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.
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 →
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 →
If you do not think “commercial and shopping options in Lowndes County”
should include a development foothold in an agricultural and forestry area,
here are ways you can oppose it: a survey, a petition, letters, call your Commissioner, and speak in the Public Hearing.
Which appears to be sufficient notice according to
O.C.G.A. 36-66-4(a): “A local government taking action resulting in a zoning decision shall provide for a hearing on the proposed action. At least 15 but not more than 45 days prior to the date of the hearing, the local government shall cause to be published within a newspaper of general circulation within the territorial boundaries of the local government a notice of the hearing. The notice shall state the time, place, and purpose of the hearing.”
The notice says opponents of the rezoning have to file a disclosure report about campaign contributions.
The same law, O.C.G.A. 36-67A-3 (2010)
says the applicant must also file a disclosure report.
I will include a request for that in the LAKE open records request before the January 24th Public Hearing.
Valdosta Daily Times, City and Public Notices, January 8, 2023,
A dozen or more people in opposition were visible.
Turns out the county did send the
correspondence about that before I asked for it in this meeting,
and within the statutory three days for answering a Georgia open records request.
All the letters returned were in opposition.
They made the historic purchase for Troupville Nature Camp and River Park,
of Land Between the Rivers at the Little River Confluence with the Withlacoochee River.
And Chairman Bill Slaughter called seller Helen Tapp up to say a few words.
In Citizens Wishing to be Heard,
Kelly Saxon asked for assistance for the homeless,
John S. Quarterman complimented the Commission on purchasing the Troupville land,
and
Blake Robinson
said there may not be many young people who come to these meetings,
but they do appreciate the local government work the Commissioners are doing.
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 Continue reading →
All letters were opposed, of those sent to GLPC or LCC by December 12, 2022, about the rezoning for a Dollar General on GA 122 at Skipper Bridge Road.
Thanks to Lowndes County Planner JD Dillard for sending this correspondence on REZ-2022-20 last Monday in response to an open records request,
before I mentioned it in the Lowndes County Commission meeting Tuesday.
There are letters from Joyce Jones, Jamie Rowntree, and Gwen Rowntree.
Gwen Rowntree sent a letter to the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC)
and followed up with a similar letter to the Lowndes County Commission (LCC).
It appears that while there may be people who have spoken to Commissioners in support of the rezoning,
as of Monday a week ago nobody had written in support.
All the letters are in opposition.
County Manager Paige Dukes said they are legally required to table the
rezoning for a Dollar General,
because they were a day late on getting notices out,
although she twice blamed that on the Valdosta Daily Times.
County Chairman Bill Slaughter said the applicant had requested tabling,
and he recommended the second meeting in January (January 24, 2023).
Commissioner Demarcus Marshall wanted to know why.
The Chairman said, “It works out for two of the parties involved, the county and the developer.” (Nevermind the people.)
Commissioner Scottie Orenstein said “I’m not in favor of tabling something only to give the developer more time… If he has true intentions on meeting with the community and having a meeting with them, a town hall, something a little more official,
then I’m OK with that.
But not to just give them more time.”
The Chairman disagreed, “Well, I don’t think time is going to resolve anything in this particular situation.” Plus regarding the applicant, “We’re here to give them the courtesy if they make a request through that application process.”
Commissioner Mark Wisenbaker wanted clarified that the main issue was the date issue.
Alleged County Attorney G. Walter Elliott reminded them they have to vote to table
(the Chairman cannot just unilaterally table).
Commissioner Demarcus Marshall wanted to know if the Planning Commission knew about the timing issue. Continue reading →
Update 2022-12-10: Fixed my number dyslexia in the dates.
Lowndes County Chairman Bill Slaughter tells me the applicant for the Dollar General
at GA 122 & Skipper Bridge Road (REZ-2022-20 Teramore Development)
has requested tabling until a later meeting.
Bill says he intends to table it until the second January 2023 meeting.
So that’s January 25 24, 2023.
He asked me to tell people that.
If I were you, I would show up this Tuesday, December 12 13th, anyway,
so they see you are watching.
Also, the agenda has not yet changed, and the item has not yet been tabled.
In any case, keep them letters, telephone calls, and petition signatures going in.
Ask them to hold the public hearing and then just vote to deny it instead of tabling it.
The board packet, received in response to a LAKE open records request,
is
on the LAKE website.
The county did not send letters from citizens to Commissioners or staff about the Dollar General rezoning, even though those were specifically part of the request.
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!
Most of the budget dollar items on the Lowndes County Commission agenda are recurring, but the
Purchase of Between the Rivers, L.L.C. Property
for incorporation into the proposed Troupville Nature Park
is one-time.
LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2022, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2022, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
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.
Commissioner Mark Wisenbaker wanted to know if this was for private wells.
County Planner JD Dillard said the application was for a community well,
and while the lots were big enough for private wells, the soils had
not been tested for that.
Don Powell spoke for the applicant.
Jesse Bush also spoke for, listing many things they were not there to talk about,
including aquifer recharge or community wells.
He said the only question was six homes (which the landowner can do by right anyway) or twelve homes.
Chairman Bill Slaughter cut them off saying he’d given them an extra minute,
and he’d give the other side an extra minute.
Brad Folsom spoke against on behalf of a room full and a 360-signer petition of opponents.
He reminded the Commissioners that the subject property was in an Agricultural and Forestry Character Area.
While R-A was permissible in such an Area, it was not appropriate.
He discussed nearby zonings and lots that had been brought up by staff previously.
Among the many other points he brought up was flooding would be exacerbated by tree cutting and paving for a subdivision.
He reminded the Commissioners that they had told him they did not want any more community well systems.
Somebody else (unnamed, but see below) speaking against said it would be spot zoning.
He said he owned 320 acres and had been there for more than a hundred years.
This rezoning would change the character of the community and would be
a precedent for other rezonings.
He said he owed this community a debt and he would like to repay it.
Elton D. Redding, 7649 Webb Road, representing the Redding property,
John L. Redding his brother.
Demarcus Marshall moved to deny, Mark Wisenbaker seconded, unanimous vote to deny.
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),
Lowndes County adheres to Local and State standards when in the Groundwater Recharge Area
Notable Developments in Recharge Area in Lowndes County)
Landfill
Kinderlou Forest and Foxborough Subdivisions
Valdosta Regional Airport
Moody Airforce Base
City of Dasher
City of Lake Park and surrounding area
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.
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!