Writer: Lauren McDonald
Published August 20, 2021
The Brunswick News
The Jekyll Island Authority’s board of directors were updated this week on the results of a survey that will contribute to a master plan update for the island.
Leigh Askew Elkins, of the University of Georgia’s Carl Vinson Institute of Government, is leading the master plan update and gave a presentation to the board Tuesday. The survey was distributed in June and had more than 11,000 respondents.
“Even our survey research unit is like, ‘How did we get this many people to respond?’” Elkins told the board.
The largest portion of survey responses came from the Golden Isles area and from Atlanta.
The public survey, completed through the online tool Qualtrics, included about 20 questions that were answered based on a scale that ranged from “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree.” The survey also included an open- ended question.
It was organized under a handful of categories that included visitation, conservation and land use, capacity and infrastructure, economic sustainability, and activities and amenities.
Many surveyors reported that Jekyll is a welcoming destination, accessible for all, spacious and well maintained. They also reported that conservation and land use should be prioritized in planning processes on the island.
When asked if the Georgia Sea Turtle Center should be expanded to serve more visitors, many disagreed, Elkins said.
“I think if we had rephrased the question to say ‘to accommodate an increased number of turtles’ we would have greater agreement on that,” she said.
Bike paths on Jekyll were also a top priority for many respondents. And most agreed that parking fees are an appropriate way to fund island operations, maintenance and conservation, Elkins said.
“Folks also feel OK about increasing the parking fee for certain events,” she said. “I think anytime you say, ‘We’re going to increase a fee,’ folks get a little hesitant on that strongly agree or agree.”
Many also said the island experience would benefit from more dining options, including carryout or delivery choices.
“This was probably in response to all of a sudden there were a lot of people at Jekyll this summer, this spring,” Elkins said. “The numbers increased, restaurants were very crowded, there were long wait times sometimes, and so folks were thinking what might be some other options to feed the family instead of standing in line?”
The survey’s open-ended question offered an opportunity to provide additional input. More than 5,500 people took the opportunity to write out answers.
Among the suggested improvements were campground updates, amphitheater revitalization, a pickle ball court addition and more.
There was also a lot of praise for JIA staff, Elkins said.
“Hundreds and hundreds of people noted their great work,” she said.
UGA Carl Vinson Institute staff also hosted in June an in-person town hall meeting, which was attended by around 70 people. Many were residents who provided their feedback on the master plan and updates that can be made. Many responses were in line with the online survey results.
Staff are continuing to review all the input received as well as studies recommended by the 2014 master plan or completed since that time, Elkins said.
“We’re using all of that information to inform the findings and recommendations for the master plan update,” she said.
Additional stakeholder meetings will be held in the future, and a final recommendation will be presented to the board.
Details on the current master plan are available online under the authority section of the website, at www.jekyllisland.com/jekyll-island-authority.
