Category Archives: Lowndes County Commission

Agenda: 4 county rezonings, 5 Valdosta, 2 Hahira @ GLPC 2025-01-27

Lowndes County posted this agenda on lowndescounty.com/AgendaCenter at 8:23 AM this morning, after Gretchen asked the County Planner when it would be posted.

The meeting is this evening at

[Agenda: 4 county rezonings, 5 Valdosta, 2 Hahira, Posted 8:23 AM the meeting day @ GLPC 2025-01-27]
Agenda: 4 county rezonings, 5 Valdosta, 2 Hahira, Posted 8:23 AM the meeting day @ GLPC 2025-01-27

One of the county cases is for a subdivision by the Alapaha River: REZ-2025-04: River Run Farm, 6490 River Run, Naylor, Ga, Map/Parcel# 0259-029C, 27.12 acres.

Here is the agenda:

[Lowndes County Cases]
Lowndes County Cases
PDF

Greater Lowndes Planning Commission
~ Lowndes County ~ City of Valdosta ~ City of Dasher ~
~ City of Hahira ~ City of Lake Park ~ City of Remerton ~
Tuesday, January 21, 2025 5:30 P.M. Work Session
Monday, January 27, 2025 5:30 P.M. Regular Session
Lowndes County South Health District Administrative Office
325 West Savannah Avenue, Valdosta, Georgia

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Agenda: Tax Assessor and Land Bank appointments, Assessment rate, VAWA, alcohol @ LCC 2025-01-27

Update 2025-01-27: Videos: Tax Assessor and Land Bank appointments, Assessment rate, VAWA, alcohol @ LCC Work 2025-01-27.

For discussion Monday morning and for voting Tuesday evening, the Lowndes County Commission will consider appointments to two boards: Tax Assessors (reappoint Gretchen Quarterman or appoint James Michael Tanner) and Land Bank Authority (reappoint Commissioner Joyce Evans).

[Tax Assessor appointment, Land Bank Appointment, Special assessment rate, VAWA, alcohol @ LCC 2025-01-27]
Tax Assessor appointment, Land Bank Appointment, Special assessment rate, VAWA, alcohol @ LCC 2025-01-27

They will also hear a change-of-ownership beer, wine, and liquor license application, set the special assessment rate to 9.5%, and probably approve purchasing cards for Tax Commission Clay Guess and Probate Judge H. Burke Sherwood.

Plus they will consider $26,371.00 in cash match while the Solicitor-General’s Office applies for $79,112.00 in federal funding related to the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).

Here is the agenda.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, JANUARY 27, 2025, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, JANUARY 28, 2025, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

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Videos: Tourism Authority appointments, rezonings, water repairs, hurricane damage @ LCC Regular 2024-12-10

At their December 10, 2024, Regular Session, the Lowndes County Commission reappointed Rick Williams to the 5.a. Valdosta Lowndes County Conference Center and Tourism Authority, and appointed Amanda Peacock to replace Michael Smith (who was recently elected to join the Lowndes County Commission in 2025)

[Collage @ LCC 10 December 2024]
Collage @ LCC 10 December 2024

There was quite a bit of opposition to 6.a. REZ-2024-18 LSO Invest, 3910 Old US 41 N, ~0.93ac, R-21 to C-C. Previously, GLPC recommended Denial 7:1. Lowndes County Commissioner Scottie Orenstein recused himself. The other County Commissioners unanimously approved this rezoning. Disgruntled citizens filed out, with grumbling and finger pointing at a certain Commissioner.

The applicant withdrew 6.c. REZ-2024-20 Wilson Estate, 5917 Thunder Bowl Rd., ~1.7ac, E-A to R-1.

The Lowndes County Commissioners unanimously approved everything else.

Not on the agenda: Continue reading

Packet: Tourism Authority appointments, rezonings, water repairs, hurricane damage @ LCC 2024-12-09

Update 2025-01-14: Videos: Tourism Authority appointments, rezonings, water repairs, hurricane damage @ LCC Regular 2024-12-10.

The board packet for the Lowndes County Commission meetings of December 9 and 10, 2024, received in response to a LAKE open records request, is on the LAKE website.

[Collage, Packet @ LCC 2024-12-09]
Collage, Packet @ LCC 2024-12-09

See also the agenda and the LAKE videos of the December 9 Work Session.

Plus the packet and LAKE videos of the preceding Planning Commission Meeting.

-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

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Videos: Tourism Authority appointments, rezonings, water repairs, hurricane damage @ LCC Work 2024-12-09

Update 2024-12-23: Packet: Tourism Authority appointments, rezonings, water repairs, hurricane damage @ LCC 2024-12-09.

Almost an hour might be a record for the Lowndes County Commission Work Session yesterday morning.

Part of that was three Special Recognitions and a twelve-minute Special Report – Ashley Tye and FEMA Deputy Director, none of them on the agenda.

[Collage @ LCC 9 December 2024]
Collage @ LCC 9 December 2024

The longest actual agenda item was 6.a. REZ-2024-18 LSO Invest, 3910 Old US 41 N, ~0.93ac, R-21 to C-C at three and a half minutes. Remember the Planning Commission voted 7-1 to recommend denial, and I hear the underlying applicant is a County Commissioner.

Then the $3,068,176.54 TSPLOST project, 8.a. PI# 0016279 TIA-07 Coleman Road NW Paving and Drainage Improvements Bids, at three minutes.

All others took less than two minutes each.

They vote tonight at 5:30 PM.

Below are LAKE videos of each agenda item (or Special Recognition), with a few notes by Gretchen Quarterman, followed by a LAKE video playlist.

See also the agenda. Continue reading

Videos: Valdosta annexation and manufacturing; Lowndes County commercial and subdivision rezonings @ GLPC 2024-11-25

The Greater Lowndes Planning Commission recommended approval of a Valdosta annexation and rezoning on Old Statenville Road for the Development Authority, a commerciaal rezoning on Inner Perimeter Road for U-Haul, and a subdivision on Thunderbowl Road.

They voted 7:0 against recommending approval for a commercial rezoning on Old US 41 N.

The VLDA case was already decided Thursday by the Valdosta City Council: they approved it.

The other cases are before the Lowndes County Commission Monday morning to be voted on Tuesday evening.

[Collage @ LCC 25 November 2024]
Collage @ LCC 25 November 2024

Here are LAKE videos of each agenda item, with a few notes by Gretchen Quarterman, followed by a LAKE video playlist.

See also the agenda and minutes. Continue reading

Agenda: Tourism Authority appointments, rezonings, water repairs, hurricane damage @ LCC 2024-12-09

The Lowndes County Commission be busy Monday morning at their Work Session and Tuesday evening at their voting Regular Session.

[Collage @ LCC 2024-12-09]
Collage @ LCC 2024-12-09

It will be interesting to see what they do with REZ-2024-18 LSO Invest, 3910 Old US 41 N, since the Planning Commission voted 7-1 to recommend denial, and I hear the underlying applicant is a County Commissioner.

They will vote on two members for the Valdosta Lowndes County Conference Center and Tourism Authority, one reappointment, and one to replace Michael Smith, who was elected to the Lowndes County Commission.

They will also be voting on close to $5 million, most of it in one paving project, of Coleman Road NW, that one using TSPLOST funds.

The other big ticket items are hurricane damage repair, new motor graders, and several kinds of insurance. Continue reading

Packet: Valdosta annexation and manufacturing; Lowndes County commercial and subdivision rezonings @ GLPC 2024-11-25

The Greater Lowndes Planning Commission will review this evening at 5:30 PM, a Valdosta annexation and rezoning on Old Statenville Road for the Development Authority, a commercial rezoning on Old US 41 N, another on Inner Perimeter Road for U-Haul, and a subdivision on Thunderbowl Road.

[Valdosta annexation and rezoning for VLDA; A county subdivision and 2 commercial rezonings @ GLPC 2024-11-25]
Valdosta annexation and rezoning for VLDA; A county subdivision and 2 commercial rezonings @ GLPC 2024-11-25

Here is the agenda.

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

Greater Lowndes Planning Commission
~ Lowndes County ~ City of Valdosta ~ City of Dasher ~
~ City of Hahira ~ City of Lake Park ~ City of Remerton ~

Monday, November 18, 2023 5:30 P.M. Work Session
Monday, November 25, 2023 5:30 P.M. Regular Session
Lowndes County South Health District Administrative Office
325 West Savannah Avenue, Valdosta, Georgia

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Videos: GLPC appointments, ULDC Amendments, 2 rezonings, Street Lighting, Beer and Wine, UPS, infrastructure acceptance, Regional Transit, Georgia Power, VSU, LMIG, Fire @ LCC Regular 2024-11-12

Ed Hightower was reappointed to the Planning Commission and. Calvin Graham was appointed to the seat previously held by Vicki Biles.

Two citizens spoke in Citizens Wishing to Be Heard. Burton Fletcher thanked various people for running for or winning office and other things. Janice Strickland spoke about flooding on Pin Oak Circle, which is in the City of Valdosta, so she was referred to the City Council.

In a thirteen and a half minute discussion, “County Planners JD Dillard and Jason Davenport went over the proposed changes to the ULDC which was “in the room” at the seat of the Lawyer Walter Elliott.”

[Collage @ LCC 12 November 2024]
Collage @ LCC 12 November 2024

Jason Davenport mentioned their goal was to get these changes approved by the County Manager and then to the “development community”. No mention of the public, other than the request by “Mrs. Quarterman” for a copy, which LAKE did get and publish. The county did not publish them before that Regular Session. The latest copy of the ULDC on the county’s website is still earlier than that, ULDC Unsigned Searchable Copy – July 9, 2024 (PDF).

Commissioner Demarcus Marshall wanted affirmation that these changes required existing systems to have generators if they expand. Davenport agreed they do require that.

Commissioner Scottie Orenstein, County Manager Paige Dukes, and County Chairman Bill Slaughter discussed other existing systems. It doesn’t look to me like the ULDC changes require those to have generators.

Commissioner Orenstein wanted to hear more about subdivision policy goals. Davenport’s answer was they would be looked at on a case-by-case basis and “appropriately address” them. County Chairman Bill Slaughter expressed concern about dense subdivisions where the county could not bring utilities and for subdivisions with a single point of ingress and egress (cul-de-sacs). Davenport mentioned they chose not to have separate rules for septic vs. county utilities.

At the Public Hearing, Gretchen Quarterman spoke in opposition to the amendments, noting that the time available to actually review the final language was only a couple of hours before the meeting, especially since the Planning Commission no longer gets ULDC text amendments on its agenda. She also recommended “continuously” instead of “consistently” for private well generators. She liked the explicit list of grandfathered subdivisions. She mentioned Val Del Estates, which flooded recently, despite the county rezoning it a few years ago in what were claimed not to be wetlands.

The Commissioners did not discuss most of those topics, nor removing pine trees from being protected species. They did unanimously approve the ULDC text amendments.

They also unanimously approved everything else, including the Loch Winn rezoning, even though several people spoke in opposition. That one took twelve and a half minutes.

They discussed the purchase of VSU South Campus for almost five minutes.

The Chairman paused other items several times for recognition of various groups and individuals. An agenda item at the front would simplify all that. Similarly, a Commissioner Comments item at the end would be easier than ad hoc asking Commissioners for comments.

Here are LAKE videos of each agenda item, with a few notes by Gretchen Quarterman, followed by a LAKE video playlist.

See also the Continue reading

Videos: GLPC appointments, ULDC Amendments, 2 rezonings, Street Lighting, Beer and Wine, UPS, infrastructure acceptance, Regional Transit, Georgia Power, VSU, LMIG, Fire @ LCC Work 2024-11-12

Update 2024-11-16: Videos: GLPC appointments, ULDC Amendments, 2 rezonings, Street Lighting, Beer and Wine, UPS, infrastructure acceptance, Regional Transit, Georgia Power, VSU, LMIG, Fire @ LCC Regular 2024-11-12.

There was so much discussion at the Work Session this morning that the meeting was 30 minutes long. They spent ten minutes on the ULDC Text Amendments; the ones that remove pine trees from being protected species. Even the UPS replacement got discussion.

Regarding the purchase of VSU South Campus, Commissioner Mark Wisenbaker wondered how this could so easily move forward when the proposed animal shelter is taking so long. There was a little discussion.

They vote at 5:30 PM this evening.

[Collage @ LCC 12 November 2024]
Collage @ LCC 12 November 2024

Here are LAKE videos of each agenda item, with a few notes by Gretchen Quarterman, followed by a LAKE video playlist.

See also the Continue reading