In a win for Gullah Geechee residents on Georgia’s sea islands, voters this week rejected an ordinance that doubled the allowed square footage for homes in Sapelo Island’s Hog Hammock district.
Many Black residents feared the change would lead to higher property taxes, gentrification, and displacement.
Unofficial results on Tuesday showed 19% of 10,000 registered voters in McIntosh County showed up to the polls. More than 1,500 voters, or 85%, cast their ballot “yes” to repeal the 2023 zoning ordinance.
“We know there’s still a lot of work to be done, but this countywide vote sends a powerful message,” Rhonikki “Nikki” Williams told Capital B. “Residents across McIntosh County are standing with us to protect our community and others from displacement.”
This comes three months after the Georgia Supreme Court reversed a lower court’s ruling that stopped a referendum and allowed larger homes to be built on the island, Capital B previously reported. The election ends a nearly three-year fight, which cost McIntosh County more than half a million dollars in legal fees to defend in court, an investigation by The Current found.
The Southern Poverty Law Center also issued a statement to Capital B about the election results.
“It is important to develop an ordinance that both honors the island’s cultural history and affirms the rights of descendants to use and steward their land in ways that reflect their traditions, needs, and long-standing connection to the island,” said Miriam Gutman, senior staff attorney for SPLC.
The ongoing battle was the most recent of many between Sapelo Island residents and the local government. Already, residents have endured government neglect, property tax hikes, and white developers eyeing the land, known for its beaches and climate, as a place to build luxury resorts and golf courses.
In December, the McIntosh County Board of Assessors heard a proposal to raise the assessed value on properties in the community, “with the valuation of some lots slated to rise almost tenfold.” The increases would occur over three years, starting in 2026.
This isn’t the first time voters have tried to vote on the issue or use the courts to help.
For decades, the Hog Hammock Historic District — listed on the National Register of Historic Places — was designed to protect the community from threats of development. But when commissioners adopted the zoning ordinance, those protections were weakened.
So, after the county approved it, residents collected signatures for a petition to force the matter to a vote. Separately, a group of nine residents from Hog Hammock filed a lawsuit against the commissioners to challenge what they call an “unlawful zoning amendment.” In March 2024, the county judge dismissed the case.
By July, residents filed another lawsuit and collected more than 2,300 signatures on their petition. McIntosh County Probate Judge Harold Webster validated the votes and approved a special election for Oct. 1, 2024.
Rather than allow the election to proceed, county commissioners filed a complaint in Superior Court to stop it, stating that Webster lacked authority and jurisdiction to take actions on the referendum petition. A month before the election, Superior Court Judge Gary McCorvey ordered a halt to the election as voters were casting early ballots. More than 800 people had voted.
Residents took the case to the state’s Supreme Court. Last year, the court ruled in their favor.
This week’s win also had a deeper meaning for residents.
“It honors the importance of Sapelo Island and Hogg Hummock,” Williams said after Tuesday’s vote. “This outcome reflects our unity, resilience, and commitment to preserving our land, culture, and future. This vote proves that growth should never come at the cost of heritage.”
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