The Isla Blanca Project on South Padre Island
MY TURN BY:     John Wood, Cameron County Commissioner, Precinct Two

First I want to clear the air and set the record straight. Neither I, nor any member of my family have any interest in the development that was being proposed for Isla Blanca Park, nor in the entity that was planning the development.

Second, I agree with Thelma Sullivan, coordinator of student visas for UTB-TSC, that stated in the HERALD article of August 20^th that “many of our students do not have the opportunity of traveling outside the area”.  A large majority of our youth have not traveled beyond Corpus Christi.  This has deprived them of experiencing the wonders of a world class aquarium, learning first hand about dolphins and becoming engrossed in the huge screen of an IMAX theater.

School kids from throughout the valley are bussed to the Gladys Porter Zoo to learn about animals from all over the world. This is a great experience for them, and they would have had the same opportunity to experience the sea life of a Wyland Museum/Aquarium had the development materialized.    

I have always been an advocate for open government; every level of government should conduct its business in the open, and public officials shouldn’t be afraid to explain themselves to the voters. I certainly don’t exclude myself from this. Citizens have a right to know the reasons why their representatives vote one way or the other, and in this particular case, I feel that the public needs to know because our community stood to gain so much from the proposed development within Isla Blanca Park.

It truly is a shame that the distorted debate that developed over this issue in recent months will deprive county residents and visitors of the many benefits that development within the park could have brought. Particularly, I was disappointed that the developer’s initial proposal was presented by opponents of the project as being a “done deal,” when the commissioners’ court had not even had the opportunity to exercise its right under the agreement to approve or disapprove proposed activities. For example, I don’t believe members of the court would have agreed to the construction of a marina within the park and we would obviously not have allowed the construction or operation of a casino unless gambling was legalized by the legislature. Both sides of the debate were right about one thing, though, Isla Blanca is the jewel of our county, and a treasure that the county holds in trust for the public.

That is why every member of this commissioners’ court, and every member of the preceding court originally supported the solicitation of requests for proposals (RFP) for potential development within Isla Blanca Park. As public officials, we have a duty to manage the public’s property in a manner that serves the interest of society and that provides the maximum benefit to the most people. We supported the RFP, because it would improve access to the park, which all sides agree isn’t adequate right now, and it would have provided an orderly, uniform plan of development.

So much attention has been focused on the potential value of a concession in the park, and very little attention has been paid to the current utilization of much of the park land. We all acknowledge that the land is valuable, and that there is a high demand for recreational space here in Cameron County, particularly in such a beautiful setting. Yet 70% of the land in Isla Blanca Park is currently used for RV and trailer spaces. Many of these spaces are rented month-in and month-out by the same people, sometimes for several years in a row, effectively closing off 90 acres of park land to access by the general public. At the same time, because the land devoted to RV spaces is so great, there is only room for about 900 car parking spaces, and we regularly have to turn visitors away during the peak season because there is nowhere for them to park. So, while I appreciate the desire of individuals lucky enough to rent an RV space, to remain in these inexpensive and very pleasant spaces, I don’t feel that is the best public use of so much park property, especially when the demand by other members of the public is so great, and the development plans were to create a much improved RV park to the north of the town of South Padre Island.  In plans for the new RV park access to both the beach and the bay would have complimented the more spacious sites along with lush landscaping to provide RVers a premier environment for their enjoyment.

The idea behind soliciting proposals for development within the park was that the existing public spaces within the park that are truly public, such as the beach and jetties area, could be expanded,(the jetties would have been made much safer to walk on and fish from) and additional amenities, such as increased parking and public restrooms, could be added. The developer would also be responsible for other improvements in the park, such as increased security, new landscaping and beach lifeguards. Additionally, new features that lend themselves to enjoyment by the general public, such as popularly-themed restaurants and shops, museums, an aquarium, a medical clinic and lodging facilities. Incidentally, many of these proposed “developments” were in place in the park for many years, before the RV spaces were expanded (car parking spaces were also removed as part of the expansion). A ‘Beach Boys’ themed restaurant for everyone to enjoy along with a surf shop that would cater the needs of our surfers was planned in the area where the Jetties restaurant used to be.

Beyond improving access, and upgrading the park experience, the proposed development would have greatly expanded Isla Blanca Park’s role as an economic engine – both for our tourism-based economy, and for the development and operation of parks and recreation facilities in underprivileged parts of the county. Again, as both sides of the debate acknowledged, we need to invest in Isla Blanca Park because of the substantial revenues it generates for the county parks system and the many jobs that depend on tourism in the Laguna Madre Area. This development alone would have created over 2000 permanent jobs and hundreds of seasonal jobs.

The county parks system is entirely self-supporting; no county taxes are used to pay for parks, and the willingness of a developer to invest in improvements that would in turn generate new revenues for the system would have been a big plus for the taxpayers of this county. We have a tremendous, and growing, need for recreational facilities in our rural areas and smaller communities. Parks in places like Cameron Park, El Ranchito, Santa Rosa, Santa Maria, the Southmost and Laguna Heights have made a real difference in the lives of our families and young people, and we hope to add parks in places like Laureles, La Paloma and Rio Hondo. Additionally, we have opened social service centers in Cameron Park and the Southmost, where residents can obtain assistance from government agencies and private organizations. The county has also set-up Family Learning Centers in many locations around the county to provide young children in these communities with an opportunity to use computers, enjoy nutritious snacks, read and participate in other wholesome, supervised educational after school activities.

During the debate on the proposed development, one issue that continually arose was the affordability of South Padre Island and Isla Blanca Park, with many of the current RV users stating that they could not afford to stay for the same number of months on South Padre Island as they do now. While I recognize that many middle-class people are struggling to improve their standard of living and provide opportunities for their families in the current economy, I also represent Cameron Park, which is by some measures the poorest community in the nation. Many of the RVs seen at Isla Blanca Park cost more than $100,000, which will buy at least two or three houses in Cameron Park. Opponents of the proposed development stated that the poor would not be able to visit Isla Blanca Park after the development. My answer is that they can’t afford to go there now, with the price of gasoline at $3 per gallon and rising, and many people working two or three jobs to make ends meet. This development would have eliminated the Isla Blanca entrance fee of four dollars per auto to all of Cameron County residents. What’s more, many of our poorest residents are children, too young to drive. The place these residents can go – and for many of them, the first and nearest source of hope and opportunity – is a community park, social service center or learning center. I am committed to doing everything I can to help the hardworking families in these communities be successful, and I won’t apologize if it means taking their side on the issue of development within Isla Blanca Park.

I also feel it is important for the public to know that we are going to keep working to improve public access to Isla Blanca Park, to expand park facilities and to promote economic growth in this county. The commissioners’ court is considering passing a bond against park revenues to pay for expanded parking, new restrooms and other amenities at Isla Blanca Park and build other park facilities around the County. Unless I know we have the income to pay the debt and for maintenance and operations, I don’t see how I can support these much needed public facilities.  We also recently approved the lease of a smaller parcel of land outside of Isla Blanca Park for the possible construction of lodging facilities, which are greatly needed on South Padre Island.

Our success with Schlitterbahn Beach Waterpark, which has developed into one of the premier tourist attractions in the state, is an example of the benefits that could have accrued from the proposed development in Isla Blanca Park. Today, Schlitterbahn brings thousands of tourists to the county, employs hundreds of local workers and generates substantial revenues for our parks system. While I regret that were we not able to realize the level of improvements and amenities that the proposed development in Isla Blanca Park would have brought, I hope I have explained the reasons why I do not regret pursuing this project.