Category Archives: Transportation

Videos: Workshop 2, Lowndes County Comprehensive Plan Update 2025-11-17

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Update 2026-01-16: Power, water, and datacenters –Suwannee Riverkeeper 2025-11-17.

Very interesting discussions at the second Workshop on the five-year Update to the Lowndes County Comprehensive Plan. Datacenters, water, sewer, power, trash, accessibility, affordable housing, guiding development, and more.

The third Workshop will be this Monday, January 20, 2026, about 6 PM, after the Work Session of the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC), at 325 West Savannah Avenue, Valdosta, GA.

[Workshop 2, Lowndes County, Comprehensive Plan Update, Many interesting discussions, 2025-11-17]
Workshop 2, Lowndes County, Comprehensive Plan Update, Many interesting discussions, 2025-11-17

Suwannee Riverkeeper noted reliable power and water are needed for economic development, and AI datacenters could be a problem for that. Also, don’t assume just because the governor says we’re doing datacenters that they will expand everywhere. Remember the dotcom bust and how cheap PCs took over, then smartphones. Somebody will invent a much less expensive method of doing so-called artificial intelligence, a method that does not require huge datacenters. Meanwhile, there are natural limits on water, witness Barber Pool, fed by a spring that now hardly ever trickles. Continue reading →

Videos: 2 presentations, 4 CWTBH, Appointment Board of Health, correct Tax Assessor, Qualifying Fees, grants, road widening and paving, Lakes Blvd Water Meter Relocation @ LCC Regular 2026-01-12

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They tabled (again) 9.l. Abandonment of Grice Road, this time to no definite date, at the Monday evening Regular Session of the Lowndes County Commission.

Dr. Lucy Greene is handing over her work as Moody Support. At 23 minutes, that was by far the longest item.

Four citizens spoke at the end.

[Collage @ LCC Regular Session, 12 January 2026]
Collage @ LCC Regular Session, 12 January 2026

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 →

Videos: 3 presentations, Appointment Board of Health, correct Tax Assessor, Qualifying Fees, grants, road widening and paving, Lakes Blvd Water Meter Relocation @ LCC Work 2026-01-02

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Update 2025-01-15: Videos: 2 presentations, 4 CWTBH, Appointment Board of Health, correct Tax Assessor, Qualifying Fees, grants, road widening and paving, Lakes Blvd Water Meter Relocation @ LCC Regular 2026-01-12.

A rare sight at the Monday morning Work Session: the Lowndes County Chairman and the Valdosta Mayor jointly reading a Proclamation of I love Public Schools Day.

They discussed tabling (again) 9.l. Abandonment of Grice Road trying to avoid making any landlocked lots and other concerns about neighboring lots.

[Collage @ LCC Work Session, 12 January 2026]
Collage @ LCC Work Session, 12 January 2026

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 agenda and the board packet, received in response to a LAKE open records request.

If they put it on their own website, lowndescounty.com, under Agenda Center, nobody would have to file an open records request and county staff wouldn’t have to spend time sending out packets.

Here is the LAKE video playlist:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLshUv86fYkiHack-3koY45nFAwmkCKyHM&si=aVZFV6sV0MjMHiOz

-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

Packet: 3 presentations, Appointment Board of Health, correct Tax Assessor, Qualifying Fees, grants, road widening and paving, Lakes Blvd Water Meter Relocation @ LCC 2026-01-12

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Update 2025-01-14: Videos: 3 presentations, Appointment Board of Health, correct Tax Assessor, Qualifying Fees, grants, road widening and paving, Lakes Blvd Water Meter Relocation @ LCC Work 2026-01-12.

Both Work Session and Regular Session are today, Monday, January 12, 2026, for the Lowndes County Commission. I don’t know why.

They didn’t do the appointment right in December for Felicia Williams as a Tax Assessor, so do-over today.

Frances Brown wants to be reappointed to the Lowndes County Board of Health.

As required by state law, they’re setting the qualifying fee to run for County Commissioner: it’s $450.

Three grant application or acceptance items are on the agenda, for Juvenile Justice and Victims of Crime Act (VOCA).

Two Acceptance of Infrastructure, for Knights Landing Phase IV Section I, and for Colbie Place Subdivision on River Road.

Four road widening items, and one Abandonment of Grice Road.

[Collage @ LCC Packet 2026-01-12]
Collage @ LCC Packet 2026-01-12

Finally, $63,801.00 from SPLOST for 10. Lakes Blvd Water Meter Relocation “to meet commercial development needs in the area.” At least it’s in Lake Park, so it’s not sprawl.

It’s interesting that they count that SPLOST expenditure as “BUDGET IMPACT” but for 9.h. FY 2026 Local Maintenance & Improvement Grant (LMIG) Application
the agenda sheet says “BUDGET IMPACT: N/A; 10% match allocated in SPLOST VIII” for Lake Alapaha Boulevard and other roads.

Here is the agenda.

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

If they put it on their own website, lowndescounty.com, under Agenda Center, nobody would have to file an open records request and county staff wouldn’t have to spend time sending out packets.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, JANUARY 12, 2026, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, MONDAY, JANUARY 12, 2026, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

Continue reading →

Packet: 3 rezonings, dogs and cats ordinance, 7 water items, etc. @ VCC 2025-12-11

Update 2025-12-27: According to a usually reliable witness, facebook live had technical difficulties for the December meeting, and wasn’t noticed until just before the meeting started, so there is no video of that meeting. I’m told the dogs and cats ordinance did not pass, but may come back in a later meeting. Everything else did pass, or so I’m told. It appears the City Council needs to get some help for the City Clerk: “2.a) The Minutes from the September, October, and November City Council Meetings are forthcoming.”

Valdosta Mayor and Council had a very busy meeting on Thursday, December 11, 2025.

First, some questions for Valdosta Mayor, Council, and City Manager:

  1. Why does Valdosta not publish its board packets on its own website? Since anyone can get them through an open records request, they are not secret. The board packets could go on the city’s own Agenda & Minutes web page:

    – https://www.valdostacity.com/city-council/agendas-minutes

  2. Speaking of which, where are the minutes since August? They’re not on that web page.
  3. Why did Valdosta not do publicity about the seven (7) drinking water or wastewater improvement items on this December agenda?
  4. Where is Valdosta’s video of this December meeting? If the facebook live video is the official video of the meeting, why is it not linked into the Agendas & Minutes web page?

Valdosta complains people think they’re doing nothing about fixing their wastewater problems.

Maybe that has something to do with the city actively hiding the details in unpublished board packets, as well as doing publicity about such projects.

[Collage of VCC Packet 2025-12-11]
Collage of VCC Packet 2025-12-11

On this agenda was an ordinance copying Lowndes County in prohibiting sale of dogs and cats by retail establishments, a resolution about Valdosta City School System Refunding Bonds, and another resolution about the Georgia Historic Tax Credit Program. Plus various equipment for Engineering, Public Works, and Police.

The agenda also included the three rezonings or conditional use permits heard last month by the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC).

http://www.l-a-k-e.org/blog/?p=25373

The seven wastewater improvement items are: Continue reading →

Videos: 2 of 4 Presentations, 4 Appointments, 2 Rezonings, 1 Dec. Lighting, 16 For Consideration, 1 Pump Station Upgrade @ LCC Regular 2025-12-09

Could be a record: an hour and 14 minutes for Tuesday’s Lowndes County Commission Regular Session.

After many months, they had Recognition of return of Commissioner Joyce Evans. She is clearly still recovering from her medical issues, but Commissioner Demarcus Marshall wheeled her in. She didn’t say anything then, but, then, she seldom does. She did thank them at the end of the meeting.

[Collage @ LCC 9 December 2025]
Collage @ LCC 9 December 2025

The did not reappoint incumbent Tommy Willis to the Planning Commission. Instead they appointed John “Mac” McCall by a vote of 3-2. As near as I can tell, Commissioners Mark Wisenbaker and Demarcus Marshall were the 2.

By acclamation they reappointed incumbent Felicia Williams to the Lowndes County Board Of Assessors. Nobody even nominated Gretchen Quarterman. Ms. Williams later spoke about the Tax Commissioners in Citizens Wishing to Be Heard (CWTBH).

Mr. Gary Wisenbaker was appointed to the Lowndes County Library Board after he recused himself from the vote.

The seat reserved for Wild Adventures on the Valdosta-Lowndes County Conference Center And Tourism Authority had a new WA General Manager appointed: Donald Spiller III.

The meeting length was because of many agenda items, some postponed from last month, some because there’s only one Regular Session in each of November and December, and some year-end items.

The only item that took more than ten minutes was Continue reading →

Videos: 4 Presentations, 4 Appointments, 2 Rezonings, 1 Dec. Lighting, 16 For Consideration, 1 Pump Station Upgrade @ LCC Work 2025-12-08

Monday morning’s Work Session took 55 minutes, despite many measures to power through it.

They vote tomorrow (Tuesday) evening at 5:30 PM.

[Collage @ LCC 8 December 2025]
Collage @ LCC 8 December 2025

Lowndes County Chairman Bill Slaughter said two of the presentations would be made Tuesday evening at the Regular Session. Ditto for the appointments to four boards.

They did spend almost nine minutes on 7.b. REZ-2025-16 2480 Copeland Rd, ~18ac, R-10/C To R-10, for example about ingress and egress.

And almost six minutes on 8.k. 2026 Public Defender Contracts, which they moved to the front of section 8 because the presenter had to get to another appointment.

Plus more than three minutes each on three other items.

If I heard correctly, 8.g. Transportation Investment Act (TIA) Val Del Road Widening, they’re going to four-lane at least part of Val Del Road.

They said the reason 8.h. Design-Build Contract For Lowndes County Animal Shelter. took this long because of requiring the contractor to stay within a tight budget.

Commissioners had some cost questions about 8.o. Motorola Migration Assurance Plan (MAP).

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: 4 Presentations, 4 Appointments, 2 Rezonings, 1 Dec. Lighting, 16 For Consideration, 1 Pump Station Upgrade @ LCC 2025-12-08

Update 2025-12-08: Videos: 4 Presentations, 4 Appointments, 2 Rezonings, 1 Dec. Lighting, 16 For Consideration, 1 Pump Station Upgrade @ LCC Work 2025-12-08.

Many people have asked when this would happen. 8.h. Design-Build Contract for Lowndes County Animal Shelter is to award a contract to Kellerman Construction, Inc.

“The breakdown for the contract is $450,000.00 for sitework, $4,050,000.00 for construction, $200,000.00 for contingency, and $300,000.00 for Architectural & Engineering. If approved, the design process will begin immediately and the Design-Builder will submit a final proposal for construction to Lowndes County for approval in April 2026.”

That firm was selected out of seven proposals by a scoring process.

[Collage, LCC Packet 2025-12-08]
Collage, LCC Packet 2025-12-08

For 9.a. LAS Pump Station Upgrade they’re upgrading from 3 to 4 pumps at the Land Application Site (LAS), plus adding a backup generator.

Last month the Lowndes County Commission tabled appointments to two boards, Library and Planning Commission. This month they will appoint to those and also to the Board of Tax Assessors.

They also postponed a rezoning on Copeland Road. This month it’s back, plus one on Shiloh Road.

For 6.a. Greater Lowndes Planning Commission, the term of Tommy Willis expired. He and John McCall want to be appointed.

For 6.b. Lowndes County Board of Assessors, the term of Felicia Williams expired. She and Gretchen Quarterman want to be appointed.

For 6.c. Lowndes County Library Board, Catherine Ammons resigned after she resigned as Valdosta Assistant City Manager. Kendal Crawford, Dean Poling, and Gary Wisenbaker want to be appointed.

Last month they postponed 7.b. REZ-2025-16 Copeland Road Subdivision, 2480 Copeland Rd, ~18ac, County Utilities, R-10/c to R-10 because of an error in the advertisement, so it’s on the agenda for December.

Plus 7.c. REZ-2025-17 Shiloh Road, ~8.2 ac 6641 Shiloh Road, E-A to R-A, Well & Septic, which the Planning Commission heard at its most recent meeting.

This week the Commissioners will consider about $15.5 million in the items on the agenda. Some of that is paid via state or federal grants. The biggest item (MAP) is split over five years. The next most expensive item, the Animal Shelter, comes from SPLOST. Then the LAS upgrades come from federal ARPA money. But the insurance payments appear to come out of the general fund, i.e., property taxes. The power line relocation comes from TSPLOST, i.e., another penny sales tax. Continue reading →

Videos: 1 County, 4 Valdosta, 1 Hahira @ GLPC 2025-10-27

Update 2025-12-06: Packet: 4 Presentations, 4 Appointments, 2 Rezonings, 1 Dec. Lighting, 16 For Consideration, 1 Pump Station Upgrade @ LCC 2025-12-08.

Update 2025-11-13: Gretchen found the rest of the videos. Some were on the card, others were in the camera internal memory. All posted now.

Apparently the video camera failed when I changed the battery, because all I’ve got is video of the last two cases at the October 27, 2025, Regular Session of the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC).

[Videos: Greater Lowndes Planning Commission, Regular Session, 2025-10-27]
Videos: Greater Lowndes Planning Commission, Regular Session, 2025-10-27

After several citizens spoke against, the Planning Commissioners recommended approval 6:4 for the Eager Road rezoning, for decision by the Valdosta City Council.

They recommended approval 8:2 of the billboard variance, for decision by the Hahira City Council.

GLPC recommended approval with five new conditions of the one Lowndes County case, the Copeland Road rezoning (no video; sorry), for final decision by the Lowndes County Commission tomorrow, November 12, 2025.

Below are links to each LAKE video, followed by a video playlist. Continue reading →

Packet: 1 County, 4 Valdosta, 1 Hahira @ GLPC 2025-10-27

Update 2025-11-13: Videos: 1 County, 4 Valdosta, 1 Hahira @ GLPC 2025-10-27.

Update 2025-11-10: Packet: Appointments to Planning Commission & Library Board, Copeland Road rezoning, Holiday and meeting schedule, Jumping Gully Road Bridge over Bevel Creek @ LCC 2025-11-12.

You’ve seen the agenda and the LAKE videos of the Work Session. Here is the board packet for Regular Session of the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC).

The one Lowndes County case has a backstory going back ten years of failed and at least one successful rezoning.

At least two of the Valdosta City cases also have extensive backstory.

The Hahira case is to replace a billboard that was blown over by Hurricane Helene.

[Packet: Collage @ GLPC 2025-10-27]
Packet: Collage @ GLPC 2025-10-27

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

Images of each page are below.

-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

Continue reading →