Category Archives: Transparency

Videos: developer property rights and effects on neighbors, Leninco, Roger Budd, Lake Park @ LCC 2014-08-12

There was at least some reason for the Commission’s approval of the Family Dollar and other use rezoning for Roger Budd Jr. and Leninco out of the Francis Lake golf course in Lake Park: because it would include a condition of a berm that would continue with the property regardless of who owned it. The applicant’s attorney had made it clear that applicant considered the berm too expensive and it, along with other conditions, might make the project unfeasible. Perhaps the Commission should apply the same technique to stop the Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline. This was in the 23 August 2014 Regular Session of the Lowndes County Commission; thanks to Toma Hawk for the video.

6.b. REZ-2014-14 Roger Budd Jr, Lakes Blvd (SR 376), R-10 to C-G, Water/Sewer, ~4.2 acres

[Work Session Start 1 minute 48 seconds.] County Planner Jason Davenport said this was a repeat of a request from 2009 “that Continue reading →

Emergency, Nottinghill, Drainage @ LCC 2014-08-25

Last December Chairman Slaughter wanted relatives of those selling land for Nottinghill to come forward and state their names the day after he didn’t ask Spectra Energy reps to do that during their sales pitch for the Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline? Well, the county is now pondering accepting infrastructure for that subdivision. Maybe the won’t accept that pipeline, which they could prevent by passing or enforcing local land use zoning ordinances. There’s also a Quit Claim Deed for Drainage Easement on Davidson Road and an Emergency Management Certificate Presentation, and that’s it, on the lightest agenda in recent memory.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, AUGUST 25, 2014, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, AUGUST 26, 2014, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street — 2nd Floor
Continue reading →

Francis Lake opposition and 3:2 vote for anyway @ LCC 2014-08-12

Update 2014-08-25: There was some rationale for why the Commission voted to approve. See Videos: developer property rights and effects on neighbors, Leninco, Roger Budd, Lake Park @ LCC 2014-08-12.

With little notice local citizens didn’t have time to organize opposition to a rezoning for three companies domiciled outside Lowndes County on behalf of a developer who doesn’t even own the property next to them. Yet again no agenda was posted for the Planning Commission last month so few people showed up. More spoke at the Lowndes County Commission this month. But with so little time, only 38 people signed a petition, and there were no citizen-organized meetings, unlike for the Brookhaven rezoning back in March and April. Unlike the Lake Park City Council, which held a special public hearing, the Lowndes County Commission plowed ahead on its usual schedule and voted on a bare majority to approve anyway for a developer on which they are on a first-name basis, while local neighbors went un-named and unheeded. Does this seem right to you?

Toma Hawk videoed and edited together the Work Session of 11 August 2014 and the Regular Session of 12 August 2014 to emphasize this item from the agenda: Continue reading →

Toxic Waste? Coal ash in Alabama and Georgia landfills

Oregon denying a permit for a coal dock on the Columbia River Monday may seem far away, but the effects of coal ash are right here in Lowndes County. Effects that an Alabama county is calling a toxic chemical civil rights violation in the Arrowhead Landfill in Uniontown.

AP reported 14 August 2014, EPA investigating claims west Alabama landfill violates civil rights of black property owners,

It’s not the first time that the Arrowhead has been in the news. In 2009, an estimated 3.9 million tons of coal ash was dumped at the landfill. It was brought in after a Tennessee Valley Authority dam breached in east Tennessee, spilling toxic ash into a river and damaging about 300 acres. To date, it’s the largest coal ash spill in U.S. history.

Much of that ash ended up being dumped at the landfill in Perry County, which in return received Continue reading →

GDOT public hearing on Clay and Hill intersection tomorrow

Colter Anstaett wrote for WALB 19 August 2014, Changes coming to a busy Valdosta intersection,

GDOT wants to add stop lights and turn lanes to the intersection of East Hill Avenue and Clay Road. They also want to add bike lanes to a portion of East Hill avenue near the intersection and align Clay Road with Hollywood Street on the opposite side of the road….

Continue reading →

Roger Budd on Francis Lake and Riverview on the Withlacoochee River @ GLPC 2014-07-28

Neverending Nelson Hill was completely withdrawn this time. Opposition showed up against Roger Budd Jr‘s rezoning of 4.28 acres from R-10 to C-G on Francis Lake in Lake Park. Plus recommendations for a county appointee to GLPC. In Valdosta, Turner Brooks was withdrawn although paperwork was in progress for a different submission, and Riverview Development LLC still wanted to rezone 3.59 acres to Community Commercial and to rezone 7 parcels of 3.14 acres total to Multi-Family Residential partly in the floodplain of the Withlacoochee River behind Music Funeral Home.

Here’s the agenda, and the videos are below. Continue reading →

Riverview development next to Withlacoochee River? @ GLPC 2014-07-28

A flood plain rezoning next to the Withlacoochee river came back from 2011, at the 28 July 2014 Planning Commission meeting, which voted unanimously for, as did the Valdosta City Council later.

7. VA-2014-05 Riverview Development LLC

Video. This is parcel 0074 088 on North Valdosta Road behind Music Funeral Home, next to Langdale Park, on the other side of the Withlacoochee River from Foxborough.

City Planner Matt Martin said only a tiny part of the property was in the floodplain of the Withlacoochee River. Continue reading →

Family Dollar on Roger Budd property near Francis Lake in Lake Park? @ GLPC 2014-07-28

Opposition started arising to Roger Budd’s request to rezone to put another Family Dollar near Francis Lake in Lake Park, at the 28 July 2014 Planning Commission meeting, which voted 5 to 2 with one abstention to recommend a compromise solution.

6. REZ-2014-14 Roger Budd Jr

Video. County Planner Jason Davenport said he had received no indications of any opposition. And one GLPC member asked the developer’s presenter whether residents of Francis Lake had been notified.

Yet J.D. Carroll spoke against, Continue reading →

Why open government matters –VDT

Maybe the Lowndes County Commission should have read these quotes before it approved that unbudgeted no-bid not-discussed-in-the-retreat second water treatment system purchase.

Update 17 October 2014: Fix date of editorial. -jsq

VDT editorial 12 April August 2014, Why open government matters,

“The same prudence, which, in private life, would forbid our paying our money for unexplained projects, forbids it in the disposition of public moneys.” — Thomas Jefferson.

Continue reading →

Construction Board, Nelson Hill, and Creekwood @ LCC 2014-08-11

Water, water, construction, subdivisions, and alcohol: Nelson Hill and Roger Budd are back, like at the 28 July 2014 Planning Commission. The first board appointment from the list of ones to fill this year is for the Valdosta-Lowndes County Construction Board of Adjustments and Appeals. The Lowndes County Commission already met yesterday morning for the Work Session, and they meet tonight at 5:30 PM to vote in the Regular Session.

Here’s the agenda. Continue reading →