Author Archives: John S. Quarterman

Videos: Gresham Event Venue on Old Valdosta Road, Byrd Road residences, Hahira three-parter, and Valdosta rezonings @ GLPC 2024-01-29

The Gresham Event Venue, after 21 minutes and two failed votes, got a 5:3 recommendation of denial by the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) on January 29, 2024. The actual rezoning decision will be made at the February 13, 2024, Lowndes County Commission meeting.

The Richard Hill River and Nan Street Valdosta rezoning took 16 minutes. GLPC recommended all commercial.

Longest was the three-part Hahira case, rezone, PUD, and annex. GLPC recommended to approve, table, and approve, respectively, with all three motions by Franklin Bailey.

[Collage @ LCC 29 January 2024]
Collage @ LCC 29 January 2024

GLPC recommended approval of everything else.

Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, with a few notes by Gretchen Quarterman, followed by a LAKE video playlist.

See also the Continue reading →

Packet: Gresham Event Venue, Kinderlou-Clyattville Road RoW, Hurricane Idalia repairs @ LCC 2024-02-12

Update 2024-02-12: Videos: Gresham Event Venue, Kinderlou-Clyattville Road RoW, Hurricane Idalia repairs @ LCC Work 2024-02-12.

The contentious Gresham Event Venue on Old Valdosta Road is on the Lowndes County Commission agenda for this week, after the Planning Commission last month recommended denial in a split vote. It drew substantial opposition letters from Richard A. Stalvey and Justin Coleman.

The County Commissioners meet Monday morning at 8:30 AM to discuss, and they vote 5:30 PM Tuesday.

Also the less contentious Byrd Road house lot project, the purchase of right of way for Kinderlou-Clyattville Road, more money from TIA for Briggston Road Paving and Drainage Improvements, acceptance of infrastructure and roads for Quarterman Estates Phase 4, Section 2 (no relation), and several Hurricane Idalia repair projects to be reimbursed 87% by FEMA.

[Collage, Packet, LCC 2024-02-12]
Collage, Packet, LCC 2024-02-12

Here is the agenda. The board packet, received in response to a LAKE open records request, is on the LAKE website.

See also the LAKE videos of the previous month’s Planning Commission meeting.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2024, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2024, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

Continue reading →

Packet: Gresham Event Venue on Old Valdosta Road and Byrd Road individual residences @ GLPC 2024-01-29

Update 2024-02-11: Videos: Gresham Event Venue on Old Valdosta Road, Byrd Road residences, Hahira three-parter, and Valdosta rezonings @ GLPC 2024-01-29.

My bad: Lowndes County did send the packet materials for the two Lowndes County items Friday, plus the proposed GLPC calendar for 2024. They are on the LAKE website, for this evening’s Greater Lowndes Planning Commission meeting.

[Packet: Gresham Event Venue on Old Valdosta Road and Byrd Road individual residences @ GLPC 2024-01-29]
Packet: Gresham Event Venue on Old Valdosta Road and Byrd Road individual residences @ GLPC 2024-01-29

About the Byrd Road “individual residences&rdquop, staff express what seem to be reservations that the “unique shape of the property coupled with the requirements for individual well and septic systems naturally limits the overall development.” But staff recommend approval.

For the Gresham Event Venue on Old Valdosta Road, staff recommend several conditions, and they cite four other rural event venues. It’s worth quoting much of that agenda sheet: Continue reading →

Packet: Hahira 26 acre development; Valdosta financial institution, animal boarding, and commercial speculation; Lowndes County event venue and subdivision @ GLPC 2024-01-29

Update 2024-01-29: Actually, Lowndes County did email the materials on Friday. Packet: Gresham Event Venue on Old Valdosta Road and Byrd Road individual residences @ GLPC 2024-01-29.

Lowndes County did not return the materials for the two Lowndes County items listed in the agenda for Monday’s Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) meeting. I have asked them again, noting the 3 days allowed for a response to a Georgia Open Recorda Act (GORA) request have passed.

[Collage, GLPC Packet 2024-01-29]
Collage, GLPC Packet 2024-01-29

Valdosta and Hahira staff (led by Matt Martin) find all the requests for those two cities consistent with the Comprehensive Plan and recommends approval, except for one of the Hahira proposals.

All three Hahira proposals are by Cre8ive Development Partners LLC, for 26 acres on 5901 U.S. 41 North. They are 8. to rezone, 9. to approve a planned development, and 10. to annex the property into the City of Hahira.

It’s that middle item that staff recommends further steps for: Continue reading →

Packet: Lead Service Line Inventory and MCWTP Micro Screen, Lakeland Ave. Stormwater, New water wells @ VCC 2024-01-25

The board packet for tonight’s Valdosta City Council meeting, full of wastewater, stormwater, and trash items, is on the LAKE website, all 137 pages of it.

The packet includes some details about the proposed Lakeland Avenue Regional Stormwater Facility, which is item 5.c) on the agenda.

[Collage, Valdosta City Council Packet 2024-01-25]
Collage, Valdosta City Council Packet 2024-01-25

If you can’t attend in person, you can watch it on facebook live on Valdosta, A City Without Limits.
https://www.facebook.com/CityofValdosta

-jsq

Investigative reporting costs money, for open records requests, copying, web hosting, gasoline, and cameras, and with sufficient funds we can pay students to do further research. You can donate to LAKE today!
http://www.l-a-k-e.org/blog/donate

Agenda: Lead Service Line Inventory and MCWTP Micro Screen, Lakeland Ave. Stormwater, New water wells @ VCC 2024-01-25

Update 2024-01-25: Packet: Lead Service Line Inventory and MCWTP Micro Screen, Lakeland Ave. Stormwater, New water wells @ VCC 2024-01-25.

Tonight’s Valdosta City Council agenda is full of wastewater, stormwater, and trash items.

[Agenda, Valdosta City Council, 2024-01-25 and Lakeland Avenue map]
Agenda, Valdosta City Council, 2024-01-25 and Lakeland Avenue map

If you can’t attend in person, you can watch it on facebook live on Valdosta, A City Without Limits.
https://www.facebook.com/CityofValdosta

Here is the agenda.

[Agenda, Valdosta City Council, 2024-01-25]
Agenda, Valdosta City Council, 2024-01-25
PDF

AGENDA
REGULAR MEETING OF THE VALDOSTA CITY COUNCIL
5:30 PM Thursday, January 25, 2024
CITY HALL, COUNCIL CHAMBERS

Continue reading →

Why the traffic light: The Towns at 4443 (Bemiss Road @ Studstill Road) letter of intent and Conceptual Plan @ GLPC 2022-09-26

Here is why the traffic light at Studstill Road on Bemiss Road:

Major road improvement plans are proposed for construction at the intersection of Bemiss Road and Studstill Road, which directly impact the subject property. The road improvements to Bemiss Road include the addition of a signal light at the intersection as well as sidewalks which are tied into the development of the subject property.

[The Towns at 4443 (Bemiss Road @ Studstill Road): letter of intent and Conceptual Plan @ GLPC 2022-09-26]
The Towns at 4443 (Bemiss Road @ Studstill Road): letter of intent and Conceptual Plan @ GLPC 2022-09-26

That is in the board packet for the September 26, 2022, meeting of the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC). It’s on the second page of the letter of intent by Advanced Engineering Services, LLC, on behalf of Stoker Utilities, for rezoning REZ-2022-16, for a subdivision with frontage on Bemiss Road at Studstill Road, as well as frontage on Mulligan Road. The site plan also includes a Pizza Hut.

As you can see in the LAKE videos, GLPC unanimously recommended approval.

At the Lowndes County Commission Regular Session of October 11, 2022, after 25 minutes of discussion (very long for them), the Commissioners required a fence between the subject property and the adjoining church, and unanimously approved the rezoning, as shown in the LAKE videos. Also, a speaker in favor of the subdivision said the traffic light is being paid for by the developer (so not by the county).

So the traffic light installation is part of the implementation of this rezoning.

-jsq

Investigative reporting costs money, for open records requests, copying, web hosting, gasoline, and cameras, and with sufficient funds we can pay students to do further research. You can donate to LAKE today!

Continue reading →

Videos: Tax Assessor appointed, Special Assessment Rate, VOCA, federal consultant @ LCC Regular

The new Tax Assessor is Richard Holcomb, nominated and appointed by acclamation.

That’s to fill the unexpired term of Gene Felts, who was appointed two weeks ago, got sworn in, and resigned before his first Tax Assessor meeting.

This time, Lowndes County Manager Paige Dukes did read out the list of remaining candidates.

However, we the taxpayers and voters still do not get to see the applications, which are not in this board packet, either.

[Collage @ LCC Regular 23 January 2024]
Collage @ LCC Regular 23 January 2024

The County Manager’s Report took six minutes.

Commissioner Mark Wisenbaker wanted to know more about the Animal Shelter budget, which took another minute.

A citizen waved around her Citizens Wishing to Be Heard (CWTBH) form and asked to speak, but was predictably told by Chairman Bill Slaughter that she could not because she did not turn in the form before the meeting. I’m told her name is Kelley Saxon.

In Georgia, many other county commissions converse with citizens during the meeting without requiring a form.

Meanwhile, in Florida, by state law any citizen can speak on any agenda item.

The whole meeting took 16 minutes.

See also the Continue reading →

Studstill Road Traffic Light 2024-01-23

Update 2024-01-24: Why the traffic light: The Towns at 4443 (Bemiss Road @ Studstill Road) letter of intent and Conceptual Plan @ GLPC 2022-09-26.

Noticed this morning at the corner of Studstill Road and Bemiss Road.

[Traffic light installation, 9:52 AM, Tuesday, January 23, 2024]
Traffic light installation, 9:52 AM, Tuesday, January 23, 2024

Presumably this is related to some kind of work that is going on just to the west of Bemiss Road, on the right in this picture.

I don’t know whether it is a subdivision, or what.

The truck says CORBETT.

This location is in unincorporate Lowndes County.

-jsq

Investigative reporting costs money, for open records requests, copying, web hosting, gasoline, and cameras, and with sufficient funds we can pay students to do further research. You can donate to LAKE today!
http://www.l-a-k-e.org/blog/donate

Videos: Appoint another Tax Assessor, Special Assessment Rate, VOCA, federal consultant @ LCC Work 2024-01-22

Update 2024-01-24: Videos: Tax Assessor appointed, Special Assessment Rate, VOCA, federal consultant @ LCC Regular 2024-01-23.

They’re not actually appointing a successor for James Puckett, whose term expired. They’re appointing a Tax Assessor to fill the unexpired term of Gene Felts. At the Regular Session Monday morning, Lowndes County Manager Paige Dukes clarified that Gene Felts was picked at the last meeting (2024-01-08) and he was sworn in on 2024-01-10 however he then resigned for personal reasons.

We the taxpayers and voters still do not get to see the applications, which are not in this board packet, either. This time the County Manager did not even read out the names of the remaining applicants.

Maybe somebody should tell the appointees that substantial hours of training are required after being appointed.

They vote tonight at 5:30 PM.

[Collage @ LCC Work 22 January 2024]
Collage @ LCC Work 22 January 2024

About the Cornerstone state and federal lobbying contract, the County Manager said they were concerned about SB 349. Continue reading →