Category Archives: Planning

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!
http://www.l-a-k-e.org/blog/donate

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 →

Please reject REZ-2023-04 2.5-acre rezoning on Quarterman Road –Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE 2023-08-28

Update 2023-09-06: Please keep Quarterman Road in agriculture and forestry –WWALS to Greater Lowndes Planning Commission 2023-08-28.

Here is the letter Gretchen Quarterman sent on behalf of Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE) to the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) before their meeting of Monday, August 28, 2023.

[LAKE letter and map]
LAKE letter and map

As you can see in the LAKE videos of that meeting, GLPC recommended denial by 7:1 of REZ-2023-04 on Quarterman Road.

Thanks to everyone who signed the petition: a table of signatories and images of the petition sheets are included. Thanks to everyone who spoke at the GLPC meeting.

The final decision will be at the Lowndes County Commission Regular Session of Tuesday, September 12, 2023. More petition signatures would help, and more calls and letters to Lowndes County Commissioners, and more speakers in the Public Hearing on September 12th.

The LAKE Letter

In PDF and below in web format. Continue reading →

Videos: Quarterman Road rezoning recommended against, Mt. Zion Church Road for @ GLPC 2023-08-28

Update 2023-09-05: Please reject REZ-2023-04 2.5-acre rezoning on Quarterman Road –Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE 2023-08-28.

The Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) voted 7:1 to recommend denial of the proposed E-A 2.5-acre-lot rezoning on Quarterman Road, in an agricultural and forestry area.

[Collage @ LCC 28 August 2023]
Collage @ LCC 28 August 2023

They unanimously voted to recommend approval of the R-21 half-acre-lot rezoning on Mt. Zion Church Road that is among numerous existing small lots.

In the first rezoning item, REZ-2023-04 on Quarterman Road, the County Planner mentioned that county staff had been unable to find any record of the previous (1980s) rezoning of the existing subdivision on Emily Lane west of Quarterman Road. Continue reading →

Packet: Two county rezonings, one plainly inappropriate @ GLPC 2023-08-28

Update 2023-08-29: Videos: Quarterman Road rezoning recommended against, Mt. Zion Church Road for @ GLPC 2023-08-28.

The Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) has only two cases for Monday, both Lowndes County Cases.

[Two Lowndes County cases @ GLPC 2023-08-28]
Two Lowndes County cases @ GLPC 2023-08-28

County staff recommend approval of both rezonings, one in the middle of subdivisions on Mt. Zion Church Road, and the other in the middle of agriculture and forestry land on Quarterman Road.

For REZ-2023-04 on Quarterman Road, county staff strain really hard to dilute agriculture and forestry by including a nearby subdivision in their first calculation. Quarterman Road is almost all Continue reading →