Tag Archives: Gretchen Quarterman

Gated Moody housing on Val Del Road, REZ-2013-09 @ GLPC 2013-07-29

Only 81 of 396 proposed units have been built at current Moody Family Housing on Roberts Road. Why should we build more on Val Del Road?

At the 29 July 2013 Greater Lowndes Planning Commission meeting, County Planner Jason Davenport said that in addition to the initial materials for GLPC, he’d provided an update about Magnolia Grove, which was Phase I of Moody Family Housing. The real reason for the rezoning wasn’t stated in the initial materials given to GLPC. In the materials obtained through open records request, we can see that the GLPC agenda item contained the boilerplate “The general motivation in this case appears to be so that the subject property can be developed at a greater residential density.” In the update it’s assumed that the real reason is housing for Moody personnel, since Magnolia Grove is the existing Moody housing off of Roberts Road. Which isn’t even built out yet, as you can see in this map from the county Tax Commissioners, so why does Moody need more housing?

Lots of interesting back history in that July 29th GLPC Lowndes County Rezoning Update – 2, to which I’ve added Continue reading →

Planning Commission on subdivision next to Moody AFB, REZ-2013-08 MFH Tract A @ GLPC 2013-07-29

Now you can see what they were looking at: those documents are on the LAKE website for REZ-2013-08 MFH, for a subdivision on Roberts Road immediately next to Moody AFB.

First County Planner Jason Davenport said a few words about the TRC recommendation.

Commissioner Ted Raker (Hahira) wanted clarification about this application would require additional changes to meet the requirements of the Unified Land Development Code (ULDC), specifically that it would not help with safety, fire, health, general welfare, etc. “In fact seven out of the eleven were negative.”

Davenport confirmed that that was correct, and that was staff’s analysis. Staff paid by your tax dollars, so you shouldn’t have to file an open records request and pay ten dollars when staff could just put it on the web with the GLPC agenda, which they also don’t now but could easily put on the web.

Nobody spoke for the request. Numerous people spoke in opposition.

Tom Kurrie said in 38 years of practicing law Continue reading →

Sabal Trail natural gas pipeline letters to Lowndes County

No letters from Lowndes County back to Sabal Trail were included in the open records response of last week, so should we conclude the county has not authorized surveys on any of its properties? The request to Lowndes County was for correspondence with Sabal Trail Transmission LLC about the proposed natural gas pipeline from Anniston, Alabama to Orlando, Florida, and the response included survey authorization forms for a list of parcels owned by Lowndes County, plus assorted descriptions and maps with very little detail. Sabal Trail still didn’t have a contract with Florida Power and Light, yet expected:

“Field survey work is scheduled to begin in September 2013.”

It looks like Sabal Trail sent letters about a bunch of parcels and then more about another one later. First they sent an introduction 19 June 2013 listing parcels 0146A-074-A, 0171 178, 0172 119, 0204 001, including a map. This appears to be the same map we’ve seen before posted by various news media:

[Map: 36" Greenfield Pipeline Approx. 465 Miles]
Map: 36" Greenfield Pipeline Approx. 465 Miles

Then they sent a letter 22 June 2013 with a survey authorization form for the same parcels. Then they sent separate letters 25 June 2013 for parcels 0146A-074-A, 0171 178, and 0172 119, 0204 001.

Also on 25 June 2013 Lowndes County Chairman Bill Slaughter informed us:

Lowndes County does not benefit from this proposal and has no responsibility for the approval other than that of a property owner potentially impacted by the proposed route as any other property owner in Lowndes County would be.

Apparently Sabal Trail thought of another one, because a few weeks later they sent a cover letter 15 July 2013 for Parcels 0098 003, 0098 004 with a slightly more detailed map, followed a few days later by a survey authorization form 19 July 2013.

[Map of Options A and B]
Map of Options A and B

Scans of all these letters are on the LAKE website.

-jsq

Planning Commission considers huge subdivision near Moody AFB @ GLPC 2013-07-29

Remember last year when the Chamber helped mobilize opposition to a subdivision outside Moody’s front gate and won? Well, here’s another, and it’s not 23.49 acres this time, it’s 123.45 acres even closer to the runways, and from MAZ-I to P-D. Plus a proposed 64.92 acre development on (apparently 4958) Val Del Road for “Moody Family”. That’s always the excuse, isn’t it? More houses for Moody, nevermind whether Moody wants or needs them. With all the vacant houses already in the county, we don’t need them.

Here’s the agenda:

Greater Lowndes Planning Commission


Lowndes County City of Valdosta City of Dasher City of Hahira City of Lake Park

REGULAR MONTHLY MEETING

AGENDA

Lowndes County South Health District Administrative Office
325 West Savannah Avenue
Tuesday, July 29, 2013* 5:30 P.M. * Public Hearing
Continue reading →

Videos: Attorney set different prices, Commissioners set millage date @ LCC 2013-07-09

The most interesting developments were not on the agenda. Commissioners approved dollar amounts for two purchase orders that were completely different from the ones they were quoted the morning before, with no discussion: the County Attorney quoted the new figures, asked for approval, and immediately got it. Commissioner Richard Raines still didn’t want to enforce a neighborhood covenant yet it was Commissioner Raines who made the motion last fall to let an Exclusive Franchise with Advanced Disposal Services; a covenant the county is now trying to enforce by having the County Attorney sue local business Deep South Sanitation. They said nothing about that 100 foot wide pipeline barrelling through the county. They could have the County Attorney investigate that, but they aren’t. They approved meeting for millage rate approval 8:30 AM Friday 26 July 2013: that’s for the property taxes they collect, which presumably partly go to pay the County Attorney. And the Chairman refused to let a citizen speak on a technicality.

Here’s the agenda with links to the videos and a few notes. See also videos of the previous morning’s Work Session.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, JULY 8, 2013, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, JULY 9, 2013, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
Continue reading →

Attorney declares prices @ LCC 2013-07-09

Commissioners approved dollar amounts for two purchase orders that were completely different from the ones they were quoted the morning before, with no discussion: the County Attorney quoted the new figures, asked for approval, and immediately got it at the 9 July 2013 Regular Session of the Lowndes County Commission.

County Attorney Walter G. Elliott
  1. For Consideration
    1. Video Arraignment for Magistrate and Juvenile Court Contract
    2. Enterprise and Backup Storage Solution Scope of Work

Chairman Slaughter said they would “conjoin a and b together”.

What we have at this time are the work orders and what we would like to get at this time is a motion to approve and ratify the purchase orders.

County Attorney Walter G. Elliott asked to clarify: Continue reading →

The Covenant at James Road @ LCC 2013-07-09

“All right, we’ll take one more!” said County Chairman Bill Slaughter in a public hearing at the 9 July 2013 Regular Session of the Lowndes County Commission. The Commission declined to enforce a covenant for the neighbors, but it is still playing enforcer for a garbage company owned by investors in New York City.

5. Public Hearing — REZ-2013-07 Leatherwood, 2402 or 2406 James Rd. R-1 and R-21 to R-10, LC Water and Sewer, ~0.71 acres

REZ-2013-07 map 1 County Planner presented the case the same way he did the previous morning at the Work Session. This time they had a copy of the agreement with the neighbors signed by the applicant. The neighbors still wanted the Commission to guarantee that covenant.

REZ-2013-07 map 2

Speaking Against

Curtis Hankins, 2109 Jeff’s Place, said Continue reading →

CALL TO ARMS –James Wright @ VCC 2013-07-11

Received a few minutes ago. -jsq

A call to arms, I wanted to share with you a e-mail I received from Nolan Cox. I find his message offensive and seem as if he has a real issue with low income residents. It would mean a lot if you can make it to the Council meeting (5:30 p.m.) as I plan to address this during Council Comments and hope that we can get input from the community regarding this statement below. Your presence will help us get the point across that our community mean something.

I have also included my response to Mr. Cox

Nolan Cox- Tea Party/Republican Party President

“As I listened to your discussion at the City Council work session about the “need” to give away $800,000 of taxpayer’s money through the Federal Home Loan Bank Program grant, I was thinking that only about half of Americans pay federal income taxes, and 43% of every federal dollar spent is borrowed, with the interest on the nation’s $17 trillion debt soon to be larger than the nation’s defense budget. Defense spending is a legitimate constitutional function of the federal government, but repairing houses, like most welfare giveaway programs, is not a legitimate Continue reading →

See what Valdosta wants to spend your SPLOST pennies on @ VCC 2013-07-09

What would you be willing to vote for in SPLOST VII this November?

There will be a presentation on the proposed SPLOST VII projects at the work session.

in Valdosta News posted yesterday Valdosta City Council Holds Work Session and Council Meeting This Week. And as an ad in the VDT Sunday:

SPLOST VII presentation, Valdosta Work Session
Scan by John S. Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE),
Lowndes County, Georgia, 7 July 2013.

-jsq

Videos: Water, Sewer, Video Arraignment, and Backups @ LCC 2013-07-08 @ LCC 2013-07-08

Not big enough, I guess:

I don’t have any interest at all in this board enforcing covenants like that.
Commissioner Richard Raines said that at yesterday morning’s Work Session about a covenant the neighbors want a rezoning applicant to sign, yet it was Commissioner Raines who made the motion last fall to let an Exclusive Franchise with Advanced Disposal Services; a covenant the county is now trying to enforce by suing local business Deep South Sanitation. They said nothing about that 100 foot wide pipeline barrelling through the county. They vote tonight, 5:30 PM.

County sound still wasn’t working, going on a month now, back in the videoing pen in the back of the room, so what you hear is what we hear back there, as recorded by the LAKE camera.

Here’s the agenda with links to the videos and a few notes.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, JULY 8, 2013, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, JULY 9, 2013, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
Continue reading →