County advances Johnson Rocks shoreline protection plan with $3M grant plus SPLOST match

Glynn County engineering staff told commissioners that phase‑2 of the Johnson Rocks shoreline protection project (sometimes referred to as the Johnson Rocks project) is in design and permitting, and that the county plans to use a $3 million grant plus a $2 million SPLOST match to proceed.

This matters because Johnson Rocks is a shoreline area with existing armoring in need of rehabilitation; the project seeks to raise armor elevation and restore protective structures to reduce erosion and protect private and public property along the shore.

Adam Cothern and staff said the design firm Geosyntec (and consultants who had worked on phase 1) prepared plans that are essentially complete and that permit applications have been filed with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Coastal Resources Division. Staff said they hope to go to bid this summer and to begin upland construction in late August; beach‑side work would follow after turtle nesting season. The county reported a project funding package of $3,000,000 in grant funds plus $2,000,000 in SPLOST funds used as the match.

Staff noted the March deadline tied to the grant and said they expect to complete construction by that grant deadline next year if permitting and bids proceed as planned. No formal vote occurred at the briefing; staff said they will proceed with final bid documents following permit review and will return procurement documents to the commission as required.