Category Archives: Valdosta City Council

Videos: One rezoning each, Valdosta and Lowndes County @ GLPC 2023-02-27

It took the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) about an hour to consider the Valdosta and Lowndes County rezonings. Each case had quite a few citizen speakers and much Commissioner discussion.

The one Lowndes County case got a 6:2 recommendation to deny. It will be decided by the Lowndes County Commission tomorrow evening, March 14, 2023.

The one Valdosta case got a unanimous recommendation to approve. It was decided by the Valdosta Mayor and Council on March 9th.

[Collage @ LCC 27 February 2023]
Collage @ LCC 27 February 2023

Below are LAKE videos of each agenda item, followed by a LAKE video playlist.

See also the agenda and the board packet materials for the Valdosta item. And the board packet materials for the Lowndes County rezoning that the county got around to sending the day after the GLPC meeting are linked into the agenda post for the deciding Lowndes County Commission meeting.

Here’s a LAKE video playlist:


Videos: One rezoning each, Valdosta and Lwondes County @ GLPC 2023-02-27
Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC), Regular Session, February 27, 2023, Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, .
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE).

-jsq

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One case each: Valdosta, Lowndes County @ GLPC 2023-02-27

Update 2023-03-13: Videos: One rezoning each, Valdosta and Lwondes County @ GLPC 2023-02-27.

The one Valdosta case before the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission tomorrow evening is for rezoning 1.76 acres from R-6 to R-M at 915 West Street, “to develop it as an apartment complex with 12 dwelling units.”

The one Lowndes County case is for rezoning about 8 acres from R-1 (Low Density Residential) to P-D (Planned Development) on Janes Road at Smith Street. That’s all I know, because the county has still not sent the relevant board packet materials in response to a LAKE open records request. As a placeholder, I put in a map from the Lowndes County Tax Assessors.

[Valdosta and Lowndes County cases @ GLPC 2023-02-27]
Valdosta and Lowndes County cases @ GLPC 2023-02-27

Here is the agenda. The board packet materials that Matt Martin sent on February 14, 2023, is on the LAKE website, and images from it are below after the agenda. Continue reading →

Videos: Hahira Bojangles with gas station rezoning @ GLPC 2023-01-30

By far the longest time was spent on the two Hahira items about the proposal for a Bojangles with store and more than 8 gas pumps. Both items got unanimous votes to recommend approval.

[Collage @ LCC 30 January 2023]
Collage @ LCC 30 January 2023

Local attorney Brad Folsom spoke for. Nobody spoke against.

The Valdosta rezoning also got a unanimous recommendation of approval, 5. VA-2023-01 3095 James Road Rezone 1.92 acres from PMD to C-H. So did the Lowndes County rezoning, 6. REZ-2023-02 Thomas Property, Madison Highway, 0136-029C ~10 acres R-1 to R-A.

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.

For the Lowndes County rezoning, 6. REZ-2023-02 Thomas Property, Madison Highway, 0136-029C ~10 acres R-1 to R-A, see Packet: Agricultural rezoning, Tourism, lot purchase, Firefighters, Sewer Main Open Cut @ LCC 2023-02-13. Continue reading →

Videos: Opposition gets Dollar General on GA 122 & Skipper Bridge voted down @ GLPC 2022-11-28

Update 2022-12-09: Agenda: Sprawl on Skipper Bridge Road and Purchase of Land Between the Rivers @ LCC 2022-12-12.

Update 2022-12-09: Massive citizen opposition to development foothold in agricultural and forestry area @ GLPC 2022-12-08.

The eight citizens who spoke against the Dollar General rezoning at GA 122 and Skipper Bridge Road get star billing.

[Collage @ GLPC 28 November 2022]
Collage @ GLPC 28 November 2022

“We don’t need to have new commercial zoning in our area.” —Gretchen Quarterman

“We have no interest in adding convenience to our peaceful little community.” —Becky Rowntree Harris

“The river is literally my back yard.” —Danielle Jackson

“Ten-day is an absolute joke.” —Samuel Heath Dawson

“And the other 112 acres would be the next battle.” —William Pope

“Put it across from Ashley Paulk’s development.” —Roxanne Newton

“Even with the goose egg [?] it’s still a Dollar General and I do not want this.” —Dan Richardson

“Please take the wishes of the many, versus the dollars of the few.” —Last Speaker

GLPC voted 7:1 to recommend disapproval. The actual rezoning decision will be made by the Lowndes County Commission at its Regular Session, Tuesday, December 13th, 2022, 5:30 PM. If you don’t want that store in an agricultural area, attracting still more subdivisions still farther north in the county, call or write your county commissioner or come speak against at that meeting. If somebody wants to start a petition, that might also help.

Or you can jump to the full meeting, in which you’ll learn the Hahira deannexation was unanimously voted against, GLPC has a new board member, Ron Bythwood, and a new Chair and Vice-Chair starting in January.

So, about 5. REZ-2022-20 Teramore, Hwy 122/Skipper Bridge Rd, 0067 051, 3.0 ac.E-A to C-C. Continue reading →

Big rezoning inside Valdosta among 5 Valdosta cases, 2 Hahira, 3 Lowndes County @ GLPC 2022-11-28

Update 2022-11-29: Dollar General, GA 122 & Skipper Bridge Road @ GLPC 2022-11-28.

Inside the City of Valdosta, something may finally happen with the Loch-Winn Farms property off of James Road and Riverside Road, near the Withlacoochee River that has been becalmed since 2008. The inland part of the property may be rezoned for 130 house lots.

Hahira may get a Red Owl drive-through coffee shop with indoor and outdoor seating. And a landowner on Hagan Bridge Road wants to deannex some property from Hahira.

Lowndes County may get a subdivision way out west of Snake Nation Road, near the Little River: REZ-2022-18 Hilton, Chug A Lug Road, 0033 023B, ~8.3 acres.

[Collage @ GLPC 2022-11-28]
Collage @ GLPC 2022-11-28

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 21, 2022 5:30 P.M. Work Session
Monday, November 28, 2022 5:30 P.M. Regular Session
Lowndes County South Health District Administrative Office
325 West Savannah Avenue, Valdosta, Georgia

Continue reading →

Videos: FY24 5311, USGS, Code Red, Disaster, Hazard, Facilities, TIA, FY23 Law, SDS, Exit 13 @ LCC 2022-10-25

Everything passed unanimously at the Regular Session of the Lowndes County Commission on Tuesday, October 27, 2022. There were a few questions, but nothing contentious.

[Collage @ LCC 2022-10-25]
Collage @ LCC 2022-10-25

Chairman Bill Slaughter said Valdosta had supplied all the needed signatures from the City of Valdosta for the Service Delivery Agreement, although two of the smaller cities (unnamed) still needed to sign. City Manager Paige Dukes whispered to the Chairman that Valdosta City Council Andy Gibbs was in the room, and the Chairman thanked him.

The County Manager in her Report said Finance Director Stephanie Black had finished the “budget report” and it is on the county’s website for use by Commission, staff, and citizens. She didn’t say where, but I’m guessing she meant the Operating Budget, Fiscal Year 2023. She also said the county is going to update its noise ordinance to “get in line with citizens’ expectations”. On November 7th at 4-7 PM there wil be an Internet session with Windstream.

Rachel Thrasher said the county’s new videos have gotten 6,000 views in six weeks. She didn’t say where. But here’s one, on facebook, about golf cart accidents.

Robert Tracy proposed a special session of the Commission that citizens could attend, about property taxes. Apparently as the Tax Assessors catch up with a many-year backlog of appraisals, there have been some sudden rises in appraisals.

Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, with a few notes by Gretchen, followed by a LAKE video playlist.

See also the LAKE videos of the previous morning’s Work Session and agenda and board packet.

Continue reading →

Videos: River Gauges, Lift Station, Disaster Relief, Hazards, Facilities, TIA, Service Delivery @ LCC 2022-10-24

Most items sailed through this morning’s Work Session of the Lowndes County Commission. They vote tomorrow, Tuesday evening, at 5:30 PM.

The county continues to be unhappy with the City of Valdosta about the Service Delivery Agreement.

Chairman Bill Slaughter asked to have the Patrol Car Laptop Lease tabled for further clarification.


[River Gauges, Hazard Mitigation, Facilities, Service Delivery, Lift Station, Reports @ LCC 2022-09-24]
River Gauges, Hazard Mitigation, Facilities, Service Delivery, Lift Station, Reports @ LCC 2022-09-24

Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, with a few notes by Gretchen, followed by a LAKE video playlist. See also the agenda and board packet. Continue reading →

Videos: Many rezonings, some contentious @ GLPC 2022-09-26

Update 2022-10-31: Packet: Two rezonings, Pictometry, Lift Station quit claim, Val Del Estates subdivision infrastructure 2022-10-10

Actually, not contentious: the planners and applicants spoke for a long time. Nobody spoke against the rezoning requests, and the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) voted unanimously to recommend approval of all of them, last month on September 26, 2022.

[Four of many rezonings @ GLPC 2022-09-26]
Four of many rezonings @ GLPC 2022-09-26

Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, with a few notes by Gretchen, followed by a LAKE video playlist. See also the agenda and board packet. Continue reading →

Packet: Lift Station & Force Main, River Gauge, Transit, Code Red, Facilities, TIA, SDS, etc. @ LCC 2022-10-24

Update 2022-10-24: Videos: River Gauges, Lift Station, Disaster Relief, Hazards, Facilities, TIA, Service Delivery @ LCC 2022-10-24.

It’s a long agenda even with no rezonings, at the Lowndes County Commission Work Session this morning.

They vote Tuesday evening at 5:30 PM on $3 million in expenditures. The agenda says that $1,839,820 for Hazard Mitigation will be “Fully reimbursed to Lowndes County (90% from FEMA 10% from Pruitt Health Corporation)”.

Cost What
$1,839,820.00 Approval of Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) Applications
$1,084,938.91Exit 13 Lift Station and Force Main Project
$50,300.00Patrol Car Laptop Lease
$31,500.00Code Red Service Renewal
$23,850.00Joint Funding Agreement with USGS for Stream Gauge Maintenance
$3,030,408.91Total

[Agenda @ LCC 2022-10-24]
Agenda @ LCC 2022-10-24

The Stream Gauge item is for the river gauges on the Withlacoochee River at Skipper Road [sic] (Hagan Bridge) and the Little River near Hahira (Folsom Bridge).

Here is the agenda.

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

Cancelled: GLPC has no agenda items

There is no meeting this month of the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC), due to lack of business.

However, the lists of GLPC members by Lowndes County and Valdosta do not match.

According to Loretta Hylton of SGRC there are no agenda items for Dasher or Lake Park.

According to City Planner Matt Martin, there are no agenda items for Valdosta or Hahira.

Remerton City Planner Jessica Freeman was not heard from.

But Lowndes County Planner JD Dillard summed it up: “There are no GLPC agenda items for the County either, and therefore the October meeting of the GLPC has been cancelled.”

[Lowndes County and Valdosta lists of GLPC members]
Lowndes County and Valdosta lists of GLPC members

Lowndes County may want to update its list of GLPC members, considering that Valdosta appointed Robert Jefferson to GLPC on November 11, 2021, almost a year ago.

The Valdosta list of GLPC members includes Robert Jefferson.

-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!