A building boom could double the population over next 10 to 15 years

January 8, 2006

By GORDON JACKSON, The Times-Union

WOODBINE -- Camden County is about to wake up with a population explosion that will rival one that began in the early 1980s with the construction of Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base.

Nearly 100 developments of varying size are either ongoing or planned throughout the county. And if residents move into every home site for sale, it could double the county's population -- currently estimated at 50,000 -- in the next 10 to 15 years, public officials said.

According to public records provided by the county and its three cities, about 18,850 single-family homes, as well as 1,530 apartments and condominiums, are scheduled for construction in Camden County.

And that doesn't include the Durango-Georgia Paper Co. site that Jacksonville-based LandMar Group purchased in early December. LandMar officials haven't announced formal plans to develop the 750-acre site, but they estimate it will have about 1,000 home sites, as well as shopsd possibly a hotel.

Bob Noble, director of the Camden County Joint Development Authority, said he was "flabbergasted" at the number of planned residential communities scheduled for construction.

"If you look at the Atlantic coastline and look at areas prone to grow, Camden County stands out," Noble said.

Several factors have led to Camden County becoming such a hot spot for developments, Noble said.

Timber companies that owned much of the undeveloped land in the county have decided to sell some of their property and move their timber-growing operations inland, where property is cheaper, Noble said.

"Nowadays, they are looking for a bigger return for their stockholders," he said.

He cited the region's natural beauty, proximity to an international airport and interstate highway, and location near Jacksonville as selling points for prospective property owners.

Jim Cullis, regional manager for LandMar, described his company's investment in Camden County as "significant."

LandMar owns Osprey Cove, where it is building more than 300 homes, and also owns Winding River, a planned development with at least 450 homes.

Cullis said the small-town atmosphere in St. Marys and the quality of life helped LandMar decide to invest in the area. LandMar spent $40 million to buy the Durango site.

"Our market research says the area from Savannah to Jacksonville is attractive," he said.

Cullis said the sales staff is targeting people from the Atlanta area and Jacksonville as potential residents.

He also has a theory on why it's taken people so long to discover Camden County.

"Our theory on why South Georgia has not developed is the beaches are very well protected," he said. "There are great natural resources in the region."

While Osprey Cove and the Durango site will target upscale home buyers, Cullis said Winding River in St. Marys will target the middle-class homeowner. Homes there will sell from $150,000 to $300,000, he said.

Cecil Glenn, assistant sales manager for Cumberland Harbour, said his company is also targeting Atlanta and Jacksonville, as well as the New England area.

New property owners are looking for serenity, a clean environment, slow pace of life, history and a great view. The amenities such as hiking trails, deep-water access and marina are lower on the list for customers, Glenn said.

"It's not a difficult sell," Glenn said. "They like to small-town atmosphere and sense of community."

Glenn estimated the 1,000 homes at Cumberland Harbour will be built within 10 years.

Land Resource Corp., developer of Cumberland Harbour, is also looking at property throughout the region. The company recently purchased land along the Satilla River in Woodbine and plans to build a development called Satilla River Landing.

"The whole coastline, we're looking at," Glenn said.

Challenges ahead

St. Marys City Manager Bill Shanahan said the city will likely revise its master plan for growth as a result of the number of developments coming to the city.

"This is a pivotal point in the city of St. Marys," Shanahan said. "All of a sudden, it's like we're being discovered. Everyone's surprised. Who could have foretold this kind of growth?"

There is still plenty of time, however, for city and county officials to prepare for a population explosion that will bring in thousands of new residents and many businesses to support them, Shanahan said.

The city's past experience with growth as Kings Bay was developed will help serve as a template for how the city prepares for newdevelopments, he said.

"There is an opportunity to create a city with the quality of life that is above and beyond the average," Shanahan said.

St. Marys is renovating drainage systems citywide and plans to upgrade water and sewer lines in some areas.

Steve Berry, a Camden County commissioner and St. Marys attorney, said most new residents will move to the mostly rural north end of the county, where more than half of the new homes are scheduled for construction.

The concern, Berry said, is managing the growth in a way that will protect the integrity of the areas under development.

"The south end of the county is a jumble of asphalt and neon," Berry said. "I don't want to make the same mistakes at the north end of the county."

Rules and ordinances that are "tough, strong and stringent" must be created, Berry said.

Commissioners are considering a $7,500 fee for each lot sold in a development to help the county pay for services such as roads, drainage, public safety, courts, public health, and water and sewer that will have to be provided.

"I want the toughest rules on the Eastern Seaboard," Berry said. "All we have to do is not bend. The cities should consider doing the same thing."

Kingsland Mayor Kenneth Smith said city officials are also preparing for the growth that will inevitably come.

"I don't think a lot of people realize what's going on around here," Smith said. "I feel Camden County, Kingsland, St. Marys, we're in the bull's-eye of growth. We've got an extremely positive outlook, with a lot to do."

Public services

Lt. William Terrell, a spokesman with the Camden County Sheriff's Office, said the biggest challenge his department faces as new residents move into the county is keeping its 911 emergency dispatch system up to date and responsive to emergencies.

"We know it's coming," Terrell said.

Money for additional deputies and equipment, as well as expansion of the county jail, will be discussed before the new residents arrive, he said.

"We may also have to build a [sheriff's] substation at the north end of the county," Terrell said. "The north end of the county is a much bigger area, geographically. We'll have to go to the county to talk about funding."

Ed Buczek, a spokesman with Kings Bay, said the base has no issues with the upcoming growth, other than concerns about traffic nearby.

The additional homes will have little impact on sailors serving at Kings Bay, though most of the sailors live off base, Buczek said, because there is plenty of affordable housing.

"The low cost of living is one thing sailors enjoy around here," he said.

Edwin Davis, assistant superintendent of Camden County schools and a member of the county Board of Tax Assessors, said expansion of the school system will depend on how quickly homes are built.

"You may not see immediate construction being done," Davis said.

Davis said school administrators already have a five-year plan that will meet the educational needs of the county's students. And their past experience with students who arrived as Kings Bay grew through the mid-1990s helps the county prepare.

"Having faced it, we're learned to cooperate with our government officials," he said. "It makes us respect data now, more than ever."

Opportunities await

While most public officials acknowledge the many challenges ahead, they also believe the latest growth phase has the potential to improve the quality of life for all county residents.

"I think there will be lots of opportunities," Noble said. "We are in a position to address specific issues such as water and sewer and other improvements at the north end of the county to accommodate developments."

The Georgia Department of Transportation, for example, is preparing to build a new Interstate 95 exit at Horse Stomp Road. The exit, scheduled for completion by 2010, will provide access to some of the larger projects, including a 5,600-home development called Camden Preserve and Sea Island's planned development, which will have an estimated 5,000 homes.

The developments will create many opportunities for new retail businesses to accommodate the new residents, Noble said.

"We have to coordinate the quality growth standards that will make Camden County a place where people will continue to come to work and play," Noble said.

Some municipalities are already seeing the benefits of new developments.

In St. Marys, the developers of Cumberland Harbour have already built a water tower that serves areas outside the development. And the developers are also planning to build a fire station that will help protect homeowners living outside Cumberland Harbour.

The planned developments will also bring new restaurants, shopping centers and some larger chain stores to the county, Noble said.

"We need rooftops to attract commercial businesses, and we have the rooftops in place," he said. "We're near or above that 50,000 population threshold to bring in big [retail] chains."