The "Chevron Property" greenspace at 2201 Demere Road
As traffic zips around St. Simons' southern roundabout and drivers head in one of four directions created by the island's two main arteries -- Frederica Road and Demere -- most people take for granted the lush greenspace on the southwestern-most corner of the intersection. But for nearly forty years, that corner was the site of a gas station and convenience store. In 2005, in one of its first major land conservation initiatives, the Land Trust purchased what had become an abandoned building and business and converted it into the landscaped oasis that many of us assume was always there. The project raised $800,000 from the community and generated more than 900 new annual members to the Land Trust, aligning beautifully with the young nonprofit organization's mission to "protect the natural and scenic character of the island." The green-scape itself was designed by the Sea Island Company , which also donated the plants and labor for the project. This was a milestone for the Land Trust, and one that set high standards for future land protection on the island.
HISTORY
Bud and Polly Chancy, Photo by Lawrence H. Certain
The so-called "Chevron Property" was first developed as a gas station in 1961. Chancy's Service Station then opened in 1968, when the population of St. Simons Island was less than 5,000 and when "service stations" truly provided service and were not just places to pump one's own gas. Instead, Chancy's was where customers' windshields were cleaned as a matter of course and where there was always a mechanic onsite to check fluid levels and the air pressure in one's tires. Land Trust co-founder, Ben Slade, remembers two of his young sons working at Chancy's when they called it "The Chancy's Management Training Program." Owners Bud and Polly Chancy were more than simply business owners -- they were friends to everyone on the island. "They were an institution, and no one could have replaced them," says Judy Shadron, owner of the Tabby House gift shop that is located across Frederica Road from the former station.

"Mrs. Chancy used to call over here," when Judy started working at the Tabby House more than thirty years ago. "And she would say, Judy, if you need anything, you just let me know," and she would send her "tall, handsome mechanic over to help us." Although they stopped operating the business in 1990, the couple's memory is so linked to the site for longtime residents and visitors that a more fitting name for the spot should be Chancy's Corner.
Before and after (rendering) of Chevron Property
In November of 1992, the old service station was torn down and a new Chevron gas station, convenience store, and car wash were constructed. The Island Chevron was in operation until 2001. The building remained vacant until 2003, when it was leased to Coastal Decorators, Inc. for office space.
Removal of improvements in 2004
Sea Island Company landscaping property in 2005
That year the Land Trust began negotiations with the owner, J.D. Moore, to purchase the property with the intent of creating greenspace and protecting the site from future commercial development. From November to December of 2004, after the property was under contract, all structures were demolished and the three underground storage tanks, the car wash and concrete and asphalt paving were removed. The site then sat as a vacant dirt lot until the Land Trust successfully raised funds from the community to close on the property in February of 2005. In May, the Sea Island Company generously donated the materials and labor to landscape the corner.

"The purchase of that property, with its high visibility, was a real turning point for SSLT. It gave us a lot of credibility and helped pave the way for future acquisitions."
-- Frances McCrary, St. Simons Land Trust Co-Founder
ECOLOGICAL IMPORTANCE
The landscaping at the property consists of a combination of native and exotic trees, shrubs, groundcovers and perennials. The nonnative species include those that have become naturalized to the coastal area. Many of the plants also bear fragrant and/or showy flowers and fruit, providing an even more striking greenscape when plants are in bloom.

Original plantings consisted of native trees such as live oak, cabbage palm, East Palatka holly, Southern magnolia, and saucer magnolia.
Land Trust volunteers and then board chair, Gordon Strother, assisting with property maintenance in 2014
With thoughtful landscaping and now mature plants of so many native species, the pervious surface allows groundwater to recharge and helps prevent flooding during storms and long periods of rain. The trees protect air quality and add a scenic background in the midst of a densely-developed commercial area. And due to the exotic mix of fragrant, flowering and fruit-bearing trees, birds, butterflies, and other pollinators frequent the corner.

Judy Shadron, who worked for the prior owner of Tabby House for fifteen years before purchasing the business in 2004, says that sometimes in the spring when the weather is fine, she sees people taking their lunch breaks and having picnics on the corner where the Chancy Service Station used to be. It's one of three iconic spots at the roundabout, with Southern Soul Barbecue on one corner and the historic Tabby House on the other. Judy and so many others who have spent years of their lives at or near that island crossroads says, "We didn't want to stop progress, but we did want to preserve the greenery. We're grateful for anything that preserves the legacy of our corner."
East of the property is the historic Tabby House , an original Geechee slave cabin built in 1805.
Today, the building functions as a unique island gift shop.
The Land Trust is also grateful to the nearly 1,000 community members who helped to purchase and preserve this iconic property and to the Sea Island Company for helping to transform a dirt lot into a beautiful greenspace at one of the busiest intersections on St. Simons. The next time you're circling that roundabout, we hope you'll take a quick look at Chancy's corner. When you do, we hope you'll also join us in giving a nod to the many who participated in a land conservation effort that we believe Mr. and Mrs. Chancy would be proud of if they could see it today.

THANK YOU!
Temporary sign put up in 2005 which has been replaced by a permanent St. Simons Land Trust sign.
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