Too bad about the Nichols House –Jim Parker @ VCC 2014-10-23

Received 23 October 2014 on Alfred Willis comments at Valdosta Historic Preservation 2014-10-06. I added the [vote correction] and the links. -jsq

I attended tonight’s City Council meeting, and heard Dr Willis’ impassioned advocacy of the Council approving the historical preservation of the Nichols’ House. Our Historic Preservation Commission reviewed this and request recommended approval by a vote of five to one. Dr Willis sold me on the merits. Unfortunately, the Council must not have heard what I did, and unanimously voted against [actually all but one against] approving the designation. It looks to me, that as it stands, demolition of the house could commence tomorrow, and the replacement construction of the apartments for VSU students can commence.

A huge number of apartment buildings have been built over the past few years. First with the large complexes of Blanton Commons, The Gardens, and The Grove, to the numerous buildings along West Mary, Baytree Drive, Boone Drive and Oak Street, among others. Plans are still on tap for the major development of the entire city block just south of campus (one that I can actually appreciate). The question was mentioned to me tonight whether Continue reading →

Videos: Nichols House, Turner Brooks, Scintilla Charter School, sidewalk, street lights @ VCC 2014-10-23

If it’s old, it’s no good: tear it down! Despite Alfred Willis saying the Nichols House was not just historic like he presented in his October 1st lecture, but perhaps the most historic, a lawyer spoke against it, and the Valdosta City Council voted against preserving it and thus in favor of demolishing it for the Turner Brooks subdivision next to VSU. Only Council Robert Yost, in whose district the Nichols House remains for the moment, voted for preserving it. We’re told the water issues noted by WWALS for that subdivision are permitting issues, so we’ll see what happens with those. See also Alfred Willis’ comments to the Valdosta Historic Preservation Commission.

And the Council approved Scintilla Charter School’s conditional use, perhaps not coincidentally after local attorney Bill Langdale spoke for it. Plus a sidewalk, streetlights, and other matters.

See the agenda. Here are videos of events as they transpired at the 23 October 2014 Regular Session of the Valdosta City Council.

Continue reading →

Sabal Trail in GWC Dirty Dozen –VDT

Joe Adgie wrote for the VDT today 23 October 2014, Coalition: Sabal one of Dirty Dozen,

VALDOSTA — The Georgia Water Coalition has named the proposed Sabal Trail pipeline as one of its Dirty Dozen for 2014, which highlights “12 of the worst offenses to Georgia’s waters,” according to the organization.

The pipeline is proposed to run under the Withlacoochee river, near Valdosta.

Joe Adgie also took the first picture above, of Logan Hulsey and Blake Clark of Students Against Violating the Environment (S.A.V.E.) at yesterday’s protest in front of the Valdosta Sabal Trail office. The other illustrations here are from WWALS Watershed Coalition about that Dirty Dozen item #9, Sabal Trail pipeline threatens Withlacoochee River and Floridan Aquifer,

In a press release, the GWC cited the risk of contaminating southwest Georgia’s well water, rivers and streams, as well Continue reading →

Protest at Valdosta Sabal Trail office 2014-10-21

Joe Adgie wrote for the VDT 22 October 2014, Residents protests Sabal Trail,

VALDOSTA — A group of around 40 Valdosta and Lowndes County residents went to the Sabal Trail’s Valdosta office on Tuesday afternoon in protest of the group’s proposed pipeline.

The group, many of which carried signs displaying their opposition to the pipeline, discussed the impact of a pipeline on the area.

Dr. Michael Noll, president of Wiregrass Activists for Clean Energy, discussed wanting to educate the community about the dangers of a natural gas pipeline.

“We also want to Continue reading →

Nichols House, Turner Brooks, Scintilla Charter School, sidewalk, street lights @ VCC 2014-10-23

The historic nature of the Nichols House in the proposed Turner Brooks subdivision next to VSU, which also has water issues noted by WWALS, will be considered at the Valdosta City Council tonight; the picture is of people at a previous Planning Commission meeting about this. See Alfred Willis’ comments to the Valdosta Historic Preservation Commission. Also Scintilla Charter School’s proposed rezoning, a sidewalk, streetlights, and other matters.

Here’s the agenda.

AGENDA
REGULAR MEETING OF THE VALDOSTA CITY COUNCIL
5:30 PM Thursday, October 23, 2014
COUNCIL CHAMBERS, CITY HALL
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Alfred Willis comments at Valdosta Historic Preservation 2014-10-06

600x222 Nichols House, in Valdosta's Ultramodern Masterpiece: The Nichols House on Baytree, by Alfred Willis, 1 October 2014

Nichols House, in Valdosta’s Ultramodern Masterpiece: The Nichols House on Baytree

One of the (many) meetings that LAKE has not been covering is the Valdosta Historic Preservation Commission.
Dr. Alfred Willis speaking at VSU

Dr. Alfred Willis speaking at VSU

At the October 2014 meeting, the commission considered the issue of the Nichols House (corner of Baytree and Azalea). Alfred Willis sent his comments from that meeting to LAKE for publication.

Earlier in the month, LAKE covered Dr. Willis’ presentation at VSU about the Nichols House article here and video playlist .

I am Alfred Willis of 4153 Stone Hall Boulevard, Hermitage, TN. I am a consultant in architectural history and I speak for my clients, the Alden Park Homeowners’ Association. My clients engaged me to study a group of buildings threatened with demolition as part of a proposed student-housing complex. They were concerned by Continue reading →

WCTV on Sabal Trail pipeline activism

300x151 Sabal Trail Right of Way, in One Year After Sabal Trail Announces Pipeline Plans, Activists Begin Monthly Protests, by WCTV, 21 October 2014 Going on a year after Sabal Trail opened an office in Valdosta, WCTV used the latest protests to do a retrospective.

Winnie Wright reported for WCTV today, 22 October 2014, One Year After Sabal Trail Announces Pipeline Plans, Activists Begin Monthly Protests,

Time may have passed, but opinions haven’t changed much here in Valdosta, where people..who are against the pipeline say there are countless reasons why it doesn’t belong in their backyards.

300x154 Gretchen Quarterman, in One Year After Sabal Trail Announces Pipeline Plans, Activists Begin Monthly Protests, by WCTV, 21 October 2014 “There’s a moral obligation to leave the world as beautiful and majestic as we found it, and the pipeline; it does not do that”, says Gretchen Quarterman, President of the Lowndes County Democratic Party.

LCDP statement against the pipeline.

WCTV video: Continue reading →

Videos: Update on Economic Development meeting @ VLCIA 2014-09-16

Here’s the agenda, and here are videos of the meeting as it proceeded. They meet again tonight at 5:30 PM.

Videos: Candidates in Lake Park @ LPCoC 2014-10-16

Sitting at a table, the local candidates laid out their positions in Lake Park. See also LAKE videos of the previous candidate forum in Valdosta. Continue reading →

Videos: Valdosta Chamber Candidate Forum @ VLCoC 2014-10-07

Here are LAKE videos of the candidates forum at the Rainwater Conference Center organized by the Valdosta-Lowndes County Chamber of Commerce. In the one remaining County Commission race, for District 3, Tom Hochschild made opposition to the Sabal Trail pipeline a platform plank, while Mark Wisenbaker mentioned his opposition to the county’s lawsuit against local business Deep South Sanitation (DSS). We know Hochschild is opposed to that lawsuit and Wisenbaker is opposed to that pipeline, so we may get some change on the County Commission in January. Cary Scarborough of DSS was at this forum, as were many pipeline opponents. Bikram Mohanty wins special mention for best use of the VSU students Hochschild brought.

Continue reading →