Legislation to expand Fort Frederica proposed (Decatur, Brunswick: sale, house, purchase)

[Airforceguy]

U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter, R-1, announced Tuesday that the House Committee on Natural Resources has paved the way for legislation to be considered that will allow Fort Frederica to expand from its current size of about 250 acres to as much as 525 acres.
Legislation is needed for the national monument to expand because of a 250-acre ceiling established by Congress in 1959, Carter said in a statement.
Carter said he plans an amendment to the proposed legislation to limit the expansion to 21 acres currently held by the St. Simons Land Trust.
The remaining acreage, owned by other landowners, could be added later if the owners are willing to sell and the money is available to purchase the property.
“The amendment will also reflect our conversations with adjacent landowners who are not interested in selling at this time, as well as property rules language,” Carter said to the committee.
The legislation has the support of the full Georgia delegation, Glynn County government, the Glynn County Board of Education and the Brunswick-Golden Isles Chamber of Commerce, he said.
After the hearing, Ben Slade, executive director of the St. Simons Land Trust, expressed support for the legislation.
“The St. Simons Land Trust was very willing to protect this property from development which would have forever altered the ambience of a great community and national resource,” Slade said. “We appreciate Congressman Carter’s authorship of this legislation that will allow the trust to be reimbursed for some of the cost of holding this land in trust for the National Park Service. We are excited to see this legislation advance through the House.”
Gary Ingram, superintendent of Fort Frederica, said the area held by the land trust has “historical significance to the area.”

http://www.thebrunswicknews.com/news...7edf7b483.html

[Newsboy]

Expand to what? There's pretty much nothing on the 250 acres there now except some foundation ruins.

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by Newsboy

Expand to what? There's pretty much nothing on the 250 acres there now except some foundation ruins.

Yeah, I don't really understand the need for such legislation. The existing parkland encompasses the entire ruin of the original settlement of Frederica; what is so important about the abutting property, and what exactly is 'historically significant' about it? The Land Trust can, if it so desires, purchase the property in order to keep it in it's natural state; it is a privately funded trust. So why involve government? To me it is basically designed to limit the options that the current owners have with regard to the sale of their property.

[Newsboy]

Originally Posted by LovinDecatur

Yeah, I don't really understand the need for such legislation. The existing parkland encompasses the entire ruin of the original settlement of Frederica; what is so important about the abutting property, and what exactly is 'historically significant' about it? The Land Trust can, if it so desires, purchase the property in order to keep it in it's natural state; it is a privately funded trust. So why involve government? To me it is basically designed to limit the options that the current owners have with regard to the sale of their property.

Sounds to me like a desperate move by anti-development types period, you know the kind.

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by Newsboy

Sounds to me like a desperate move by anti-development types period, you know the kind.

Bingo. It's always the last guy over the bridge that wants to blow it up behind him.
Look, l applaud the efforts of the SS Land Trust; they've done some great things for the island. But part of what l have admired is the fact that they have kept the government out of their efforts thus far.
There is a difference between responsible development and anti-development.