Category Archives: Comprehensive Plan

Packet: the 2 Lowndes County Cases @ GLPC 2023-09-25

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About the time I posted the agenda and the four Valdosta City cases and moved on to other tasks, the packet materials arrived for the two Lowndes County cases for the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) meeting tonight, and the draft minutes for last month’s GLPC meeting.

[Collage of the two Lowndes County cases @ GLPC 2023-09-25]
Collage of the two Lowndes County cases @ GLPC 2023-09-25

While the delay was primarily due to me forgetting to send in an open records request until Sunday. Nonetheless, it is mysterious why Lowndes County does not put GLPC board packets on lowndescounty.com along with the agendas, and the same for Lowndes County Commission board packets. Many counties and cities smaller and larger in Georgia and Florida have been doing that for years.

These additional materials are on the LAKE website.

See also the agenda and the city cases.

-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!
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2 Lowndes County Cases, 4 Valdosta City Cases @ GLPC 2023-09-25

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Update 2023-09-26: Packet: the 2 Lowndes County Cases @ GLPC 2023-09-25

For the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) meeting tonight, City Planner Matt Martin actually recommended against CU-2023-03 Kristie Jenkins (2525 N Ashley Street – Suites M & O) CUP for an Event Center in C-H zoning.

[Collage @ GLPC 2023-09-25]
Collage @ GLPC 2023-09-25

The last two city cases are a rezoning and annexation request that go together, for Edward Jennings LLC (1869 Madison Highway) 3.96 acres.

Here is the agenda.

The board packet materials for the city items are on the LAKE website, received in response to a LAKE open records request.

We have not yet received anything from Lowndes County. County Planner JD Dillard did acknowledge this morning that they county has two cases, and “We’ll get those to you.” He did not say when.

Greater Lowndes Planning Commission
~ Lowndes County ~ City of Valdosta ~ City of Dasher ~
~ City of Hahira ~ City of Lake Park ~ City of Remerton ~
Monday, September 18, 2023 5:30 P.M. Work Session
Monday, September 25, 2023 5:30 P.M. Regular Session
Lowndes County South Health District Administrative Office
325 West Savannah Avenue, Valdosta, Georgia

Continue reading →

Videos: Quarterman Road rezoning unanimously denied; Mt. Zion Church Road rezoning unanimously approved @ LCC Regular 2023-09-12

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Update 2023-09-16: by WWALS, Videos: Quarterman Road rezoning unanimously denied @ LCC 2023-09-12.

After five local residents spoke against and nobody for, the Lowndes County Commission unanimously denied the inappropriate 2.5-acre rezoning REZ-2023-04 on Quarterman Road.

[Collage @ LCC 12 September 2023]
Collage @ LCC 12 September 2023

Then after Roy Copeland spoke for the R-21 rezoning REZ-2023-10 on Mt. Zion Church Road and nobody spoke against, the Commissioners unanimously approved that one.

They unanimously approved almost everything else, including appointing Dr. Anthony Johnson to the Lowndes County Board of Health. The Family Medicine Dr. Johnson; not the eye doctor, although we only know that because LAKE filed an open records request for the board packet and published the results.

The exception was 7.b. Hamilton Green Acceptance of Water – Sewer Infrastructure. Continue reading →

Lowndes County Commission denies Quarterman Road rezoning –VDT 2023-09-13

Update 2023-09-16: Videos: Quarterman Road rezoning unanimously denied; Mt. Zion Church Road rezoning unanimously approved @ LCC Regular 2023-09-12.

The VDT got the most important point right: the Lowndes County Commission unanimously denied the proposed rezoning REZ-2023-04 for 2.5-acre lots, smaller than the 5-acre minimum in on E-A Quarterman Road. And they spelled Tom Larson’s name right.

Thanks to all who helped get this result: everybody who signed the petition, those who circulated the petition, those who spoke in the Planning Commission and County Commission meetings, 7 of 8 of the Planning Commissioners who recommended denial, and the Lowndes County Commissioners for unanimously denying this inappropriate rezoning.

[SGRC map of petition signers against REZ-2023-04 Quarterman Road and VDT pictures of Lowndes County Commission meeting building]
SGRC map of petition signers against REZ-2023-04 Quarterman Road and VDT pictures of Lowndes County Commission meeting building

Kasmira Smith, Valdosta Daily Times, September 13, 2023, Lowndes commissioners deny highly opposed rezoning proposal Continue reading →

The application for the Quarterman Road rezoning, and more petition signatures against it @ LCC 2023-09-12

Update 2023-09-13: Lowndes County Commission denies Quarterman Road rezoning –VDT 2023-09-13.

We had to ask three times, but we finally got the application for the rezoning on Quarterman Road, REZ-2023-04.

Here is that application, and also three more signatures on the petition against the rezoning, plus an updated table of signers and addresses about a hundred of them.

We ask the Lowndes County Commissioners to do the same thing they did about the Miller Bridge rezoning and about the Dollar General resoning on Skipper Bridge: deny this one as well, because it, like them, is in an Agricultre-Forestry-Conservation Character Area, and the vast majority of nearby landowners and residents do not want it.

[Collage, more packet materials for REZ-2023-04 @ LCC 2023-09-12]
Collage, more packet materials for REZ-2023-04 @ LCC 2023-09-12

The application doesn’t tell us much we did not already know, other than that the property owner’s agent is Rodney Tenery, Address: 2621 U.S. Highway 84 East, Valdosta, GA. Mapquest says that is an address of Harris Surveying & Engineering. Continue reading →

Videos: Seven minutes on REZ-2023-04 Quarterman Road @ LCC Work

Update 2023-09-12 The application for the Quarterman Road rezoning, and more petition signatures against it @ LCC 2023-09-12.

The proposed 2.5-acre rezoning on Quarterman Road is inappropriate, as the Planning Commission indicated by their 7:1 vote to recommend denial. The Lowndes County Commission spent almost seven minute on this item.

Tomorrow evening at 5:30 PM, they should deny this rezoning.

Meanwhile, county staff still can not find any record of the 1980s rezoning for the nearby half-acre-lot subdivision.

[Collage @ LCC 11 September 2023]
Collage @ LCC 11 September 2023

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 Continue reading →

Packet: Board of Health appointment, two rezonings, 4 water, mosquitoes @ LCC 2023-09-11

Update 2023-09-11: Videos: Seven minutes on REZ-2023-04 Quarterman Road @ LCC Work 2023-09-11.

In a busy agenda, the Lowndes County Commission will discuss Monday morning at 8:30 AM and vote on Tuesday evening at 5:30 PM appointing Dr. Anthony Johnson to the Board of Health, four water and sewer items, mosquitoes, and two rezonings.

[Collage, LCC Packet 2023-09-11]
Collage, LCC Packet 2023-09-11

In their preceding meeting, the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) by a 7:1 vote recommended denial for REZ-2023-04 Chase, 6119 Quarterman Rd, ~18 acres, E-A to R-A, Well & Septic, and GLPC unanimously recommended approval for REZ-2023-10 Copeland, 3728 Mt. Zion Church Rd., ~4ac, E-A to R-21.

Cost What
$287,786.39LAS Expansion Clearing & Grubbing
$105,000.00Meter Backflow Device Purchase
$68,889.40Bevel Creek Lift Station Pump
$55,194.30Annual Contract Renewal with VSU for Mosquito Identification and Testing
$516,870.09Total

Of the half a million dollars in expenditures the Commission they will probably approve Tuesday, more than half is for expansion of the Land Application Site (LAS). Two of the others are also water or sewer projects. They do not list a cost for the other water and sewer project: Hamilton Green Acceptance of Water & Sewer Infrastructure.

Here is the agenda.

The board packet materials, received by LAKE in response to a LAKE open records request, are on the LAKE website. Several requested items are missing. We will ask again.

For the preceding GLPC meeting, see also Continue reading →

Videos: Lowndes County Commission again approved Howell Road Halfway House rezoning 2023-06-12

In Monday night’s kabuki theater, after the usual stylized performances, the Lowndes County Commission once again approved the rezoning. The numerous opposition speakers supplied the broad dramatic gestures, all to no avail.

[Collage @ LCC 12 June 2023]
Collage @ LCC 12 June 2023

On the validity of the previous decision, Commissioner Demarcus Marshall moved to declare invalid the previous decision. Long silence. Eventually Commission Clay Griner asked for clarification from County Attorney G. Walter Elliott to clarify that he thought this was necessary. He said he thought it was. Motion passed 3 to 2. Two of the three were Marshall and Griner; I think the third was Joyce Evans, with Scottie Orenstein and Mark Wisenbaker against. Hard to be sure because they did not raise their hands.

On the actual rezoning case, they did raise their hands, and the vote was also 3 to 2 split the same way as the last time they voted on this rezoning decision: Clay Griner, Mark Wisenbaker, and Scottie Orenstein for, and Demarcus Marshall and Joyce Evans against.

Then they adjourned, after 55 minutes of kabuki theater.

At the beginning, Chairman Bill Slaughter did introduce something I haven’t seen before Continue reading →

Packet: Howell Road Halfway House massive opposition 2023-06-12

Update 2023-06-14: Videos: Lowndes County Commission again approved Howell Road Halfway House rezoning 2023-06-12.

In the packet for the redecision on the Howell Road Halfway House rezoning, there are thirteen letters of opposition and a petition of more than a hundred signatures.

[impacts to the surrounding area, Future Development Map, letter of opposition, Campus Map, REZ-2022-10 The Campus Transitional Facility, 2193 Howell Road]
impacts to the surrounding area, Future Development Map, letter of opposition, Campus Map, REZ-2022-10 The Campus Transitional Facility, 2193 Howell Road

Those would seem relevant to this bit in the agenda sheet: Continue reading →

Howell Road Halfway House rezoning back yet again 2023-06-12

Update 2023-06-14: Packet: Howell Road Halfway House massive opposition 2023-06-12.

Apparently somebody sued and the county is going to tidy up by invalidating its previous decision on the Howell Road Halfway House rezoning and hold yet another Public Hearing before making what will likely be the same decision. That will be this Monday, June 12, 2023, at 5:30 PM.

[Redo rezoning, WRPDO Site Map, REZ-2022-10 The Campus Transitional Facility]
Redo rezoning, WRPDO Site Map, REZ-2022-10 The Campus Transitional Facility

How five days’ notice solves the legal problem of lack of previous notice, I don’t know. Also why they could not wait one day and hold this Public Hearing in their regularly-scheduled Regular Session of this Tuesday is mysterious. Perhaps the County Attorney will explain it all.

Meanwhile, the county’s apparent lack of concern for the Character Areas of the Comprehensive Plan does not bode well for other rezonings elsewhere.

For what they plan to do Monday evening see Continue reading →