Georgia's Cumberland Island is a national treasure as well as a national seashore. It should be protected from potential degradation, not exposed to it.

Unfortunately, on Wednesday night, Camden County zoning officials approved a request for a zoning variance on an 87.5-acre tract of private land on Cumberland, which will allow the owners to subdivide the property into 10 lots. A county ordinance prohibits the subdivision of land in the county that is not fronted by a paved road, but the county allows for exceptions when the applicant is suffering an "unnecessary hardship."

The property in question on Cumberland is owned by Lumar LLC. It wants to divide its land into 10 lots. Cumberland Island has no paved roads at all, so Lumar is requesting an exemption to allow it to subdivide on its existing dirt road.

The family that owns Lumar acquired the land in 1998 for $3.5 million from Georgia Rockefeller Rose, and the company's attorney at the time said the family did not wish to be identified.

The application for the hardship variance was filed by Jacksonville, Fla., attorney Glenn Warren, who is a descendant of Coca-Cola founder Asa G. Candler. The Candler and Rockefeller families were among those who negotiated with the National Park Service to create the Cumberland Island National Seashore in 1972.

That landmark deal helped protect and preserve Cumberland's vibrant history, its pristine maritime forests, its undeveloped beachfronts and extensive salt marshes. It's one of the few places on the East Coast where people can see what this area looked like before bulldozers and real-estate developers moved in and built walls of condos overlooking the waterfront and resort golf courses. It is prized for its raw beauty and wildness. Cumberland remains a popular place for day-trippers, campers, tourists and naturalists to visit by ferry, as there is no bridge that connects the island to the mainland. Indeed, its isolation has insulated it from the pressures of modern day development.

But the request for a zoning variance proves that Cumberland is not immune from those economic pressures.

While portions of this barrier island are protected by federal designations, some parts remain privately owned, including the parcel in question. There are close to 1,000 acres of property on Cumberland in private hands that could potentially be subject to development.

It's unclear what Lumar's owners want to do with the property, although there is little doubt that undeveloped acreage on a gorgeous island could command a high price and be beneficial to the seller.

It's noteworthy that when this same piece of property sold in 1998 that the buyers said they planned to "keep, hold and preserve the property." Let's hope they are true to their word and that this effort to subdivide the parcel is driven by something fairly benign, like an estate matter between many heirs.

The Lumar property cuts a wide swath across one of the narrowest parts of the 17-mile-long national seashore. It's about a quarter mile north of the Sea Camp ferry dock and borders the Sea Camp campground. The site sits along the island's unpaved Main Road. Hence, its location is fairly conspicuous compared to other areas of Cumberland, which are far more remote. The fear is that island visitors who come to Cumberland to experience its solitude, history and beauty will instead be greeted by the noise of bulldozers and chain saws and the sights of 21st century development.

In fairness to Cumberland's private property owners, they should be allowed to use their land, according to the existing laws and development code. Anything less would be unfair, and a potentially illegal taking of their private property rights.

While the decision to grant the variance by Camden County's Planning Board was unfortunate, it's not the last word on the subject. The five-member Camden County Commission, chaired by St. Mary's businessman Jimmy Starline must sign off on the matter. Commissioners are expected to consider the variance at a meeting on Jan. 10, 2017.

We hope commissioners overturn the county planning board's decision. Cumberland Island is a valuable asset for Camden County, and elected officials should be in the business of protecting it as local treasure that benefits the county.

Island needs long-term plan

In the meantime, this controversy proves that there is much work left to be done on this special island. Federal officials with the Park Service, which oversees most of the island and struck deals that allowed residents and sometimes their children to use existing homes and private property until their deaths, should work with private property owners to come up with a clearer and more consistent long-term land use plan for Cumberland.

The desire to sub-divide land on this island is a wake-up call. While it may not signal the encroachment of modern development and could be something as innocuous as estate planning, this issue means Cumberland is vulnerable.

Public and private property owners should try to come up with a fair plan that preserves what's best about Cumberland, while still protecting the private property rights of families that were instrumental in this island's designation as a national seashore. If they strike such a deal, it would be a win-win for everyone.