing stories.
*Lots 350-351 (originally occupied by the Sand Dollar Motel in 1971 and currently home to The Cottages). Lot 352 (unoccupied but disturbed by the original North Beachview Drive). Lots 353-354 (occupied by Villas-by-the-Sea). (Authority archives and Board meeting minutes, 1961-1971)
**Both lots were used to construct the Sand Dollar Motel in 1971. It originally included 261 rooms and was the largest motel on the island at that time. It was operated as The Jekyll Hilton Inn from 1979 to 1987, and as the Best Western Jekyll Inn from 1992 to 1997. In 2008 it became known as the Jekyll Island Clarion Resort, later referred to as the Jekyll Oceanfront Resort. It officially closed in 2011 and was demolished in 2015 to make room for The Cottages. (From Millionaires to Commoners. The History of Jekyll Island State Park. Nick Doms, 2019. AuthorHouse)
*** The group of investors, led by Sen. Henderson, included Howard Atherton, Arthur Crowe Jr., and David Rambo. (Authority archives, 1971)
**** Letter by the Authority to Sen. Henderson, dated October 1, 1971. (Authority Board meeting, October 1971)
*****The Original By-the-Sea- Hotel was constructed on Lots 353 and 354. A conference center was added in 1986 on the south side of the property, and the hotel was converted into a condominium-hotel in 1989. (From Millionaires to Commoners. The History of Jekyll Island State Park. Nick Doms, 2019. AuthorHouse)
