They said almost nothing last month about
Project Max, so we don’t know for sure if for example it is really a glass container company.
They meet again tonight. Actually, that one is cancelled; they meet next April 19th.
At the end, Gretchen
spoke about:
Dr. Noll of WACE said he was there to “harrass” Continue reading
Is Project Max really a glass container company?
What bids did they get for the
Clearing & Grubbing RFP last Friday?
How is that going to work right next to Mud Swamp after heavy rains?
How’s Nature Nate liking being the only business in the Authority’s Miller Business Park? What about the legislative dinner and the Bird Supper? Gretchen will be there tonight with the LAKE video camera.
Here’s the agenda.
Valdosta-Lowndes Development Authority
Tuesday, February 16, 2016 5:30 p.m.
Development Authority Conference Room/103 Roosevelt Drive Continue reading
Some of our elected officials wonder few people ever speak up around here.
It’s simple: they owe their soul to the company store.
If you don’t go along, you don’t get business.
As Tennessee Ernie Ford sang in that old Merle Travis song:
Continue readingYou load sixteen tons, what do you get
Another day older and deeper in debt
Saint Peter don’t you call me ’cause I can’t go
I owe my soul to the company store
The Lowndes County cases
are the ones the County Commission is reviewing
this morning in their Work Session.
GLPC recommended approval for all of them, with conditions on one,
REZ-2016-03 Jacob Eckwahl on US 41 South.
See also the GLPC agenda and the LAKE videos of the 19 Jan 2016 GLPC Work Session. Below are the LAKE videos of the 25 Jan 2016 GLPC Regular Session, followed by a video playlist. Continue reading
Not on
the agenda,
they started with
a public hearing on the Comprehensive Plan.
Expecting from
the email announcement about the Comprehensive Plan
that this would be a typical SGRC tables-and-easels mill-about meeting,
I didn’t show up on the dot and was quite surprised to find
the Planning Commission and staff in their usual spots.
See separate post.
Here are the LAKE videos with some notes, followed by a video playlist. Continue reading
The owner of
a parcel on US 41 South wants to rezone
from R-10 back to Estate Agriculture.
That Lowndes County case is the opposite of the Hahira case that wants
rezoning
from single-family to multi-family,
and there are many other cases in between, plus
another cemetery case!
Here’s the agenda for Monday’s Regular Session, and also for last Monday’s Work Session, even though it doesn’t say that.
Greater Lowndes Planning Commission
Continue reading
Lowndes County City of Valdosta City of Dasher City of Hahira City of Lake Park
REGULAR MONTHLY MEETING
AGENDA
Lowndes County South Health District Administrative Office
325 West Savannah Avenue
Tuesday, January 25, 2016 * 5:30 P.M. * Public Hearing
The secretive Project Max container company
better not be like when the Industrial Authority bragged about a prospect that would bring in 300 clean jobs and it turned out to be
a private prison,
which fortunately (after much public opposition) never happened.
At last Tuesday’s Lowndes County Commissioner Regular Session, nearby landowner Mike Paine said he is afraid of many things, because it’s a rush job
and nobody has told him anything concrete.
The Industrial Authority, now called the Development Authority, says we should
trust them.
It would help if they wouldn’t say things like no emissions but steam,
when burning natural gas produces CO2,
and if they would admit that methane often leaks, and then it’s a far worse
greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.
5.a. REZ-2016-01 Project Max, Rocky Ford Rd, E-A to M-2 123 acres
Video. About the public hearing for rezoning from Estate Agricultural (E-A) to heavy-duty manufacturing (M-2) for the hush-hush Project Max, the big-fish container manufacturing plant proposed for Rocky Ford Road, next to the protected watershed of Mud Swamp and near Valdosta Airport, see Continue reading
Citizen Billy Rowland complained about poor road grading,
his dogs being shot, and misuse of Knights Ferry Landing on the Withlacoochee River.
Maybe the Commission will listen to what he said this time, at last Tuesday’s Lowndes County Commissioner Regular Session.
Apparently G. Norman Bennett wants Hall Web Road paved for the mile to his house at the Little River, but
Julia Bass,
Ralph Niehenke,
and
Diane Guess
spoke up saying they don’t want it paved.
Commissioner Mark Wisenbaker tried to ask them questions,
but Chairman Bill Slaughter cut him off.
Slaugher did have time earlier fo
an extra announcement of a joint governmental meeting Tuesday morning.
It’s not clear citizens will even get to speak there, much less get questions answered.
See
separate post.
They passed the resolution to ask the legislature to start the proecess to appoint rather than elect Lowndes County Tax Assessors.
They already did emergency repairs to Clyattville Nankin Road Bridge (problem discovered by a local citizen) and Jumping Gully Road Bridge (found by GDOT), and the Commissione approved payment after the fact. So two more no-bid contracts were let, this time without even a Commission vote before the work was done.
They agreed to the North Lowndes Park Quitclaim and Custodial Agreement by which Valdosta-Lowndes Parks & Rec. Authority (VLPRA) takes charge of some land west of I-75 north of Hahira for a soccer field.
A few citizens spoke about rezoning for the mysterious Project Max, but of course they passed the rezoning anyway, even though apparently none of the Commissioners know who the prospective tenant is.
The Lowndes County Commission agenda contained quite a few other items as the Commission caught up after the holidays. See also the LAKE videos of the previous morning’s Work Session. Below are links to each LAKE video of the Tuesday evening 12 January 2016 Regular Session, followed by a video playlist. Continue reading
Even the Planning Commissioners weren’t told what company “Project Max” is, because
the Development Authority is still bidding the location as one of two
being considered by the company.
See also the
agenda
the
previous update.
Planning Commissioners did have quite a few questions about expansion, appropriate zoning, any potential pollution or contamination, etc.
Naturally, the Planning Commission recommended approval,
so the actual decision will be before the County Commission
next Tuesday evening. Meanwhile, here are links to the LAKE videos of the Planning Commission, with a few notes, followed by a video playlist. Continue reading
We still don’t know what company
might locate on Rocky Ford Road,
but we’re told it’s clean,
needs water to cool its boiler which will be fired by natural gas,
that it rejected Bassford Business Park because of air quality
(too near Sterling Chemical?), and we have the location of the new site,
which turns out to be on
land owned by Langdale Capital Assets, Inc.
Speaking for the rezoning from the Development Authority were Executive Director Andrea Schruijer, Industry Coordinator Stan Crance, and Chairman Tom Call. Every Lowndes County Commissioner was present. When asked how an agenda the same day was enough notice, Lowndes County Planner Jason Davenport said the Special Called Meeting was actually announced in the Valdosta Daily Times last week. Also that the rezoning will only take effect if the Development Authority buys the land first. Gretchen asked a few questions about parking: if the business is going to expand, will there be enough? Someone told Gretchen that the company would have solar power.
We shall see. And you will be able to see this meeting by tomorrow in the LAKE videos Gretchen took. Continue reading