Glenn County seeks state help for beach access and safety at East Beach on St. Simons Island

Glenn County officials told the Natural Resources & Environment Committee they need state assistance to address a persistent tidal pool and eroded access at East Beach on St. Simons Island that is affecting public safety and local tourism.

Bill Fallon, county manager for Glenn County, described a channel-like pool between a hotel and nearby condominium properties that has become stagnant and, he said, a safety hazard for tourists and residents. "We bought and installed these floating bridges. So we actually have a walkway that takes people across over to the water. Problem is this is more of a safety issue probably than anything else," Fallon said. He added that Memorial Day weekend last year a man who had a seizure drowned in waist-high water in that area.

Fallon told the committee the site includes a county park, state access points and more than 500 short-term rental units and condominium units that rely on the same beach access. He described three engineering options under consideration: an interim scraping-and-drain approach that the county could perform in-house; trucking in sand similar to replenishment used at other Georgia beaches; and construction of offshore rock breakwaters, which he said would cost roughly $30.4 million.

Fallon said the county has worked with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) but anticipates permitting issues that could trigger involvement by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, particularly if work affects wetlands or sea turtle nesting habitat. He also said turtle-nesting season (May–October) limits when some work can be done.

Committee members asked about alternatives such as pumping or dredging and about how long the pool has taken to form. Fallon said the pool has accumulated over about three to four years and that dredging, sand redistribution and a longer-term maintenance permit — similar to one Sea Island holds, he said — are options the county is evaluating.

Fallon closed by saying the county would likely return with a fuller presentation and formal requests for assistance. The committee did not take formal action during the presentation.

Representative Vance Smith and Representative Long Tran asked technical and timeline questions during the discussion; the transcript records no committee motion or vote on the matter.