Tybee Neighbors Blog

Tybee’s Shoreline Editorial

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 15:54:56 -0400

Tybee Island: Bust at the beach
Sunday, August 17, 2008 at 12:30 am

IT'S THE treehuggers vs. the sand bubbas on Tybee Island again.
And this time, chalk a big one up for the bubbas.
They're on a roll.
Unfortunately, it's a roll that could undermine Georgia's ocean playground by over-building and encroachment on its public beach.
Last Thursday, the Tybee City Council took a step in that short-sighted direction by repealing its Shore Protection Act and reducing the number of members on its Planning Commission from nine to seven. Both measures passed by identical 4-2 votes.
Prior to the two votes, the public had mostly suspicions that the council that took office after last November's general election was pro-encroachment and anti-planning. After all, the current council had a chance in June to fiddle with the local shoreline ordinance, which had been passed in 2001, but backed off.
Now, after Thursday's mugging of fair-minded development rules, those doubts have been removed.
Without local restrictions on growth and beach encroachment, Tybee will fall under the state's rules, which are more liberal.
That's good news for anyone who wants to build as close to the water as possible. But it's bad news for the public, which owns the beach and wants it to remain healthy, viable and around for future generations of Georgians to enjoy.
A second blow to the beach was the downsizing of the planning council. This appointed board has played an important advisory role to the council, filtering out projects that it deems potentially harmful and serving as a useful sounding board. It also helps insulate the elected council from undue political heat.
Unfortunately, the pro-encroachment council wanted to stifle this source of informed opinion. The net effect will mean more politicization of questionable projects, not less - a fact not lost on Tybee Mayor Jason Buelterman.
"I don't understand why we are creating yet another divide" in our community, the mayor said. Here's the answer: Because they can. To the victors in last November's election go the spoils. Those goodies include scrapping local shoreline protection and weakening the planning board.
The council, however, also shot itself in both feet.
Mr. Buelterman has been a passionate missionary for Tybee's beach renourishment needs, traveling far and wide to spread the correct message that the island needs help to maintain its constantly eroding beach.
But if elected officials on Tybee vote for local measures that undermine that same beach, why should taxpayers kick in an extra dime for more sand? Sadly, future renourishment will be tougher to sell, and that's no day at the beach.
If elected officials on Tybee vote for local measures that undermine that same beach, why should taxpayers kick in an extra dime for more sand?
Think About It!
Submitted by tybeewatchdog on Mon, 2008-08-18 13:40.

1. It seems obvious that if a developer builds too close to the beach his houses will suffer from the invasion of sand and water. This became clear with the property built on 19th Street - the City Council recently granted a variance for a masonry wall in the sand dune to keep the sand out. This property was built very close to the shoreline under the Georgia Shore protection Act. It obviously should have never been constructed in the first place.
2. Because of the Ethics ordinance 5 Council members have to recuse themselves from voting when their financial supporters come before them with variances to the Tybee Shore Protection Ordinance. So, if you can't get rid of the Ethics ordinance you can reward your contributors by getting rid of the Tybee Shore Protection Ordinance.
3. It's important to realize that the above editorial is the opinion of the editorial board- not one reporter.

Open Gov
Submitted by tabbykittykatt on Mon, 2008-08-18 00:10.

Why the need to be so hostile? Of course I think government controls are needed to protect our wetlands and our dunes! But I don't think we need overkill which , in my opinion, the shore protection ordinance was. And yes, I do understand what an editorial is. Duh. I also wonder why it was not signed. And Tybee Blue, just what "personal gain" has this council received? Be specific please!
I have refrained from voicing an opinion in the last few months because it serves no purpose. Most of these bloggers are repetitive. It's the same statements over and over (myself included). We have different opinions and views of the current (and past)council decisions, period. We will probably never agree. Oh well! I'm sure we would disagree on who the next president should be, too! Wnat to blog on that for awhile?
(Anyway,I need to attend to my sand box now so I'll sign off on this issue and let the rest of you claw fight it out!)
MEOW!

Wow, things are getting heated on Tybee again!
Submitted by Happy Daze on Sun, 2008-08-17 16:43.

What has happened to this place? A small, idyllic island paradise with feuds worse than the Hatfields and McCoys! There are obviously two groups of people who feel differently about these issues. No need to get nasty! Let's step back and review: every two years the council gets elected. Not everyone will be happy with the outcome--not everyone wins. But, whoever wins, once the oath of office has taken place, they are to be responsible to the needs of the whole community, right? They are pledged to "adopt reasonable ordinances to protect and improve the public health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of Tybee Island." It is apparent by their actions lately, and especially this past meeting, that the majority of this council forgets this charge. Whatever is behind their actions, it is NOT for the benefit of all the citizens of Tybee Island. Can you blame these bloggers for their suspicions and distrust? I challenge each council member (if they have the computer access and skills to do so) to join these blogs and explain their views and sign their names. No reasonable explanations were given during the meetings when asked by the Mayor. Maybe this challenge can lead to some dialogue and explanations to help put the community's collective minds at ease!

TWD
Submitted by tabbykittykatt on Sun, 2008-08-17 15:57.

The reason some of the properties are so close to the beach on the North End is due to EROSION not this council's so called "pro- development"! Come on people! I agree with Tybeebum. The state has enough provisions in place to stop any one from encroaching on our dunes. Why have more government control on this issue? Have any of you had to go before the Corps of Engineers or DNR for permission to build close to the dunes or to build a dock??? It borders on the ridiculous already! Once again the BRUISED EGOS of the unelected past council members and their supporters are making mountains out of sand dunes. It doesn't matter what this council does, it will never be right in "some" people's minds. This article is highly prejudicial and inflammatory. I'm surprised the SMN allows this type of reporting to go to print. It sounds more like a Letter to the Editor not unbiased reporting. Just who has the reporter been talking to?

Wait a minute!
Submitted by Open Gov on Sun, 2008-08-17 16:12.

Dear TKK: Do you understand what an EDITORIAL is? This is not an unbiased reporter trying to write an article. It is the official opinion of the editorial staff of the Savannah Morning News. Look at the page this is written on, for Pete's sake, before writing what you did and making yourself look like an uninformed whatever.
It sounds like you HAVE gone before the state committee to build close to dunes and/or build a dock. Are you saying that that process was 'ridiculous'? What would you have instead, no controls?
The state does make some decisions that are sound, but not always. The process is there to prevent people from building 'willy-nilly'. But the State's jurisdiction line is NOT a no-build zone. They can give permits for land-disturbing activities. With Tybee's ordinance in place, there is another hoop to jump through---thank God! Tybee had a no-build line or zone to try to prevent people from building closer to the water than necessary.
I say with the state involved in anything-the more ordinances in place the better!

Note to tybeebum
Submitted by tybeewatchdog on Sun, 2008-08-17 14:54.

Dear bum Instead of walking from 6th to 14th, turn around and walk the other way. I think you'll find you can leave your binocs at home and see some houses that are so close to the shore they're fighting to keep it out of their living rooms. Not hysteria, just concern for an island we love. TWD

I agree.....
Submitted by tybeebum on Sun, 2008-08-17 16:14.

...but what do you expect on the northeastern shore of a barrier island? We'll keep putting sand on the beach every few years at enormous cost and inconvenience, and then it will wash out with the first noreaster and form yet more dunes in the middle of the island. I'm as concerned about our island as anyone, but I believe the state DNR regulations are plenty tough enough.

WE NEED HELP
Submitted by Anon OMuss on Sun, 2008-08-17 14:33.

The awful 5 will continue their pillage until angry, brave citizens step forward in an effort to expose them, their backers and the objective they're after. In particular, we need an organized group with a good investigative reporter, a good lawyer and a bunch of foot soldiers.

Council Nailed By SMS Yet Again!
Submitted by Georgia Peach on Sun, 2008-08-17 11:29.

Although this editorial is right on, I take exception to the phrase "tree huggers and sand bubbas". The current fight on Tybee isn't between ultra liberal environmentalists and developers, it's a fight between people who want and demand open and ethical government and greedy, self-serving politicians! It's a fight between doing what's right for the community and unethical d financial gain for council members and their political supporters. It's a fight between protecting our island paradise and exploiting it by selling out to the highest bidder.

Deal with reality, not hysteria
Submitted by tybeebum on Sun, 2008-08-17 10:58.

Oh please. Anyone who has dealt with DNR knows first hand that the state's rules are plenty tough. Walk the beach between 6th and 14th. You need binoculars to see the houses that "encroach" on the beach. Was this editorial written by one of Tybee's sour grapes former council members?
Sour Grapes?
Submitted by TybeeBlue on Sun, 2008-08-17 12:47.

I don't know about former council members, but as a voter, I sure have sour grapes! Most of the current Tybee council members LIED during the campaign. They promised open and transparent government but have systematically tried to limit citizen participatation and silence the voice of the people. They promised to abide by our land development code but have voted for countless variances with no hardships. They pledged to support the master plan but undermine it every step of the way. They are determined to gut the ethics ordinance. They have kicked Tybee's talented volunteers to the curb. Rather than serving, their focus has been on personal gain. I for one am ashamed that I voted for most of them - I didn't get what I was promised. Tybee should start a recall petition!

This Tybee Council's Motto:
Submitted by Open Gov on Sun, 2008-08-17 09:59.

"Because I want to. Because I can."

Tybee City Council voted at a recent meeting to reduce the number of members voluntarily serving on the Planning Commission. To accomplish this they proposed abolishing the current Planning Commission consisting of 9 volunteer members and immediately recreating a Planning Commission that consists of 7 volunteer members. The newly created 7 member Planning Commission will then be appointed by City Council for two year staggered terms of office.

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 18:02:25 -0400

Tybee Island kills shore protection act
Lesley Conn | Friday, August 15, 2008 at 12:30 am

Tybee Island government turned into bare-knuckle politics Thursday night.
By the time it was over, in split votes, the City Council had agreed to repeal its Shore Protection Act and reduce the number of members on its Planning Commission from nine to seven.
The planning vote brought out public speakers who openly questioned the council's motives, in part because the original proposal drafted by City Attorney Bubba Hughes called for the current commission to be abolished and seven new members appointed. It was presented to the Planning Commission in July for a preliminary vote that would be forwarded to council.
That raised suspicion that the new council, brought to power in November elections and perceived as pro-development, was making a play to establish a commission molded to its liking.
Hughes said it was his intention to create a draft ordinance that listed several options, including abolishment. He could not explain, he said, why his draft proposal included only abolishment. Proposed ordinance changes will now be reviewed by the council before he submits them to any advisory commission for a vote, he said.
Before calling for the vote on slimming down the Planning Commission, Mayor Jason Buelterman, who votes only in the event of a tie, questioned the need for the reduction.
"I just don't understand what the root cause is," he said. "I don't understand why we are creating yet another divide" in our community.
Councilman Charlie Brewer, who suggested the change, said he did so to make the city government more efficient. The commission will have the same number of members as the council, he added.
Council approved 4-2, with Paul Wolff and Barry Brown opposed.
The Shore Protection Act was presented to the council as an effort to fine-tune its existing ordinance. Generally, the city's plan divided the shoreline into three areas and mandated that construction could not occur within 10 feet of a dune closest to shore, within 18 feet of a seawall, or - in the absence of either - within 250 feet of the ordinary high-water mark.
The city's ordinance provides for an added level of protection above the state guidelines and is especially important in trying to keep construction from advancing ever closer to the water, Buelterman said.
Council members and several residents had questions on certain aspects of the proposal, including a section that would restrict whether a home could be rebuilt if it sustained more than 80 percent damage.
As the vote was called for, Councilman Ed Crone made a motion to "repeal every bit of" the city's ordinance and revert back to the state.
Wolff urged the council not to support the motion, saying it would be a "giant step backward" and "would not be in the best interests of the citizens of Tybee."
But Crone's motion carried, 4-2, with Wolff and Councilman Dick Smith dissenting.
Hughes advised the council not to immediately repeal the ordinance, but to keep it in place until he could present a new proposal, which would be offered publicly and voted on twice.
After the vote, Crone said the city had been struggling with the ordinance for at least the last five years.
"Let the state handle it," he said. "They ain't going to let them do anything wrong."
One resident, Cullin Chambers, said repealing the Shore Protection Act and moving to more tightly control the Planning Commission, as well as the council's recent efforts to repeal an ethics ordinance in place for just more than a year, signaled the new council's disregard for the citizen input behind each effort.
"Something is wrong here," Chambers said. "We are tired of a government that no longer represents its people. ...You're not saving us money. You're costing us the public trust."
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User Comments
Why bother?
Submitted by tybeewatchdog on Sat, 2008-08-16 12:26.

Why bother with a planning commission or ordinances when council grants 100% of the variances that come before them, whether or not they comply with the city's laws. I think Tybee needs protection from this council.

Out of Control
Submitted by Georgia Peach on Fri, 2008-08-15 16:27.

The Tybee City Council is out of control! In addition to the list posted by Open Gov, this council continues to violate the city charter by interfering in the city manager form of government. They seem determined to undo every positive action taken by prior councils. A former mayor says their motto is "If it ain't broke, break it!"
Since this council has done NOTHING to earn the respect of the community, they must artificially generate it. Their latest attempt to bestow dignity to their undignified behavior is to address each other by their "titles". Give me a break! I want a recall!

Check it out for yourselves
Submitted by Open Gov on Fri, 2008-08-15 11:07.

Refer to Tybee Neighbors website for results of the recent community survey about the planning commission issue as well as other topics at http://www.tybeeneighbors.com
Also there are two video/audio clips of Cullen Chambers remarks as well as Mayor Buelterman's comments.
They are linked here as well:
http://www.tybeeneighbors.com/files/cullen_chambers.mov
http://www.tybeeneighbors.com/files/buelterman_on_planning.mov

sad day
Submitted by Open Gov on Fri, 2008-08-15 09:47.

At the 8-14-08 Tybee City Council meeting, Mr. Cullen Chambers so eloquently stated: “Something is wrong here.” He was absolutely right. Since last November’s city council election, people have been afraid. Afraid that a group of citizens on Tybee, with questionable motives, would now control most council decisions for the next two years. It didn’t take long after their January inaugurations for these fears to become realized. Here is a brief list of issues and decisions made since their terms began eight months ago: • No skatepark • Destroy dog park • Rescind an excellent Ethics Ordinance • Suppress citizens from speaking at meetings • Refuse to accept state offered recycling trailer for special events • Make major changes to Memorial Park without waiting for the completion of the public input period and public hearings regarding a comprehensive plan designed by a volunteer committee • Applied to State DNR to bulldoze the sand dunes to create a 2.7 mile, 20’ wide road on the beach • Approved variance requests when no hardship was present (ignoring the law as expressed in our Land Development Code • Repealed the Shore Protection Ordinance • Gutted the Planning Commission
Most of these actions were made with no logical reasons given and council showed little regard for citizen concerns, even after great public outcry.
Basically the majority of this city council has told the citizens of Tybee: “Go to h***”. Well, Mr. Chambers was right. There is something really, really wrong here. Because of these actions and more importantly because of the self-centered, power hungry, narcissistic attitudes of these council people, unfortunately Tybee is going to h***. It’s a sad day for the people of Tybee Island.

Infrastructure Issues

Sat, 26 Apr 2008 07:55:41 -0400

Widening road to Tybee is fishy-- Letter to the Editor published on 4/16/08

I certainly hope Tybee Island residents and merchants got a good snoot full of the Tybee road resurfacing and subsequent traffic mess.
If you think that 20 days of orange cones and barrels was an imposition, then think twice about four-laning Highway 80. No one in their right mind should stand for widening this road and have it aim directly at Tybee, which is beyond saturation.
Please don't bore me with concerns about how do we exit if the hurricane comes. The four-laning talk, which thankfully has quieted, is just "somebody's good idea."
That makes no sense, just like the gymnasium, the destruction of the DeSoto Beach Club, razing the amusement park, Cobb Apartments, the palm island running down Butler Avenue and all the lovely venues that have disappeared.
We need a four-lane highway like a fish needs a bicycle.
THOMAS R. ELLIS

Protecting Tybee Trees

Sat, 19 Apr 2008 19:16:45 -0400

Barton: Branch out to protect trees
Tom Barton | Saturday, March 29, 2008 at 11:30 pm

Tom Barton (Photo: Carl Elmore)

Chatham County needs to pay as much attention to its valuable tree canopy as the city of Savannah.
I think that I shall never see, a deceleration lane as lovely as a tree.
- Joyce Kilmer

No, that's not exactly what Kilmer wrote back in 1914. He put down "poem," not deceleration lane.
But the bard of the birches was on to something.
We're lucky here. We're surrounded by natural beauty.
Instead of praying that it's OK to retire the snow shovel for the year, we're soaking up the last color from the azalea blooms, driving around town with the windows rolled down and wondering whether to hit the garden store or the driving range.
Eat your heart out Chicago.
But when you live in a place that resembles a Monet masterpiece, it's easy to take things for granted.
You look at the vast salt marsh on the way to Tybee Island and you are tempted to see it as indestructible. You look at the tree cover that carpets much of this area of Georgia and South Carolina, and you begin to doubt that McCulloch makes chain saws.
You can get so suckered in that you don't notice the next lot being cleared for new construction. But even if you do notice, it seems like no big deal. Mother Nature, after all, is like a large, powerful financial institution: Too big to fail.
Has anyone checked the price of Bear Stearns stock lately?
Last week's hastily arranged mini-protest on Wilmington Island near the bases of two heavily pruned live oaks, which are expected to be removed along Johnny Mercer Boulevard because of new development, shouldn't be a passing blip on the local news radar.
That would be a shame. Those protesters weren't blowing smoke about the threat to a signature tree canopy. They were blowing Reveille.
"I think this is the beginning of a lot of what we're going to see as this area gets more developed," said Dale Thorpe, immediate past president of the Savannah Tree Foundation, a private group that has been sticking up for trees along rights of way for more than 20 years.
"Our tree canopy is threatened, and if we lose it, it will change the character of our neighborhoods forever," she said. "Saving it will be a huge battle."
She's not barking up the wrong dogwood either. While the City of Savannah has an arm of government, the Park and Tree Department, dedicated to maintaining a healthy urban forest within city limits, Chatham County and many surrounding counties don't have a similar pecking order.
Bureaucratically, trees matter less.
While the county has an arborist (a good one), he's an underling in the engineering department. And from a professional standpoint, engineers don't see trees that line roadways as things as beauty. They see them as accidents waiting to happen. Hence, two live oaks on Johnny Mercer will soon get the Paul Bunyan treatment.
In Savannah, however, the outcome might have been different.
"We have a built-in advocate for trees," Assistant City Manager Chris Morrill said. When developers submit site plans for new construction, a copy goes to the Park and Tree Department for review. As officials give it the once-over, they negotiate with the owner to work trees into the plan before it gets approved.
Likewise, when roads must be widened, trees don't automatically surrender to cars. Sometimes, trees win.
Roads, turn lanes and deceleration lanes are made to flow around the trees, not over them. Classic examples are the live oaks along White Bluff Road. When it was widened, woodsmen were kept at bay. Today, motorists waiting for the traffic signal south of the White Bluff/DeRenne Avenue intersection can idle in the shade, not cook in the heat.
There's no reason unincorporated areas can't take the same pro-active approach. Indeed, if I'm Commissioner Pat Farrell, who represents Wilmington Island and is up for re-election this year, I'm not watching two live oaks turn in to toothpicks. I'm on the horn to County Manager Russ Abolt and telling him the county needs to branch out into trees like the city.
"We need someone in the county who wakes up every morning and thinks about trees," Thorpe said.
As in saving them, she means. And, as in planting more.
That's hard to do when your main tool comes with a pull cord.
Tom Barton is the editorial page editor of the Savannah Morning News. His e-mail address is tom.barton@savannahnow.c

This is a real team - with drug testing

Fri, 4 Apr 2008 18:52:12 -0400

Submitted by The City Unfiltered on Thu, 2008-04-03 11:58. ::
Intown | Southside | tybee | unfiltered

This is PPP - a purely political post. You down with PPP? Yeah, you know me. If you're friends with PPP, then you're friends with me. If you know any of those references, you are old. Word up.
Last year during the city election there was talk of a "team" of council members. This year it’s the same on the County Commission.
But in all of my political reporting, I’ve never seen a team like the one on Tybee Island right now. Five of the six members of City Council signed a 20-point position paper before they got elected saying exactly what they would do and what they support. Literally, they are on the same page.
Click here to see it.
The most interesting point: “I support random drug testing for elected officials.”
Not only is it interesting, but it’s illegal. Georgia used to make people running for office get tested for drugs, but a lawsuit that made its way to the U.S. Supreme Court changed that..
It shot down the legality of testing elected officials.
So, Tybee Councilman Dick Smith is pushing to city policy to have council members voluntarily submit to drug testing. He says that elected officials shouldn’t be afraid to do what they ask of city employees.
So what happens if five of the six members of council who support drug test voluntarily take and divulge their tests and the other member – Paul Wolff – doesn’t because he may be politically opposed to the idea? He’s the only one of the six council members that didn’t sign the document.
I’m not saying he is opposed to the idea or wouldn’t take the test, I’m just raising a political hypothetical.

Memorial Park Entries

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 12:26:22 -0400

Tybee park master plan released
Local | Islands
March 18, 2008

When a proposed master plan for Tybee Island's Memorial Park was released last week the City Council was reluctant to release it.

When Councilman Paul Wolff suggested the report and drawing be posted on the city's Web site, Councilwoman Wanda Doyle balked. She said she wanted to read it first before
it was posted.

The Savannah Morning News obtained the report and drawing through a verbal Georgia Open Records Act request. They are posted here:

Click here for a the Memorial Park redesign drawing
Click here to read the final report of the Memorial Park ad hoc committee   The ad hoc committee formed to study the park called it the island’s centerpiece, but found that it’s disjointed and doesn’t function very well.
A design for the park that features a big open space, new landscaping, the potential for a new police station, a veterans memorial and a defined sidewalk all the way around. And it includes some politically divisive elements.
“We have the opportunity to make this park the true heart of Tybee Island, to make this park the true shining star,” said Janice Bentley, chairperson of the Memorial Park Comprehensive Planning Ad Hoc Committee told the council last week.
The committee’s plan includes a 4,000-foot skate park and the dog park, both controversial. Three weeks ago the Tybee Island City Council cut $60,000 from the budget for a skate park and rescinded previous approvals to put one on city property.
It was the vote to put the skate park in Memorial Park that lead to the ad hoc committee being created last year. The 10 volunteer committee members spent more than 250 hours researching and planning and architect Gary Sanders spend another 50 volunteer hours drawing up the ideas.
Here are some of the recommendations:
- Improve the poor drainage in the park by using natural elements and pervious materials but not buried pipes and man-made facilities.
- Follow Americans with Disabilities Act Guidelines
- Reorganize parking spots on the perimeter and remove the concrete parking area along Jones Street and replace with pervious material.
- Place the veterans’ memorial along the quieter Jones Street.
- The park should be lighted in a way that doesn’t create a glare for adjacent homes.
- The pavilions built in the 1930’s should be renovated
The committee did not recommend building a swimming pool.
It opposed a police station and jail being built in the park because it would increase traffic and might cause a safety issue with the jail.
There is no approved location for a new police station and public safety building, said City Manager Diane Schleicher. Although, it is an option.
A committee is currently looking at that spot and an area next to the police station’s current location on the north end of the island.
More than a few residents don’t like the dog park, which was recently built in front of the gymnasium building facing Butler Avenue.

3/24/08 9:04 AM
Savannah's Daily News Site | Memorial Park Takes Center Stage at Tybee Council
Page 1 of 2
http://savdailynews.com/print.asp?ArticleID=14577&SectionID=14&SubSectionID=242
Monday, March 24, 2008
Memorial Park Takes Center Stage at Tybee Council
By Cynthia Kinkel
For the Business Report
Monday, March 24, 2008
"This is just a summary of the work that's been done. The actual report is lengthy and will be delivered in the morning," said Janice Bentley, as she
addressed Tybee's City Council on March 13 while unveiling Tybee's new Memorial Park Master Plan. "What we've attempted to do is incorporate all
of elements we were given into a unique green space for Tybee's citizens and visitors of all ages. This area is very important to Tybee's future, and
we have the opportunity to make it a bright, shining point for this community."
Commissioned in September of last year by the previous City Council, Bentley has been part of the effort to rethink and redesign Memorial Park, the
centrally located public park located near City Hall. The ad hoc committee of citizen volunteers put an estimated 250 hours into meeting the previous
council's resolution. The order was to provide a plan to place a number of facilities including a public safety building, a skateboard park, bicycle path,
and a possible swimming pool, into the park which already houses a dog park, playground, volleyball and tennis courts as well as community
shelters, a pavilion and a gymnasium.
Members of the Memorial Park Ad Hoc Master Planning Committee included Janice Bentley, chairman. resident at large; Deb Barreiro, Tybee Dog
Park; Jimmy Carter, Veterans Memorial; Alan Jones, Tybee Beautification Association; Tim Malins, resident skateboarder; J. Curtis Hanks, YMCA
Board; Laurie Montgomery, resident at large; Libby Bacon, Planning Commission, non-voting member; Gary Sanders, architect, non-voting member;
Mimi Ferrell, Tybee Garden Club; and Wayne Harper, resident. Bentley said that volunteers had responded to the wishes of residents and property
owners according to the City's 2007 Master Plan Survey.
Architect Gary Sanders of Ciphers Design, who spent more than 50 professional hours on the drawing also addressed the council. "We are all proud
of this plan. Lots of people wanted lots of things. We tried to fit everything in an orderly fashion without taking anything away." Sanders mentioned
that framing of the park, like Forsyth Park in Savannah, should be clearly defined with barrier and buffer landscaping and defined parking.
Besides placement of recreational and community facilities the plan addresses a number functional issues including improved drainage, storm water
management, and preservation of green space. The plan calls for native coastal plantings that will require low water, and low maintenance and
natural borders to delineate the spaces.
Tybee's present Fire Department and Rescue facilities would continue to operate near the corner of Jones and 5th Avenues under this proposal, but
the committee recommended against building a new public safety complex to house the police department, court, jail, and animal control in the area
as these things would lead to increased traffic, disruption of recreation activities, parking congestion, and concerns about the safely of small children
nearby at the YMCA and playgrounds. A mobile helicopter pad will be placed closer to the YMCA and Fire Dept. No permanent pad will be erected
so that standing water may be removed and to accommodate emergency vehicle access.
By consensus of the park committee as well as Tybee's local veterans, the new Veteran's Monument's proposed location is on the Jones Avenue side
of the park, very close to the cemetery, but with an unobstructed view from Butler as well. The plan also calls for a pedestrian bike trail wide enough
for a two-way bike path, pedestrians and wheelchairs.
Both the dog park and skate park were included in Sander's scale drawing. Located on the Butler Avenue side of Memorial Park in front of the gym,
the 4000 square foot concrete bowl and skatepark layout is actually buffered by the gym, with vegetative screening and security fencing, while the
dog park is closer to Butler Avenue with an entrance into the gym parking lot.
Memorial Park's original pavilions are also scheduled to be restored with direction from historian, Cullen Chambers and new signage and lighting will
also be employed.
The committee also recommended a time line for implementation in phases over a three-year period. Both Bentley and Sanders stated that grant
3/24/08 9:04 AM
Savannah's Daily News Site | Memorial Park Takes Center Stage at Tybee Council
Page 2 of 2
http://savdailynews.com/print.asp?ArticleID=14577&SectionID=14&SubSectionID=242
money may be available for much of the work and pointed out that a civil engineer should be employed to break down the costs and direct the
phases. They also specifically requested the council's feedback within 30 days, and called for a 60 day public comment period.
After the presentation, Mayor Jason Buelterman commended the commission and suggested that the plan be displayed on the City's website so that
the public might view it, but Councilwoman Wanda Doyle stated that she wanted to look at it before submitting it to the web site, and Councilman
Dick Smith agreed. "The public is not meant to see it on the website until the plan is approved," Smith said.
Councilman Paul Wolff disagreed, "We need to ask people what they think before we finalize this. This is the public's park. We need to give everyone
on the island the right to see it." At that point, Doyle agreed, as did Councilman Charlie Brewer. Councilman Barry Brown questioned the types of
plants to be used, and the costs of maintenance. Councilman Eddie Crone mentioned the fact that the proposed bike and pedestrian path will be
going in front of the fire station, pointing to Fire Chief Skip Sasser's concerns that doing so would pose a potential safety hazard.
After the meeting, members of the planning committee stated that such traffic already travels past the area, but might be altered with input from
Sasser. Committee member Libby Bacon stated, "Now that the drawing is complete, it's in the public's best interest to understand the plan as it is
being presented so everyone can have input."
Former Councilman, Mallory Pearce rose to state his agreement with the planning committee's recommendations against placing a new public safety
building across from a residential neighborhood. Former Council woman Kathryn Williams pointed out the overall number of volunteer hours, time and
money that's involved in supporting volunteer efforts on the island. Williams asked that the Council consider the planning committee's request for
public input in view of the sheer time that's been invested. "This is the community's space!" Williams stated. "Everyone should be given the
opportunity to voice their opinions."
Resident Elizabeth Hodges read the results of the latest online public survey concerning placement of the skatepark in Memorial Park conducted by
Tybee Neighbors. She described the efforts made to verify the e-mail addresses of the respondents and stated, "A very diverse group of people
responded to this survey. Out of 209 local responses, 72.2 percent favored the idea, and nearly 60 percent not only favored it but stated it should be
placed back in Memorial Park. 56.9 percent also stated that the $60,000 should go back into the budget to pay for its construction." Tybee Neighbors
did the survey after learning that council members had decided to reallocate the funds previously set aside for the facility.
Hodges said that only 27.8% of the residents who responded were against having a skatepark on Tybee Island - figures that contradict claims from
the Tybee Island Residents and Property Owners Association that an overwhelming majority of Tybee's citizens are against placing the skateboard
park anywhere on the island. Comments are available on the website at www.tybeeneighbors.com. Hodges announced that the next survey will focus
on the Memorial Park Master Plan.
Later in the evening, the council resolved to put the Memorial Park Plan on the agenda of the upcoming April workshop, and to allow it to be viewed
on the City's website after a brief review - at least in time to meet the planning committee's request for public review within 60 days of presentation.
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Dog Park Entries

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 12:12:37 -0400

Tybee councilman: Move dog park
Scott M. Larson | Wednesday, March 19, 2008 at 12:30 am
(Photo: Savannah Morning News)
Details of master plan for Tybee's Memorial Park released

The master plan for Tybee Island's Memorial Park is only days old, and Councilman Eddie Crone already wants to change it.

"I just don't think the dog park needs to be there. The skate park, either," he said. "It's going to come off of that master plan," he said, referring to the skate park.

At the March 27 meeting, he's going to suggest moving the dog park - long an annoyance to some on the island - to near the police station on Van Horne Avenue. He's never liked it in Memorial Park.

"It's still just in the talking stages right now," he said.

See this link for a the Memorial Park redesign drawing
http://multimedia.savannahnow.com/media/cip2.jpg

Click here to read the final report of the Memorial Park ad hoc committee http://multimedia.savannahnow.com/media/pdfs/Finalreport31308.pdf

Few on the island have seen specifics of the master plan, submitted to the council Thursday by an ad hoc committee. When Councilman Paul Wolff suggested the report and drawing be posted on the city's Web site, Councilwoman Wanda Doyle balked. She said she wanted to read it first before it was posted.

The committee had public meetings and presented the report during an open council meeting. The Savannah Morning News obtained the public report through a Georgia Open Records Act request Monday.

The report and accompanying architect's rendering are available on savannahnow.com.

The committee's plan is preliminary, and Janice Bentley, chairwoman of the committee, asked council for feedback within 30 days and an opportunity for public comment within 60 days.

Wolff said public comment is critical.

"Historically, things have just been thrown into the park piecemeal and nothing really relates to anything else," he said. "The final report, I think, addresses public safety, recreation for all age groups, framing the park to buffer it from residential neighborhoods, and maintaining green space and openness for special events."

The proposed design for the park features a big open space, new landscaping, the potential for a new police station, a veterans memorial and a defined sidewalk all the way around. And it includes the politically divisive skate park and dog park.

"We have the opportunity to make this park the true heart of Tybee Island, to make this park the true shining star," Bentley told the council Thursday.

Two weeks ago, the Tybee Island City Council cut $60,000 from the budget for a skate park and rescinded previous approvals to put one on city property.

The vote to put the skate park in Memorial Park led to the ad hoc committee being created last year. Its 10 volunteer members spent more than 250 hours researching and planning, and architect Gary Sanders spent another 50 volunteer hours drawing up the ideas.

Here are some of the recommendations:

Improve the poor drainage in the park by using natural elements and pervious materials but not buried pipes and man-made facilities.

Follow Americans with Disabilities Act Guidelines.

Reorganize parking spots on the perimeter and remove the concrete parking area along Jones Street and replace it with pervious material.

Place the veterans memorial along the quieter Jones Street.

Light the park in a way that doesn't create a glare for adjacent homes.

Renovate pavilions built in the 1930s.

The committee opposed a police station and jail being built in the park because it would increase traffic and might cause a safety issue with the jail.

There is no approved location for a new police station and public safety building, said City Manager Diane Schleicher.

A different committee is studying that issue.

View the plan online

To see architect Gary Sanders' drawing of the Memorial Park master plan and the final report of the ad hoc committee, go to savannahnow.com/news and click on this story.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008 - 02:57 PM

Backers bark at dog park move
Scott M. Larson | Friday, March 28, 2008 at 12:30 am

Before Tybee Councilman Eddie Crone could even explain his reasoning Thursday night for wanting to move a proposed dog park, residents lined up to fight him.
Fruitlessly, Mayor Jason Buelterman pounded his gavel at the Tybee City Council meeting after successive speakers elicited yelps and applause in support of keeping the dog park within a new Memorial Park, as outlined in a recently unveiled plan.
Crone's critics waved cut-out dog bones on sticks and passed out "We Love Tybee Cats & Dogs" bumper stickers.
"All right, seriously, I'm not going to say it again," Buelterman said during Thursday night's meeting.
And when it came time for Crone to speak, he didn't even try to explain.
"I'm not going to say anything else about it," he said. "I make a motion to move it to Jaycee Park."
At the urging of other council members, Crone delayed the vote until the April 10 meeting. However, it was clear that a majority of the council members think a move to the shadier but more-difficult-to-find Jaycee Park would be best.
"I think the people holding up these dog-bone signs would find it very attractive," Councilman Dick Smith said.
Tybee does not allow dogs on the beach. So a group of people got together a few years ago and proposed the dog park.
It opened in March 2006, with its more than 10,000 square feet of space enclosed by a white picket fence - right in front of the new gym and on Butler Avenue, Tybee's main drag.
Two weeks ago, a committee that designed a master plan for Memorial Park went public with a plan that included a dog park within the boundaries of the larger park.
"Personally, I don't want to move it," said Deb Barreiro, who was a leader in creating the current dog park.
"It's a good location," she said of Jaycee Park. "It's shaded."
Moving the dog park would cost the city about $6,500, not including water hookups, City Manager Diane Schleicher said.
Residents who spoke were puzzled over why the dog park needed to be moved into the proposed new Memorial Park. It's now in a great location, tourists find it easily - and sometimes accidentally - and it's got a big space for the dogs.
"I'm really disappointed that this entire thing is such a contentious issue now," said resident Andy Carter. "I wish there was more discussion about it. I don't know why anybody would want it moved. The only thing I can understand is that it's a valuable piece of property."
Resident Perb Fortner said the island needs a dog park, but one that offers plenty of shade, which the current site doesn't have. It also needs to provide for good parking.
"We need to find a place that will work outside of Memorial Park," he said.
When asked after the vote why he wanted the dog venue moved, Crone said he never thought Memorial Park was a good place for it.
"It's a million-dollar piece of property," he said.
But, when pressed, Crone said he would never vote to sell it.
"I just never liked it there," he said.

City Council Entries

Sat, 1 Mar 2008 12:31:54 -0500

3/1/08 8:38 AM
What's wrong with this tattoo?
Page 1 of 2
http://savannahnow.com/node/455828/print
Published on SavannahNow.com (http://savannahnow.com)
What's wrong with this tattoo?
By Scott M. Larson
Created 2008-03-01 00:30
It's just like free money. But Tybee doesn't want it. Could it be the tattoo?
On Thursday, the Tybee Island City Council essentially rejected a gift from the state - a portable
recycling trailer. The island was one of the first 13 communities in Georgia to get one, which is designed
to be put out for special events to encourage people to recycle away from home.
To Councilman Paul Wolff, who applied for the trailer, the reason his fellow council members rejected it
was clear: They didn't like the marketing campaign that came with and featured images of people with
tattoos.
"I'm really frustrated by the attitude of this council toward any progressive initiative that furthers the
sustainability of our community," he said. "I am very disappointed with the majority of this council."
Hold on, two councilmen said. They worried that Wolff could not say how much it would cost the city to
drag the trailer out to whatever event was happening, set it up and take it down.
"The tattoos were an issue, but it wasn't the biggest issue," said Councilman Barry Brown. "There was no
cost analysis about how much it's going to cost to maintain. Just because it's free doesn't mean it's free."
Councilman Dick Smith said city officials told him that putting the trailer out would require employees to
be paid overtime. Since he joined the council in January, he has been trying to cut city expenses.
"The tattoo was probably part of it, but it wasn't the whole thing," he said. "To say that's the reason is an
excuse, not a reason."
The trailers are part of Gov. Sonny Perdue's statewide recycling strategy. The city of Savannah, Bulloch
County and Liberty County also have taken delivery of such trailers.
3/1/08 8:38 AM
What's wrong with this tattoo?
Page 2 of 2
http://savannahnow.com/node/455828/print
The state has found that Georgians throw away 2.6 million tons of material with a recycling market value
of $300 million, said Randy Hartmann, with the Georgia Department of Community Affairs.
The program is designed to reach people between the ages of 18 and 30 because they don't recycle that
much, Hartmann said. Moreover, one in three people between the ages of 18 and 24 have a tattoo.
"The imagery wasn't picked out of the sky," Hartmann said. "This is a bold ad campaign. It had to be
bold because we haven't captured the demographic that we are trying to reach here."
Each community that received a trailer could choose from three images of people with tattoos that say
"Recycle 4 Georgia." Hartmann said towns that weren't awarded trailers have asked for the images for
their own recycling programs.
Communities have until Friday to tell the state which image they want. Trailers won't be delivered
without the images because they want cohesive marketing statewide, Hartmann said.
It's unclear what will happen now that Tybee has rejected the designs.
Source URL:
http://savannahnow.com//node/455828

Skate Park Entries

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 12:07:16 -0500

Published on SavannahNow.com (http://savannahnow.com)
Tybee Council drops skatepark funding

By Scott M. Larson
Created 2008-02-29 00:30
With supporters crying politics, the Tybee Island City Council on Thursday night eliminated $60,000 for a skate park from the city's 2008 budget.

The fight between park supporters and its opponents was a signature issue in the 2007 election, and opponents have won this latest round. The next round will come when the council is confronted with approving a master plan for Memorial Park with a skate park in it.

Council members also voted, 5-1, to rescind any previous approvals to build a skate park on city property. Councilman Paul Wolff was the lone dissenter.

The park was removed as part of a slate of budget amendments, which some council members wanted to adopt to tackle the city's $25 million in debt. One of the amendments adds $464,000 to pay off debt this year.

Other changes include $220,000 for infrastructure and an unexpected $405,000 in sales tax revenue to fund fire department equipment, business district renovations and new Fort Screven water lines.

Mayor Jason Buelterman, a staunch supporter of a skate park, urged five council members supported by park opponents to fund a feasibility study for a park. He predicted the study would come back in favor of a park.

But Larry Nesbitt, president of the Tybee Island Residents and Property Owners Association, sat in the crowd shaking his head no.

The association was the biggest opponent to a skate park.

Libby Bacon, who pushed for the park, said the association politicized the issue.

"Well, this budget amendment looks, smells, tastes and feels political," she said.

She noted the association did not want a skate park on Tybee to be built with either public or private money.

Nesbitt took issue with that.

"At no time has TIRPOA ever objected to a skate board park being privately built," Newbitt said.

But the record shows that isn't accurate.

In late 2006 when the issue was hottest, property owners association members said they did not want a skate park anywhere on the island because it was too hard to buffer from neighborhoods. They even contacted Chatham County officials in an effort to find a site somewhere off the island.

"The citizens were very vocal," Nesbitt's wife, Bonnie, told the council in December 2006. "They are overwhelmingly - the vast majority - opposed to a skate park on Tybee, any place at any cost."

In the end, the budget amendments were approved unanimously. Wolff, the only council member the property owners association did not support, backed Buelterman's idea of a feasibility study.

Councilman Eddie Crone said he doesn't support a skate park being built on any city property.

Councilman Charlie Brewer said Memorial Park isn't an appropriate place.

Source URL:
http://savannahnow.com//node/455563

Ethics Entries

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Tybee Council shuns repeal of ethics ordinance
Local
Scott M. Larson | January 25, 2008 (see in print version)

When the moment came for a motion to repeal Tybee Island's ethics ordinance, nothing happened.
No one on Tybee's City Council said anything during Thursday's meeting, which lasted well into the night.
So the motion died.
It proved to be an anti-climax to a day's worth of hand-wringing and conspiracy theories among some island residents after the item unexpectedly popped up on the City Council's agenda Wednesday.
"I think there are some parts of it that need some tweaking, but I don't think we need to get rid of the whole thing," said Councilman Eddie Crone.
No council member took responsibility for putting the item on the agenda "to consider suspending or repealing" the ordinance, which was approved only last year.
Others agreed that the language of the ordinance needs some changing and that people need to be trained on what it says.
During the day Thursday, Tybee residents speculated that some new members of the council wanted to change the ordinance because it forces members to recuse themselves from voting on issues that involve people who contribute more than $500 to political campaigns.
Developers Tom Sullivan and Lou Kietzman last year provided five of the six council members with about $750 of in-kind contributions for a campaign get-out-the-vote party.
One resident who suggested making changes was Frank Jenkins, an attorney from Cartersville who specializes in municipal law and ethics. He spoke to the council about ethics ordinances during a pre-meeting workshop.
"I've never seen it before," he said about the limitations of voting on requests from big campaign contributors. "The democratic process runs on campaign contributions.
"I think it potentially could cause a problem with getting a quorum. I think there needs to be some changes, and that's one of them."
Dave Postle, a member of the Tybee Planning Commission, said that Kietzman asked for a variance on a subdivision project last month.
But when the commission delayed a vote to get more information, Kietzman decided to take the matter directly to the City Council, Postle said.
The variance is expected to come before the council next month, but five of the six council members will have to recuse themselves from voting if the ordinance isn't changed.
Tybee resident Linda Gladin, who worked on the committee that devised the ordinance, said the measure was working and to change it so quickly and with little notice "seems really stinky to the public."
"Don't let public confidence go down the tubes," she said.
Council members voted to allow Jenkins and City Attorney Bubba Hughes to suggest changes to the ordinance.

Little support for voting 'by the seat'
Changing the way Tybee Island City Council members are elected would cause the island to become more "fructuous," some residents said Thursday.
"I think we are too small an island to have that kind of fractions going on," said Henry Levy.
Councilman Dick Smith has proposed changing the election process from awarding seats to the six people who win the most votes in municipal elections to creating a system in which candidates run for specific seats on the council.
No one spoke in favor of the proposal, which first would have to be approved by the Georgia General Assembly and then by island voters.
Another public hearing on the matter has been scheduled for Feb. 14.