Tag Archives: Gretchen Quarterman

Videos: Datacenter, Sinkholes, small rezoning, communications tower, Animal Services Ordinance, Rural Transit, Bids, and Legacy Behavioral Health @ LCC Regular 2026-09-08

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They approved almost everything, but they tabled until November 10, 5.b. TWR-2026-01 Salem Church New 365′ Telecommunication Tower.

They appear to have removed some things from and added others to the 6.a. Animal Services Ordinance. Unlike many other local governments, they don’t have first and second readings. Ordinances appear on the agenda on a Friday and get voted on the following Tuesday, with no opportunity for citizen input.

County Manager Paige Dukes said EMA Director Ashley Tye had been elected vice-president of the International Association of Emergency Managers for Region 4, which includes quite a few states. Then she introduced the 14-minute 8.a. Legacy Behavioral Health – Youth Leadership Team Presentation.

Four Citizens Wished to Be Heard: Jimmy LeFiles – chemical dangers of data centers, George Fisher – sink holes, development, and data centers, Cathy Reese – 3908 Forrest Street Ext – Code Enforcement issues, and Lisa Pike 5348 Five Ash Road – Hall Road Paving Concerns.

[Collage @ LCC Regular 8 September 2026]
Collage @ LCC Regular 8 September 2026

Due to the Monday holiday, the morning Work Session and the evening voting Regular Session of the Lowndes County Commission were the same day, Tuesday, September 8, 2026.

Below are LAKE videos of each agenda item, with a few notes by Gretchen Quarterman, followed by a LAKE video playlist.

See also the Continue reading →

Videos: small rezoning, communications tower, Animal Services Ordinance, Rural Transit, Bids, and Legacy Behavioral Health @ LCC Work 2026-09-08

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Update 2026-09-09: Videos: Datacenter, Sinkholes, small rezoning, communications tower, Animal Services Ordinance, Rural Transit, Bids, and Legacy Behavioral Health @ LCC Regular 2026-09-08.

They spent 14 minutes discussing 5.b. TWR-2026-01 Salem Church New 365′ Telecommunication Tower, the Lowndes County Commissioners at their Work Session this morning, including the County Attorney weighing in.

They also spent 10 minutes on 6.a. Animal Services Ordinance.

If you were not there, you can only see what happened in these LAKE videos.

[Collage @ LCC 8 September 2026]
Collage @ LCC 8 September 2026

Due to the Monday holiday, that was the same morning as this evening’s voting Regular Session at 5:30 PM.

Below are LAKE videos of each agenda item, with a few notes by Gretchen Quarterman, followed by a LAKE video playlist.

See also the Continue reading →

Origin of Coppage Road Tree Canopy 2026-08-08

On Coppage Road, Lowndes County used curb and gutter to preserve both a half canopy and a full canopy.

The process started in 2009, and Coppage Road was finally paved in 2016.

[Origins of Curb and Gutter, Coppage Road Tree Canopy, between Griffin Drive, and Skipper Bridge Road]
Origins of Curb and Gutter, Coppage Road Tree Canopy, between Griffin Drive, and Skipper Bridge Road

August 2009: ASA Engineering to survey Coppage Road

The Lowndes County archive server cannot find the minutes from that August 11, 2009, County Commission meeting.

https://www.lowndescounty.com/Archive.aspx

However, using the main search box on lowndescounty.com finds those minutes:

https://www.lowndescounty.com/DocumentCenter/View/497/Board-of-Commissioners-Regular-Session-Minutes-for-August-11-2009-PDF?bidId=

Notice several more citizens spoke than the VDT recorded.

CITIZENS WISHING TO BE HEARD

Chairman Paulk spoke to the audience regarding paving, for those attending and speaking regarding Coppage Road.

Vicki Taunton, 5112 Coppage Road, stated she thought notification was to be sent to the property owners when the road was to be paved. She’d like Coppage Road to remain unpaved. She has a list of 22 parcel holders which are against the paving of the road. Commissioner Lee stated that he was the Commissioner that asked for the road to be on the paving list. Commissioner Lee stated the right of way acquisitions are the first step in the paving process of a dirt road, then a neighborhood meeting would be called and notifications would be sent to them regarding the process for paving. Continue reading →

Videos: The first with curb and gutter: Quarterman Road Tree Canopy 2026-08-08

This is a repost from Canopy Roads of South Georgia.

The first dirt road in Lowndes County, Georgia, to get curb and gutters to save tree canopies when paved, was Quarterman Road, back in 2009. Here are videos of what its two tree canopies look like today.

[Quarterman Road Tree Canopy 2026-08-08, The first with curb & gutter in Lowndes County, GA]
Quarterman Road Tree Canopy 2026-08-08, The first with curb & gutter in Lowndes County, GA

North canopy:

https://youtu.be/sddnjInkem8

Southwest canopy:

https://youtu.be/PFAcSmgcG7g

How did that happen? According to the Matt Flumerfelt, Valdosta Daily Times, November 12, 2008, Quarterman Road set to be paved,

The County overcame some objections to the project by agreeing to install curbs and gutters along the canopy sections of the road instead of the original plan that would have required clearing a wider area prior to paving. County Commissioner Richard Lee said the Quarterman Road paving project had “garnered more communication than any other project I can remember except maybe one.” Continue reading →

The LAKE blog is recovering from technical issues 2026-08-17

You may have noticed not much activity out of the LAKE blog lately. But it’s operational again, and soon will remember everything.

http://www.l-a-k-e.org

The LAKE blog, along with hundreds of thousands of other websites, got infested with malware through vulnerabilities in WordPress, the very popular hosting software we use.

[The LAKE blog is recovering from technical issues, 2026-08-17]
The LAKE blog is recovering from technical issues, 2026-08-17

Here’s what WordPress has to say about that: Continue reading →

Videos: New Library Board, Wisenbaker Rd rezoning, communications tower in Langdale Park, Pre-Disaster Logistics, Juvenile Justice, Lift Station Bypass @ LCC Regular 2026-07-14

Update 2026-07-25: Packet: Comprehensive Plan Update, Appointments to VLPRA and Library Board, Road Resurfacing and Widening @ LCC 2026-07-27. Plus, “There will be an information sharing session to address data center ordinance considerations following the adjournment of the regular meeting.”

They voted separately on each of the nine posts on the reconstituted Library Board, and appointed someone to each. They ended up with one applicant left over somehow. This was the Lowndes County Commission in their Regular Session of Tuesday, July 14, 2026, where they also unanimously approved everything else.

Including the one actual rezoning, 6a. REZ-2026-14 Ray Colding, 6808 Wisenbaker Rd., Lake Park, ~8.5ac, M-1 & R-A to M-2, County Water and Septic.

https://youtu.be/u67fzIz5f_A?si=H-5SvDlHxdsPEny3

And of course they unanimously approved this in Langdale Park, 6.b. TWR-2026-02 Bermuda Run, New 159′ Telecommunications Tower near North Valdosta Road and Hyta Mederer Drive.

https://youtu.be/Yn_jbG5uM0g?si=TPgg7XvhVyEKR3EK

I did speak against it, and I pointed out they still weren’t in conformance with the ULDC, at least because the existing tower locations are not in VALORGIS. But they approved it anyway.

[Collage @ LCC Regular 2026-07-14]
Collage @ LCC Regular 2026-07-14

County Manager Paige Dukes in her Reports called on Fire Chief Billy Young, who called on someone else to explain grants they had recently applied for, and they got some.

https://studio.youtube.com/video/7UYGpYf1-Zc/edit

She also had EMA Director Ashley Tye about changes of policy at GEMA that affect hurricane disaster recovery centers. FEMA will no longer provide that service. The county would have to do that: building, setup, staffing, equipment.

https://youtu.be/893tG8BrjYw?si=KLJoce54y8Cjh2mR

Datacenters

The County Manager kicked off the now-traditional datacenter discussion at the end of her Report. She said the county staff were still working on a datacenter ordinance, and were taking advantage of work other locations had done in environmental, legal, and other studies. She noted there was still no application for a datacenter. I hope the county doesn’t wait around until there is one, after which any ordinance or moratorium they passed would not apply to that application.

https://youtu.be/pUmHRF7yfNE?si=GWOn-Iy9wUjTjHK2

Five Citizens were Heard about datacenters: Continue reading →

Videos: 4 Dasher, 2 Lowndes County inc. comm. tower in Langdale Park, 2 Valdosta, 1 Hahira @ GLPC 2026-06-29

Update 2026-07-09: Draft Minutes: Lowndes County small subdivision and communications tower, Valdosta doublewide and contractor office @ GLPC 2026-06-29.

Update 2026-07-08: Work Session Monday or Tuesday? @ LCC 2026-07-14.

The Greater Lowndes Planning Commissioners (GLPC) approved everything unanimously, except for three split votes: on the proposed communications tower in Langdale Park (see below), on a CUP for a mobile home in a single-family residential zoning district in Valdosta (see below), and on setback variances at Exit 29 in Hahira (see below).

They heard all the Dasher cases together, then voted on them one by one.

https://youtu.be/xjF9ymuajvE?si=08W6F1_phjUJhfwl

See also Packet: 4 Dasher @ GLPC 2026-06-29.

For Lowndes County case 7. REZ-2026-14 6808 Wisenbaker Road

there was quite a bit of discussion about use of a dirt road but applicant said that they never used the dirt road because there are two paved access lanes to the parcel.

https://youtu.be/uyopRnx4WzI?si=5ZMwLURg93vwcUm4

See also Packet: 4 Dasher, 2 Lowndes County inc. Verizon tower in Langdale Park, 2 Valdosta, 1 Hahira @ GLPC 2026-06-29.

[4 Dasher, 2 Lowndes County, w. comm. tower in Langdale Park, 2 Valdosta, 1 Hahira, @ GLPC 2026-06-29]
4 Dasher, 2 Lowndes County, w. comm. tower in Langdale Park, 2 Valdosta, 1 Hahira, @ GLPC 2026-06-29

Regarding 8. TWR-2026-02 Bermuda Run, 3781 North Valdosta Road

I was the only speaker in opposition. My main point was that county staff had not supplied information in a timely manner so that the public, or even the Planning Commissioners, would have adequate time to consider the evidence. Plus according to conformance with the ULDC, which is what staff said the Commissioners were supposed to be evaluating, the tower does not fit in Langdale Park. For my points, see Packet: Propagation maps for Verizon tower in Langdale Park @ GLPC 2026-06-29.

http://www.l-a-k-e.org/blog/?p=25853

They did recommend approval, but with a split vote, 5 to 2.

https://youtu.be/djKNudEhsSw?si=FUQuYHyMoPXktGlY

See also Packet: Propagation maps for Verizon tower in Langdale Park @ GLPC 2026-06-29.

Regarding 9. CU-2026-05 Request by Tierra Inman for a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) for the placement of a mobile home in a Single-family Residential (R-6) zoning district

Gretchen Quarterman spoke in favor, in addition to the applicant. Gretchen also noted: Continue reading →

Coleman Road potential datacenter site @ GLPC 2025-06-30

Update 2026-06-11: A version including links and pictures of the relevant Lowndes County Commission meetings, Rezoning application for potential datacenter, Coleman Road, Lowndes County 2025-06-30.

Somebody asked why three Planning Commissioners opposed the rezoning for the potential datacenter site south of North Valdosta Road and the Foxborough subdivision, on the west (right) bank of the Withlacoochee River.

According to the draft minutes of the July June 30, 2026 2025, GLPC meeting, “Four (4) voted in favor, three (3) opposed (Graham, J. Miller & Foreman) (4-3). Motion carried.”

Also according to those draft minutes:

  • “Commissioner Graham asked if tractor trailers are a concern. Mr. Dillard explained that Condition #2 addresses that with regard to any change of use and requirements.”
  • “Vice-Chairman Miller asked if studies have been done to assess the impacts on groundwater with similar developments. Mr. Langdale explained that new models address that with cooling/recycling water systems.”
  • “Commissioner Foreman asked to verify that the development is currently speculative. Mr. Langdale confirmed.”

See below for LAKE videos of everything everyone said about that rezoning item in that meeting.

[Coleman Road rezoning of potential datacenter site @ Greater Lowndes Planning Commission, June 30, 2025]
Coleman Road rezoning of potential datacenter site @ Greater Lowndes Planning Commission, June 30, 2025

If you want to know what they were thinking beyond that, you could go to tonight’s 5:30 PM GLPC meeting and ask them before or after the meeting.

For much more about datacenters, including the LAKE videos of the Lowndes County Commission meetings about this rezoning, see:

https://wwals.net/issues/datacenter

Commissioner Calvin Graham is a Lowndes County appointee. Commissioner George Foreman and Vice Chair James Miller are Valdosta appointees.

Please note that James Miller and Chairman Steve Miller are not the same person. Continue reading →

Videos: 3 rezonings, 1 Utility Easement Termination, Orr Road Bids, Backup Generators for Pruitt Health Facilities @ LCC Regular 2026-02-10

Two weeks ago at their Regular Session, the Lowndes County Commissioners discussed for nine minutes 5.c. REZ-2026-03 Villanueva Property, 6201 Union Rd, 6ac, E-A to C-G., mostly about fence colors. They ended up approving the rezoning with the staff-recommended conditions, except not the one about fence color.

They also talked for six and a half minutes about the agenda item they added, 6.b. Temporary Burn Ordinance.

Gretchen Quarterman noted, “There have been over 100 grass fires so far this year. Lowndes County (and surrounding counties) is in extreme drought. This temporary ordinance is made in conjunction with Georgia Forestry to protect property, people, resources, etc. This burn ban includes “recreational” fired and fires inside of a burn barrel. It does not ban outdoor grilling of food. (or so I thought I heard).”

She added, “The text of the county FB post is as follows:”

“Due to prolonged dry weather and worsening drought conditions, outdoor burning of yard debris is now restricted in the unincorporated areas of Lowndes County. To reduce wildfire risks and protect public safety, property, and natural resources, all open burning of yard debris, including leaves, limbs, grass, and other vegetative matter, is prohibited within the unincorporated area of Lowndes County until drought conditions improve.”

They passed all the agenda items unanimously.

[Collage @ LCC 10 February 2026]
Collage @ LCC 10 February 2026

Three citizens wished to be heard: Gretchen Quarterman about solid waste and recycling, Mary Roe about Paving of Green Road, and Joel Deon about Data Center concerns.

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 →

Videos: Water treatment upgrade because GA-EPD Consent Order, Lift Station Pump Repair, Condemnation along Twin Lakes Road, VAWA @ LCC Regular 2026-01-27

Congressman Austin Scott, District 8, congratulated Lowndes County on its 200th anniversary.

His appearance was not on the agenda for the Lowndes County Commission Regular Session of January 27, 2026. This was an unusual opportunity to talk directly to the Congress member for Lowndes County and many surrounding counties. Which is a reason you may want to attend Lowndes County Commission meetings: there’s no telling who may show up.

Rep. Scott read what he said was a resolution, but it appears to be a brief speech he made in the U.S. House. CELEBRATING LOWNDES COUNTY’S 200TH BIRTHDAY; Congressional Record Vol. 171, No. 213 (Extensions of Remarks – December 17, 2025),

CELEBRATING LOWNDES COUNTY’S 200TH BIRTHDAY

HON. AUSTIN SCOTT

of georgia

in the house of representatives

Wednesday, December 17, 2025

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Lowndes County in Georgia’s 8th Congressional District. Lowndes County was established by the Georgia State Assembly on December 23, 1825. Since then, the county has grown to be home to more than 118,000 people and spans 511 square miles. What was once a railroad town dominated by cotton sales has grown to serve as home to Valdosta State University, the Grand Bay Wildlife Management Area, Moody Air Force Base, and many charming Georgia towns. Lowndes County has served our airmen at Moody Air Force Base for many years and sets the example for how we can best support our soldiers and their families. I am honored to represent this community and look forward to seeing Lowndes County continue to grow for years to come.

[Collage @ LCC Regular 27 January 2026]
Collage @ LCC Regular 27 January 2026

The Twin Lakes Road right of way condemnation turned into a purchase agreement, resolution having been reached with the landowners.

The Commissioners unanimously approved everything on the agenda, except the condemnation, which they declared moot.

Three citizens spoke in Citizens Wishing to Be Heard: Mary Roe about paving of Green Road, Michael Noll about Citizens against Data Centers, and Maria Chung Willoughby about a non profit partnership.

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 →