Page Aiken is a 30-year real estate professional with DeLoach Sotheby’s International Realty and a 7th generation native of St. Simons & Sea Island. Page proudly represents both sellers and buyers of fine homes on St. Simons & Sea Island.
Community View w. p a g e a i k e n st. simons isl and
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bruns wick and glynn count y
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come together
was born in a car on the St. Simons causeway. Back then, waiting for the drawbridges to open often made people late when traveling to the mainland. The bridges apparently did not cooperate the day I was born and my father was forced to pull over and deliver me himself in the t h e o l d d e c k l o u ng e & r e s tau r a n t backseat of the car, right there in o n t h e s t . s i m o n s c au s e way the parking lot of the old Deck restaurant. That restaurant no longer exists on the causeway, nor do the drawbridges… thankfully! hange is inevitable. Brunswick, St. Simons, Sea Island and Jekyll Island are all more closely connected to each other than ever before. It has long been held by some that the success of Brunswick and the success of St. Simons Island are two different issues. While each has its own unique differences, there is nothing further from the truth. In our community, each is dependent on the other. s a real estate professional and as a father raising my children here, I’m keenly interested in seeing this community develop in a way that protects our beautiful tree canopy, the marshes and salt water estuary and our coastal waters. In recent years, I have been dismayed at the over-building and housing density of several new subdivisions on St Simons Island. Currently, we have several island projects that will soon impact the market. The sale of Frederica, the sale of Sea Palms and continued development in Harrington, West Point Plantation and Frederica near the Stables. In my opinion, the density of those projects alone, will determine the need for expansion of Frederica Road. Something that no one, including me wants to see happen. onversely, in Brunswick, our community needs a thriving downtown revitalization with arts, humanities and participation by a growing College of Coastal Georgia. A strong Brunswick improves St. Simons real estate values and provides a balance to the beaches and amenities of St. Simons and Jekyll Island. However, Brunswick redevelopment has not occurred in the last 50 years and today we have a downtown that is mostly vacant with large pockets of economic blight. As a community, it’s time to come together and consolidate Brunswick & Glynn County government. ver the years, some have suggested that the best solution for St. Simons would be to incorporate. That may yet be our best solution; however, in my view the ideal solution is to consolidate the county and city governments and adjust the number of commissioners to add the appropriate representation for St. Simons Island. Additionally, I believe we should add a St. Simons Island manager to go along with a healthy and active island planning commission and reinstate a toll on the causeway to generate additional funds to pay for the island manager position and periodic storm damage clean up, including regularly cleaning our streets and beaches.
n my opinion, leadership is key. Our current leaders say our racial and economic disparities are too great to ever see Brunswick and the County consolidate. So, what is the answer? Historically, the Sea Island Company owned so much of the undeveloped land on St. Simons that most of us locals knew that growth and development was in a good stewards’ hands. That all changed when the Jones family lost the Company and the vast land holdings in foreclosure. The land was sold to multiple investors and the impact of the leadership of the Sea Island Company in our community diminished. oday, we can be thankful for the stewardship of the Anschutz family and their recent involvement through the SSI Land Trust. However, in this new economy and these new times, it is my opinion that we local citizens are responsible for regulating growth and development on St. Simons, Downtown Brunswick and in our community now and in the future. So, our community must come together. Black, white, old, young, new, locals, newcomers, retirees, college students – everyone coming together to see one consolidated government figure out how to achieve the unachievable. ll the pieces are in place for a downtown revitalization. The economy is strong, our population has grown, the College is thriving and thankfully for us, cities and counties from all over the state of Georgia and beyond have already gone through the process of consolidation and downtown revitalization, providing great examples to follow. Macon, Columbus and Rome are just three examples. he Oglethorpe Block Catalyst, the Bay Street Softening and the Mary Ross Park renovation are all possible, even probable. Who knows, we may see Liberty Harbor rise from the ashes like a phoenix and a new Liberty Harbor development take flight.
oglethorpe block c ata lys t
onsolidation is the best solution for our community. Envision a downtown Brunswick governed with broad community support seeking solutions to the decades old problems of concentrated poverty, government housing, blight, and the allimportant downtown revitalization and envision a St. Simons Island planning commission, supported by a consolidated county commission and a dedicated and focused island manager, tasked to guide the overlay districts, tree ordinances and infrastructure requirements for St. Simons Island. ears ago, my Dad, Harrison Aiken believed he could deliver a baby boy all by himself. He did not have a choice! Today, we stand on the precipice of being a great community. We have a choice. It’s time to come together to make this work.
Call me at 912.258.6000 or visit www. pag e a i k e n .c o m for real estate market data and search tools. Email pag e @ pag e a i k e n .c o m to receive my newsletter.