Category Archives: Transportation

Solar freakin’ roadways

Solar Roadways has raised $1,884,633 in six weeks from Earth Day to now on a goal of $1,000,000 in indiegogo (which was already a record for most contributors with 36,000 people at $1.5 million). Yes, to all those who have asked me, I think it could work. Add solar roadways to rooftop solar and solar farms and wind, and the EPA’s new CO2 rule (which doesn’t even do much about coal for years and does nothing about about “natural” gas) will seem like a quaint baby step in a few years after this happens: Continue reading →

Frontage, trees, daycare, and Wal-Mart @ ZBOA 2014-06-03

Two Lowndes County cases ( road frontage and tree protection), and two Valdosta Valdosta cases (daycares on busy streets and Wal-Mart parking). The county cases are both variances from the Unified Land Development Code (ULDC) and the city cases are both variances from Valdosta’s Land Development Regulations (LDR), and both the ULDC and LDR are supposed to be consistent with the Comprehensive Plan.

Here’s the agenda. The City of Valdosta puts ZBOA agendas and minutes online in real PDFs.

Valdosta -Lowndes County Zoning Board of Appeals

Matt Martin, Valdosta Planning and Zoning Administrator Carmella Braswell, Lowndes County Zoning Administrator
300 North Lee Street, Valdosta, Georgia 327 North Ashley Street, Valdosta, Georgia
(229) 259-3563 (229) 671-2430

AGENDA


Tuesday, June 3, 2014
2:30 p.m.
Continue reading →

Videos: Road work and apparently annexation @ LCC Work 2014-05-27

Nevermind the County Engineer said about the Cat Creek Road bridge, “All construction will take place during the months of June and July” (Work Session 2014-03-24), it was closed when Gretchen was headed for this morning’s Work Session, so she had to go by Moody AFB on Bemiss Road, and was a few minutes late. That’s why there’s no video for the first few agenda items, and the videos are handheld. They vote 5:30 PM this evening at the Regular Session, is the same time as the Planning Commission meeting.

The smaller acreage for the return of the Hahira Annexation request is because it no longer has frontage on Hagen Bridge Road, only on GA 122, thus removing the county’s previous grounds for objection (but it’s also on the Planning Commission agenda at 5:30PM today, same time as the Regular Session). There is an appointment to the Hospital Authority and two reappointments to the shadowy Lowndes County Public Facilities Authority that approves bonds. Two Public Hearings for road abandonments, of Old Statenville Road and of Excess Right of Way on James Road and Riverside Road. All that plus a GEMA Sheltering Memorandum of Agreement and a beer license, plus Poll Manager Recognition.

Here’s the agenda, with links to the videos and a few notes. See videos from the previous Regular Session for context on the Public Hearings and on the James Road Subsidence.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, TUESDAY, MAY 27, 2014, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, MAY 27, 2014, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street — 2nd Floor
Continue reading →

Work, Budget, and Regular Sessions all Tuesday @ LCC 2014-05-27

The Hahira Annexation request is back (while on the Planning Commission agenda the same day), and there is an appointment to the Hospital Authority and two to the shadowy Lowndes County Public Facilities Authority that approves bonds. Two Public Hearings for road abandonments, of Old Statenville Road and of Excess Right of Way on James Road and Riverside Road. All that plus a GEMA Sheltering Memorandum of Agreement and a beer license, plus Poll Manager Recognition.

The county’s front page and calendar link to a blank page for a Budget Session Tuesday. Guessing by previous behavior, that may mean at 5PM before the Regular Session at 5:30 PM, which in turn is the same time as the Planning Commission meeting. The Work Session is also Tuesday, at 8:30AM, due to Memorial Day Monday.

Here’s the agenda. See videos from the previous Regular Session for context on the Public Hearings and on the James Road Subsidence.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, TUESDAY, MAY 27, 2014, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, MAY 27, 2014, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street — 2nd Floor
Continue reading →

Videos of votes: James Road fallout, airport, water, sewer, alcohol @ LCC 2014-05-13

In a Special Presentation to Thomas Smith on retiring from the 911 center, we saw a rare use of the county’s video camera to display the podium at the front of the room. Escalated from contingency fund to SPLOST payment (we still don’t know how much): fixing the James Road 10-inch drop in 48 hours in front of Westside Elementary School due to faulty road construction in 2008. Also due to that same hasty 2008 James Road widening and realignment for the James Road second mall and massive subdivision mega-project that never happened, they scheduled a Public Hearing for abandoning Excess Right of Way on James Rd & Riverside Dr. And they voted to fix three discrepencies MIDS, Inc. found in its contract of last year. They voted for the low bid on the lift station pump without ever saying what the other bids were.

They reappointed Airport Authority Chairman Steve Everett for another four-year term; he did not appear. They approved the 911 Center surplus item sale. They scheduled a Public Hearing to abandon part of Old Statenville Road SE because they say only seven cars a day, no, now it’s ten cars a day, use it and there are no houses on it. Nobody had any questions about the a beer license.

And the County Manager said a quarantine on the Animal Shelter was being lifted and the next Work Session would be Tuesday (27 May 2014) because of the holiday (Memorial Day).

Here’s the agenda.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, MAY 12, 2014, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, MAY 13, 2014, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street — 2nd Floor
Continue reading →

Test now to protect our children –Waycross citizens group to GA EPD

Waycross citizens have not ceased trying to get answers since they first met with GA EPD in November. -jsq

For Immediate Release:
Silentdisaster.org Meets with Judson Turner, Director of Georgia EPD
May 12, 2014
By: Silentdisaster.org, a citizens group in Waycross, Georgia

After over a year of delays and disappointments, Members of Silentdisaster.org Group met with Judson Turner, Director of EPD on Monday, May 5th to discuss the harmful chemicals found in the Waycross area which the group believes points to CSX as the source of the community’s toxic contamination which is killing local residents. With several children having died and a new childhood case being reported, the Members of Silentdisaster.org want immediate action to protect the children from environmental exposure.

The list of chemicals found in soil and water tests include Continue reading →

Videos: airport appointment, water, sewer, alcohol, and surplus right of way @ LCC 2014-05-12

They vote tomorrow evening on paying for an emergency road fix and several discrepencies. James Road dropped 10 inches in 48 hours in front of Westside Elementary School, due to faulty road construction in 2008. Also due to that same hasty 2008 James Road widening and realignment for the James Road second mall and massive subdivision mega-project that never happened, there is Excess Right of Way on James Rd & Riverside Dr. that the County Engineer wants to quit claim and give back to the neighboring landowners. In other discrepencies, MIDS, Inc. found three in its contract of last year and wants a Transportation Service Contract Addendum to fix the work the county didn’t check. A Commissioner wanted to know why the three bids for a lift station pump varied so much.

Airport Authority Chairman Steve Everett wants to be reappointed for another four-year term. The 911 center has surplus items out back it wants to sell off. County staff want to abandon Old Statenville Road SE because they say only seven cars a day use it and there are no houses on it. Nobody had any questions about the a beer license.

Here’s the agenda.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, MAY 12, 2014, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, MAY 13, 2014, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street — 2nd Floor
Continue reading →

Airport Authority appointment, water, sewer, alcohol, and surplus right of way @ LCC 2014-05-12

If anybody knew about upcoming appointments, like this one to the Valdosta-Lowndes County Airport Authority, they might want to apply, or suggest a likely applicant. Which surplus items? Which Transportation Service needs a Contract Addendum? Why is the Commission considering abandoning Old Statenville Road SE and Excess Right of Way on James Rd & Riverside Dr.? Does this mean the infamous 2007 James Road second mall and massive subdivision mega-project is finally really dead and gone? Or something else? Is it comforting to know the only thing that is clear on your Lowndes County Commission’s agenda for tomorrow morning is a beer license?

Here’s the agenda.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
    PROPOSED AGENDA
    WORK SESSION, MONDAY, MAY 12, 2014, 8:30 a.m.
    REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, MAY 13, 2014, 5:30 p.m.
    327 N. Ashley Street — 2nd Floor
Continue reading →

One ULDC variance @ ZBOA 2014-05-06 @ ZBOA 2014-05-06

You can see in this video that ZBOA granted the one Lowndes County ULDC variance, for lot access and road frontage.

Even though according to the Lowndes County Tax Assessors’ maps, 3041 Touchton Road doesn’t actually touch Touchton Road, or any other road, it does have a 25 foot easement through adjoining property. The owner wants to record a survey for the property, and perhaps to sell it. The question was whether that existing easement could be used instead of the usual 60 foot easement.

This was one of the briefest ZBOA meetings (14 minutes, of which two and a half were introductory material, since there was only one case, and it was quick to decide. And ZBOA does actually decide, unlike the Planning Commission, which only recommends.

Here’s the agenda. The City of Valdosta puts ZBOA agendas and minutes online in real PDFs. Continue reading →

One ULDC variance @ ZBOA 2014-05-06

One Lowndes County ULDC variance, for lot access and road frontage. The could be interesting, since, according to the Lowndes County Tax Assessors’ maps, 3041 Touchton Road doesn’t actually touch Touchton Road, or any other road, for that matter.

Here’s the agenda. The City of Valdosta puts ZBOA agendas and minutes online in real PDFs. Continue reading →