Finally, the abandoned Golden Isles Inn on U.S. 17 is being demolished. This will certainly improve the gateway to the Golden Isles. However, there are some concerns relating to the development being proposed for the property and the abandoned trailer park adjacent to it.
There are many beautiful oak trees on the property, and the proposed 200-plus apartment units comprised of nine three-story buildings, over 60 townhomes, 24,000 square feet of commercial retail space comprised of three buildings and associated parking and infrastructure will result in removing most of these trees. Replacing trees with concrete is not conducive to the environment and does not comport with the master plans for the city or the county.
The board of directors of the Marshview Condominium Assocation, which is next to the development, has reached out to the developer of the property on four different occasions so they could meet with him to discuss the project. However, the developer has not returned their phone calls and doesn’t seem to care what impact the project will have on them or the surrounding environment.
It is my understanding that the developer must submit the final plans to the Brunswick City Commission for approval before he can proceed to the construction phase of the project. Hopefully they will ensure that the trees in the area are preserved, issues relating to drainage are resolved, wetlands and streams are protected and the density does not overwhelm neighbors of the project.
