The Origin of the Historical Association in the 1970s

For almost forty-five years, Isle of Hope residents have worked together through the Isle of Hope Historical Association to protect our island from “progress” that does not respect our past. Indeed, Isle of Hope residents created the Historical Association in 1977 for the very purpose of protecting our Bluff area. That year, the owners of the marina applied to the U.S. Corps of Engineers for a permit to expand their operations to include heavy commercial repair work.  Isle of Hope residents were very concerned that such a drastic change would disrupt the tranquility of the island. They formed the Historical Association to oppose the marina expansion. A long, bitter, and ultimately unsuccessful, court battle ensued. The government issued the permit, but the marina never expanded its operations. In keeping with the neighborhood’s wishes, it remained a small marina for boaters on the intracoastal waterway and a community hub for island residents. Isle of Hope remained Isle of Hope.

The Condo Battle in the 1980s

In the early 1980s, the marina owners sold the property and once again the Bluff area was threatened with radical change. The new owners wanted to demolish six buildings and build a condominium community in the heart of Isle of Hope’s most historic area. New construction would transform both sides of Bluff Drive. Seventeen condominiums would be built on less than three acres. A clubhouse, private tennis courts, a pool, and a parking lot would be built on the Bluff. The new buildings would be dramatically different from the surrounding homes in size, siting, and style. The Bluff would be forever changed, likely ushering in a wave of development along the riverfront. Isle of Hope residents were appalled. Through the Historical Association, the neighborhood mobilized to stop the project.

The new marina owners, who were more real estate developers than marina operators, needed the property re-zoned before construction could begin.  This provided an opportunity for island residents to convince local zoning officials to deny the re-zoning request, first at the Metropolitan Planning Commission (MPC), and later at the Chatham County Board of Commissioners. Neighborhood leaders, like Jane Coslick and Jack Allen, working through the Historical Association, rallied island residents.  They held meetings in dining rooms and dens, distributed flyers door-to-door, made phone calls, and wrote letters-to-the-editor. The Historical Association lobbied MPC members hard. Despite the groundswell of local opposition, the MPC granted the re-zoning request.  Condos were coming to Isle of Hope.

The Historical Association took the battle to the Chatham County Commission, who would make the final zoning decision. Vocal Isle of Hope residents, dead-set against the re-zoning, packed the public hearing. Sadly, it quickly became clear that defeating the re-zoning request under the current law was very unlikely no matter what Isle of Hope residents wanted. Prior to their final vote, the commissioners signaled that a decision allowing the re-zoning was imminent and requested the parties to try to settle. The Commission delayed its final decision to allow time for a compromise. The only way to settle the matter and stop the condos was to buy the property from the new owners, marina and all. Sensing they had all the leverage, the marina developers demanded $1 million dollars for the property, an astronomical demand in 1984.

Here is where Isle of Hope stepped up. The only way to meet the million-dollar demand was to work together. A plan was drawn to subdivide the property into twelve smaller lots and one larger marina lot. In a huge show of support for the neighborhood, multiple Isle of Hope families, including the Flanders, the Filsons, the Brawners, the Freemans, the Dardens, and the Tanners, bought the smaller lots for a combined $600,000. That still left $400,000 to be raised to buy the marina itself, otherwise the condominium construction would begin. In another enormous display of generosity and neighborly goodwill, David Johnson and the Johnson family saved the day and bought the marina. The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation later awarded the Historical Association a “Certificate of Outstanding Achievement” for its efforts in “maintaining the residential area overlooking the Skidaway River”.

Federal Historic District Designation

Shortly after the condo battle, a portion of Isle of Hope along the Bluff was designated as a “historic district” under federal law. The Historic Association led the effort to obtain this designation, an extensive application process that took over a year.  This federal designation lists Isle of Hope’s historic district on the National Register of Historic Places and provides eligibility for certain federal and local programs. Sadly, and somewhat surprisingly, the designation does not provide any protection against the demolition of existing buildings or new construction that is incompatible with the island’s character.

Tightened Zoning Laws

In the 1990s, the Historical Association worked with Chatham County to revise county zoning laws to ensure that future development on the island would be in keeping with surrounding properties. Three new residential zoning classifications were added on the island, reducing the number of houses that could be constructed per acre. While this certainly was a welcome development, this zoning change, and zoning laws in general, does not prevent demolition of existing buildings or new construction in styles completely out of character with Isle of Hope.

The Critical Need for More Protection

Despite all these efforts over many years, Isle of Hope has lost important historic buildings and parts of its riverfront have been altered. History has shown that a determined real estate developer can bulldoze overwhelming neighborhood opposition, sympathetic county commissioners, beefed-up zoning laws, and even a prestigious federal historic district designation to demolish historic buildings or erect new ones incompatible with Isle of Hope’s traditional architecture. The threat is real. Recently, several Bluff Drive homeowners have been approached about “knockdown” sales of their properties so that their homes can be destroyed and replaced with new houses. Now every house sold on the Bluff is at risk for demolition or fundamental change no matter what the neighborhood wants.

Your new Historical Association wants to provide Isle of Hope’s Bluff area with real protection through a preservation initiative. This effort would focus solely on the Bluff area and not affect other parts of the island. The most effective way to save the Bluff from unwanted development and preserve its current character is to have this riverfront area designated as a local historic district by Chatham County. A county designation, unlike a federal designation, can stop unnecessary demolitions or unwanted changes to the Bluff.

We look forward to working with the community to obtain this designation and hope you will join us.