Effingham County commission chair candidate tied to proposed Pembroke development
Residents in Bryan and Effingham County are speaking up after learning Alex Long, who is running for Effingham County Chairman, may be linked to a proposed development in Pembroke.
Lawrence Alexander Long is listed as the name of the “organizer” for GSL Cattle Company on multiple documents on the Georgia Corporations Division website. GSL Cattle Company is listed as the developer in the planned unit development application. Real estate attorney Stephen E. Jackson Jr. is listed as the registered agent.
Long would not confirm if he is part of GSL Cattle Company and did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Long told the Savannah Morning News in a previous interview that he is not a developer but a “custom-home builder.”
Long's potential affiliation with the development has raised some concerns among Bryan and Effingham residents, because Long’s cousin, Sarah McCoy, is the sister-in-law of Pembroke Mayor Tiffany Zeigler and is listed as working in sales on Alex Long's business website.
Ziegler said she is making every effort to avoid even the appearance of impropriety. “I have spoken with our city attorney to verify that there is no conflict of interest in this case. As far as GSL Cattle Company is concerned, I do not know anything about the company other than it is on the PUD document and that is how it was submitted to the city. [Long] has met with both Chris and myself regarding the development as we meet with all developers in the planning process.
"I have always pledged to live a life with the highest level of integrity and ethics. I will take it a step further and will ensure that I recuse myself from any vote on this matter should there be a tie, so as to prevent any appearance that there is something unethical about the situation.”
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The proposed planned unit development proposed 2,000 residential units in a mix of homes, townhomes and apartments among retail and other commercial opportunities. The project was up for discussion at last Thursday's Planning and Zoning Commission meeting, but no vote was taken because a development of regional impact report needs to be completed.
Rincon resident Nikki Carangelo questions whether Long would have time to tend to his duties as Effingham County chairman while constructing a massive development that could take a decade to build.
“This is a huge 7-10 year project,” said Carangelo. “It is essentially building a small city. Is Alex Long going to be able to juggle being a brand-new commission chairman and overseeing a mega housing development? He has never built anything of this size. Will Alex Long be overextending himself? I would ask the same questions of any candidate who is taking on this kind of project.”
Folks in the north end of Bryan County worry the development would disrupt their quality of life.
“We live outside the city for a reason,” said Bryan County resident Shannon Floyd. “My family has been out here for about 100 or more years, along with others. We did not ask for any of this. It's not worth the noise or trouble.”
Latrice Williams is a general assignment reporter covering Bryan and Effingham County. She can be reached at lwilliams6@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Effingham County candidate tied to proposed Pembroke development
