Isn't Spinward Marches a player group? If that is the case it is great that FD is giving them a CG. If they don't have a RES in the system they should still get a CG if that's what they wanted and it does force people to work together for possibly doing sss's. Maybe we expect not too much or little but we do expect and that's pretentious.
They are a player group, but the CG doesn't work in their favour, it works in favour of the Alliance factions in the system. Sounds like FDEV have it in hand though and are talking to SMAC about this. Note this is not a reason not to do the CG (SMAC statement, not mine) and we'll deal with the fallout after!
And as for player group CGs there have been numerous of these - Okinura, the recent Canon mining & BH goals, sure there are more that I just can't remember right now.