Tag Archives: Brad Folsom

Videos: Dollar General Defeated, VLDA appointment, subdivision infrastructure, VOCA, server blades @ LCC Regular 2023-01-24

Update 2023-05-06: Dollar General developer and property owner sue Lowndes County about rezoning denial –VDT 2023-05-03.

Update 2023-01-29: Lowndes County nixes planned Dollar General –VDT 2023-01-26.

Much to the surprise of the several dozen opponents of the Dollar General rezoning, and even after the DG developer attorney attempted to tell his version of the Lowndes County Commission’s legal responsibilities, all the Commissioners voted to deny the rezoning.

[Collage @ LCC 24 January 2023]
Collage @ LCC 24 January 2023

The audience laughed at the Dollar General’s offer of an “enhanced facade,” as conveyed by County Planner JD Dillard. Even after Chairman Bill Slaughter limited each side to ten minutes, the opposition gave excellent summaries.

Heath Dawson, who is the nearest neighbor to the north and a commercial banker, attested Continue reading

Videos: new attorney, VLDA appointment, Dollar General rezoning, 2 infrastructure, special assessment rate, VOCA @ LCC Work 2023-01-23

Update 2023-01-28: Videos: Dollar General Defeated, VLDA appointment, subdivision infrastructure, VOCA, server blades @ LCC Regular 2023-01-24.

The second-longest item at the Lowndes County Commission Work Session this morning was the proposed rezoning for a Dollar General at GA 122 and Skipper Bridge Road, slightly uphill from the Withlacoochee River. They vote tonight at 5:30 PM. You can still call your Commissioner or send email, or speak in the Public Hearing this evening.

The two subdivision infrastructure acceptances on or near Val Del Road remind us all of what happens when the county pushes development onto a road, as they did back in 2007 by running water and sewer to Nelson Hill on Val Del Road.

The longest item at almost three minutes was 7.c. Special Assessment Rate for 2023, which has to be set every year, even though it hasn’t been used in decades.

[Collage @ LCC 23 January 2023]
Collage @ LCC 23 January 2023

About the rezoning, County Planner JD Dillard said another letter opposing the rezoning had been received, from someone about three quarters of a mile north on Skipper Bridge, but he did not say who it was nor what they wrote.

For no apparent reason, he put up a map showing nearest distances to residences. Continue reading

Packet: Dollar General rezoning again, VLDA appointment, 2 subdivision infrastructure, special assessment rate, DA VOCA, server blades @ LCC 2023-01-23

Update 2023-01-24: Videos: new attorney, VLDA appointment, Dollar General rezoning, 2 infrastructure, special assessment rate, VOCA @ LCC Work 2023-01-23.

Update 2023-01-23: Please deny Dollar General rezoning, GA 122 @ Skipper Bridge Road –WWALS to Lowndes County 2023-01-23.

The rezoning for a Dollar General is back on the agenda for the Lowndes County Commission to review Monday morning and to decide Tuesday evening.

[Agenda, Dollar General rezoning]
Agenda, Dollar General rezoning

They will also decide on reappointing Brad Folsom to the Valdosta-Lowndes County Development Authority. interest rate for paving and utility assessments, authorization for D.A. to accept federal VOCA grant funds. and the only thing listed as costing money: server blades replacing those at end of life.

Reminding us what happens when the development camel gets its head under the agriculture and forestry tent, there are two acceptances of subdivision infrastructure over on and near Val Del Road, some of the numerous developments since the county ran water and sewer to Nelson Hill on Val Del.

Meanwhile, Dollar General does not seem to know where its stores are, and the lot layout it submitted is not binding, yet we should trust them to handle wetlands appropriately, just uphill of Poley Creek and the Withlacoochee River? Continue reading

Unanimously voted down: Miller Bridge Road subdivision @ LCC 2022-02-08

The Commissioners unanimously denied the rezoning for the subdivision on Miller Bridge Road. Applicants spoke a minute over their time, yet did not present the slides they said the previous morning they were going to present; we include scans of those slides here for historical reference, for when the next subdivision like this comes up, next week or next year.

Commissioners unanimously approved the other two rezonings.

They also unanimously approved 6.a. Transportation Investment Act (TIA) Local Project – Coleman Road NW and 6.b. Transportation Investment Act (TIA) Local Project Kinderlou-Clyattville Rd. Road building and improvement projects attract subdivisions. But the opponents to the Miller Bridge Road subdivision had already left after that one item. Chairman Bill Slaughter mentioned that the crowd was gone in 6.c. Internal Network Firewalls.

Below are links to each LAKE video 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 the LAKE videos of the preceding Planning Commission meeting, as well as Secrecy of Lowndes County Commission and Staff.

Here’s a LAKE video playlist:


Unanimously voted down: Miller Bridge Road subdivision @ LCC 2022-02-08
Lowndes County Commission Regular Session, Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE),

Applicant Slides REZ-2022-03 Miller Bridge Road

How did we get them? The County Manager handed them to LAKE’s Gretchen Quarterman at the previous morning’s Work Session.

Images below (apologies for the accidental cropping of the right side), and the whole thing as PDF.

The developer’s last point in their Justification for Zoning Request does identify a widespread problem:

7. Almost every subdivision built in Lowndes County is adjacent to some form of agriculture or timber production

However, there is no need to make it worse.

Another point in that same slide is plain wrong:

5. There will be minimal impact to County facilities or services, while increasing the taxes of the county approximately $70k per year

The Dorfman Report

sprawl The Local Government Fiscal Impacts of Land Use in Lowndes County: Revenue and Expenditure Streams by Land Use Category, Jeffrey H. Dorfman, Ph.D., Dorfman Consulting, December 2007.

As Dr. Dorfman summarized in a different presentation,

Local governments must ensure balanced growth, as
sprawling residential growth is a certain ticket to fiscal ruin*
* Or at least big tax increases.

It’s interesting that the developers put Groundwater Recharge Area first in their OPPOSITION POINTS ADDRESSED:

  1. Groundwater Recharge Area:
    1. Lowndes County adheres to Local and State standards when in the Groundwater Recharge Area
    2. Notable Developments in Recharge Area in Lowndes County)
      1. Landfill
      2. Kinderlou Forest and Foxborough Subdivisions
      3. Valdosta Regional Airport
      4. Moody Airforce Base
      5. City of Dasher
      6. City of Lake Park and surrounding area
      7. Lake Park Industrial Park

While probably all these points are true (I haven’t checked each location), most of them precede current concerns about groundwater recharge, and there is no need to make the problem worse.

[WINDY HILL SUBDIVISION, Lowndes County Rezoning Application, REZ-2022-03]
WINDY HILL SUBDIVISION, Lowndes County Rezoning Application, REZ-2022-03


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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!

An inappropriate rezoning unanimously opposed, but beware return with different acreage @ GLPC 2021-11-29

Update 2021-12-12: Packet: Four big + 2 small county rezonings, four Valdosta rezonings, 3 of them CUP @ GLPC 2021-11-29.

The Greater Lowndes Planning Commission unanimously recommended denial of rezoning for a rezoning on Miller Bridge Road, outside any appropriate character area, but one of them frequently suggested trying 2.5-acre lots instead of 1-acre lots.

Another subdivision, on Rocky Ford Road, which was opposed by the Development Authority, got a split recommendation for denial, with that same Commissioner abstaining.

All the other items got unanimous approval.

One of the rezonings was actually to agricultural so the owner can farm it.

[Two rezonings recommended against]
Two rezonings recommended against

The owners spoke for REZ-2021-28 on Miller Bridge Road, with the usual insistence that everybody wants to live in the north part of the county and you just can’t stop growth and sprawl. Continue reading

Videos: Many objections at Comprehensive Plan Stakeholder Meeting @ LCC Comp Plan 2021-09-28

Update 2021-11-08: Videos: Comprehensive Plan Update Public Hearing 2 @ LCC 2021-10-26.

All of the speakers at the Comprehensive Plan Stakeholder Meeting were opposed to moving the Suburban Area line farther north on the Character Area Map. They presented cogent reasons, such as they live up there and aren’t going to sell, there are already 750 lots available for sale while it took a decade for Nelson Hill’s 500 lots to sell, and the county should be looking out for its people and preserving much of the county for the next 50 years.

[Comprehensive Plan Update, Crowd, Lowndes County Character Areas, Map of those opposed to changing Character Areas]
Comprehensive Plan Update, Crowd, Lowndes County Character Areas, Map of those opposed to changing Character Areas

Most of the Commissioners acted like further development northwest in the county is a force of nature over which they have no control, and expressed more concern for developers and investors than for the room full of people in front of them or the 900 petition signatories opposed.

Here are links to each LAKE video of each speaker with copious notes, followed by a LAKE video playlist. There was no agenda. The lowndescounty.com online calendar had only a title, Comprehensive Plan Stakeholder Meeting, date, time, and place, with no agenda. The draft minutes are sketchy, omitting key points such as the Dorfman report, but you can find that report below. Continue reading

Georgia Beer Company Lease Agreement @ VLCIA 2018-02-07

There was weeping, when Georgia Beer Company got approval to lease to own the former Valdosta waterworks.

[Some crying from the applicants]
Some crying from the applicants

Here are LAKE videos of what happened at the Special Called Meeting of the Valdosta-Lowndes Development Authority, February 7, 2018, and a few stills, followed by a LAKE video playlist, and some pictures of the subject property then and after opening.

Pastry, Hunting, Market Strategy @ VLCIA 2018-02-20

On their agenda for tomorrow are bonds for Martin’s Famous Pastry Shoppe.

Martin's Famous Pastry Shoppe, Inc. logo

Valdosta-Lowndes Development Authority
Tuesday, February 20, 2018, 5:30 PM
Development Authority Conference Room/103 Roosevelt Drive
Monthly Meeting Agenda

Continue reading

Special Called Meeting @ VLCIA 2018-02-07

Update 2019-07-21: LAKE videos and still pictures.

Alcohol and the economy, on the agenda for this morning’s Special Called Meeting of the Development Authority. I think I’ll go to see Brad Folsom as the new Mary Gooding.

Valdosta-Lowndes County Development Authority
Agenda/Special Called Meeting
Wednesday, February 7, 2018, 11:30 am
Industrial Authority Conference Room
103 Roosevelt Drive

Call to Order

  • For the purpose of voting on amended Economic Development Agreement and Lease Agreement for GA Beer Company

Adjourn Special Called Meeting

Only one item, Agenda

Georgia Beer Company’s website says “We are not open for business yet”, but its contact page says “Say hello to the first Georgia brewery in Valdosta.” They also have a facebook page. Neither of which says where they will be located. So, VLCIA, in one of your numerous mostly-empty business parks, or elsewhere?

GA Beer Co. logo

Looks like GA Beer Co. had a kickstarter fundraiser a couple of years ago, which says they all met at VSU.

Presumably this is the same Community and Economic Development Strategy recently approved by the Lowndes County Commission.

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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!

Senator Perdue at Valdosta Rotary and Chamber 2016-08-24

Mostly what the assembled rotaries and homebuilders seemed to be interested in was getting the Senator to defend Moody Air Force Base against closure, which makes sense, since Moody is still by far the largest economic engine of the entire central south Georgia and north Florida region.

Maybe you can hear where he says anything about defending us from the invading Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline; I must have missed that part. He ended by saying it wasn’t about rich vs. poor, and quoting from the Declaration of Independence about “we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.” There’s no mutuality in the federal government giving eminent domain to a pipeline company from Houston, Texas to take our lands so they can profit by exporting fracked methane.

Below are links to each LAKE video, followed by a video playlist. Continue reading