Tag Archives: Bemiss Road

Four big + 2 small county rezonings, four Valdosta rezonings, 3 of them CUP @ GLPC 2021-11-29

Update 2021-12-01: Videos: An inappropriate rezoning unanimously opposed, but beware return with different acreage @ GLPC 2021-11-29

There’s been alarm in the northwest part of Lowndes County for a month about the 34-acre Miller Bridge Road rezoning. And there are three more big rezonings on the agenda tonight for the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission, on Rocky Ford Road, Val Tech Road, and Seminole Drive.

Those are Lowndes County cases, plus two more small rezonings.

The four Valdosta cases include one “CUP for very high density MultiFamily residential in C-C zoning” on West Hill Avenue, which sounds like a better idea than more sprawl out into the county.

[Four big rezonings]
Four big rezonings

Below is the agenda plus some maps from the Lowndes County Tax Assessors.

Greater Lowndes Planning Commission
~ Lowndes County ~ City of Valdosta ~ City of Dasher ~
~ City of Hahira ~ City of Lake Park ~ City of Remerton ~
Monday, November 22, 2021 5:30 P.M. Work Session
Monday, November 29, 2021 5:30 P.M. Regular Session
Lowndes County South Health District Administrative Office
325 West Savannah Avenue, Valdosta, Georgia

Continue reading →

Videos: Comprehensive Plan, rezonings, tower, Hospital Authority, elections @ LCC 2021-11-09

All the main items breezed by unanimously, including the Comprehensive Plan and the Hospital Authority re-appointment of Ben Copeland, at the Lowndes County Commission Regular Session, November 9, 2021.

The only things taking longer than three minutes were the County Manager’s Report and Citizens Wishing to Be Heard about how the Board of Elections is appointed and funded.

[Comprehensive Plan, Communications Tower, Manager's Report, Electios]
Comprehensive Plan, Communications Tower, Manager’s Report, Electios

Below are LAKE videos of each agenda item with a few notes, followed by a LAKE video playlist. See also the LAKE videos of the previous morning’s Work Session, the agenda and Board packet, and, for the rezonings and the tower, the LAKE videos of the preceding Planning Commission meeting.

For the Comprehensive Plan, see also the LAKE videos of the preceding Comprehensive Plan Update Meeting 2 and the Character Area Maps for it, the Lowndes County Commission Regular Session before that, and the quite lengthy first Comprehensive Plan Public Hearing.

Videos: One Valdosta-Lowndes, Troupville River Camp, Hospital Authority re-appointment, Godfrey rezoning, VAWA staffing @ LCC 2021-11-08

By far the longest item at 33 minutes at the Lowndes County Commission Work Session was a presentation about One Valdosta-Lowndes (OVL).

[OVL River Camp, Hospital Authority appointment, Godfrey rezoning, VAWA staffing]
OVL River Camp, Hospital Authority appointment, Godfrey rezoning, VAWA staffing

Second longest at almost five minutes was 8.e. Request For Cash Match Increase For VAWA ASG Salary Supplement, about the Violence Against Women Act. Third at four minutes was 7.c. REZ-2021-24 Barry Godfrey, Mt. Zion Church Road.

The likely re-appointee to the Hospital Authority did attend.

Everything else got little discussion, including the final approval of the Comprehensive Plan Update.

They voted the following Tuesday evening.

Below are LAKE videos of each agenda item, with a few notes, followed by

Comprehensive Plan approval, Hospital Authority re-appointment, 3 small rezonings, AT&T cell tower, Regional Transit, LMIG Restriping, Budget Calendar, Second Harvest, Code Red @ LCC 2021-11-08

The Lowndes County Commission will probably re-appoint Ben Copeland to the Hospital Authority, and approve three rezonings, only one (REZ-2021-24 Barry Godfrey) apparently controversial, as well as an AT&T telecommunications tower, Tuesday evening after hearing them Monday morning.

The item with the biggest effect is the 2021 Comprehensive Plan Adoption.

[REZ-2021-24 Barry Godfrey, Mt. Zion Church Road; TWR-2021-01 CitySwitch II, LLC, Bemiss Road, New 265' Telecommunications Tower]
REZ-2021-24 Barry Godfrey, Mt. Zion Church Road; TWR-2021-01 CitySwitch II, LLC, Bemiss Road, New 265′ Telecommunications Tower

The big ticket near-term item is for roads, 2021 LMIG Safety Action Plan Restriping.

Cost What
$281,529.502021 LMIG Safety Action Plan Restriping
$32,266.00Request for Cash Match Increase for VAWA ASG Salary Supplement
$31,500.00Code Red Annual Renewal
$345,295.50Total

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

For the Comprehensive Plan, see the LAKE videos of the preceding Comprehensive Plan Update Meeting 2 and the Character Area Maps for it, the Lowndes County Commission Regular Session before that, and the quite lengthy first Comprehensive Plan Public Hearing.

For the rezonings and the telecommunications tower, see also the LAKE videos of the preceding Planning Commission meeting.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2021, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2021, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

  1. Call to Order Continue reading →

Videos: Four Lowndes County rezonings, communications tower, Hahira office buildings @ GLPC 2021-10-25

Longest at 26 minutes was the rezoning for relocation of an “automobile inventory” to 3436 Mt. Zion Church Road.

Second at 19 minutes was the Hahira rezoning for office buildings in Hahira at 515 South Church Street, which got conditions.

Third at almost 13 minutes was the communications tower for CitySwitch at 5010 Bemiss Road, just north of the Lowndes County fire station.

The other two county rezonings were four minutes each.

[Godfrey, Hahira, Tower, Sineath]
Godfrey, Hahira, Tower, Sineath

Below are LAKE videos of each agenda item with a few notes, followed by a LAKE video playlist. See also the agenda and the Hahira agenda packet item. The packet items for the four Lowndes County cases are also on the LAKE website, received Wednesday, two days after the GLPC meeting, in response to a LAKE open records request. We look forward to the county putting its board packets online like many other counties in Georgia and Florida have been doing for years. Continue reading →

Hahira office buildings, 3 small county rezonings + telecommunications tower @ GLPC 2021-10-25

We do now have an agenda for the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission meeting tonight.

When: 5:30 PM, Monday, October 25, 2021

Where: South Health District Administrative Office
325 West Savannah Avenue, Valdosta, GA 31601

[Agenda, Hahira case @ GLPC 2021-10-25]
Agenda, Hahira case @ GLPC 2021-10-25

Here is the agenda, thanks to Trinni Amiot. It also appeared online this morning. Thanks to Hahira City Planner Matt Martin for the board packet materials for the one Hahira case. We have no board packet materials for the Lowndes County cases; we have heard nothing from County Planner JD Dillard.

What we have is on the LAKE website:
http://www.l-a-k-e.org/govt/glpc/2021-10-25–glpc-packet Continue reading →

Videos: Subdivision way out of bounds approved, and million-dollar water main, but Wells Road stays open 2021-10-12

The good news: Wells Road and Folsom Bridge Landing remain open, after the Commissioners unanimously denied the road closure. Thanks to Commissioner Clay Griner for making the motion, saying that the request met none of the criteria.

The bad news: by a 3:2 vote they approved the subdivision way too far north on Val Del Road, far outside the subdivision character area, despite the Planning Commission, county staff, and three speakers against in the Public Hearing. Griner also made that motion. The audience was not happy, especially at Commissioner Scottie Orenstein for voting for that motion.

[Subdivision too far north on Val Del approved, audience reaction, Wells Road stays open, un-needed $million water main approved]
Subdivision too far north on Val Del approved, audience reaction, Wells Road stays open, un-needed $million water main approved

The Commissioners also approved without comment the $1 million unnecessary water main as part of the $5 million utilities package.

They approved everything else unanimously.

Below are LAKE videos of each agenda item with some notes, followed by a LAKE video playlist. See also the agenda and board packet and the LAKE videos of the previous morning’s Work Session.

Continue reading →

Videos: Subdivisions, Wells Road abandonment, Water Main, Library @ LCC 2021-10-11

Update 2021-10-12 Videos: Subdivision way out of bounds approved, and million-dollar water main, but Wells Road stays open.

A road abandonment apparently had not taken into account people who live farther north up Wells Road, this morning’s Lowndes County Commission Work Session. Nor that closing that road would close one of only two public access points to the Little River in Lowndes County. Nor that the Mary Turner Lynching monument is on that road.

[Beaver Run, GW Farms, Villages subdivisions, Wells Road abandonment]
Beaver Run, GW Farms, Villages subdivisions, Wells Road abandonment

Of the $5 million for utilities, $1 million is for a water main to promote more subdivisions northwest in the county. To their credit, two Commissioners asked about that.

They breezed through seven rezonings, three of them for subdivisions, one so far out of place their own staff recommend against it, with no comments nor questions.

There was a question about some improvements to the historic Carnegie Library Museum.

They vote tomorrow, Tuesday, evening at 5:30 PM.

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

Sewer Improvements, Water for subdivision sprawl, Library @ LCC 2021-10-11

Update 2021-10-11: Videos: Subdivisions, Wells Road abandonment, Water Main, Library @ LCC 2021-10-11.

Five and a half million dollars on the agenda for the Lowndes County Commission Monday morning, for voting Tuesday evening. Most of it is for sewer system improvements, but $1 million is to run another water main in the north side of the county to promote more subdivisions, such as the three on the same agenda.

[Seven rezonings and a road abandonment]
Seven rezonings and a road abandonment

For one of the rezonings on Val Del Road staff cite “Current growth trends in the area.” Well, here’s who is setting those growth trends: the Lowndes County Commission and staff, plus the Chamber and Development Authority.

At least staff and the Planning Commission recommend denying the worst of the lot, REZ-2021-16 G W Farms, 5999 Val Del Road, R-A to R-1, Well & Septic, ~98.95 acres, which is so far north up Val Del Road it’s almost at GA 122. The Commission previously denied a rezoning at that same location. They should do so again.

They also propose to abandon Abandonment of a portion of Salem Church Road (CR #68) and Wells Road (CR # 68 & CR #69), starting at GA 122. That is a problem, because Wells Road at GA 122 is the turnoff to get to Folsom Bridge Landing, one of only two public access points to the Little River in Lowndes County. Continue reading →

Videos: VLPRA, RV sales, Moody AFB Fire Dept., Tax Assessors @ LCC 2021-09-13

By far the longest item at the Lowndes County Commission Work Session yesterday morning was the presentation on the VLPRA Master Plan by their consultant David Barth, taking 34 minutes.

Second longest was 8.d. GMASS Commercial Contract for the Tax Asessors office. Each of these got more than a minute: the RV sales expansion item, and 8.b. Fire and Emergency Services Agreement between Lowndes County and MFAB.

[VLPRA, RV sales, Moody AFB Fire Dept., Tax Assessors]
VLPRA, RV sales, Moody AFB Fire Dept., Tax Assessors

Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, followed by a LAKE video playlist. See also Continue reading →