Tag Archives: JD Dillard

Videos: Comprehensive Plan Update, Appointments to VLPRA and Library Board, Road Resurfacing and Widening @ LCC Regular 2026-07-28

Videos: Data Center Session @ LCC 2026-07-28

Update 2026-08-08:
Videos: Comprehensive Plan Update, Appointments to VLPRA and Library Board, Road Resurfacing and Widening @ LCC Regular 2026-07-28.

Congratulations to Lowndes County for the astonishingly forthcoming

Data Center Considerations session
after the Lowndes County Commission Regular Session on July 28, 2026.
They covered many topics of general concern, including water and power usage, zoning, and land use.

Videos: Data Center Session @ LCC 2026-07-28, Lowndes County Manager Paige Dukes, Questions filtered by: Dr. Michael Noll, Verbal Moratorium: Chairman Bill Slaughter

Lowndes County Manager Paige Dukes conducted the session.
She revealed that the Commissioners have directed staff to draft a datacenter ordinance by around September, or in about six weeks, as Chairman Bill Slaughter told me afterwards.

She said the public would get to see the draft ordinance before the Commissioners approved it.
She did not say anyone would get to see it before it appeared on an agenda for approval, which is how you’ve seen the Commissioners handle the recent Alcohol Ordinance and the Comprehensive Plan.

More clever than I had anticipated, she said that same afternoon she had asked
Dr. Michael Noll to take question cards from the audience and pick questions to relay.
So the head of Lowndes County Against Datacenters (LCAD) thus became the Lowndes County Commission filter for public questions. Continue reading →

Videos: Comprehensive Plan Update, Appointments to VLPRA and Library Board, Road Resurfacing and Widening @ LCC Work 2026-07-27

Update 2026-08-08:
Videos: Comprehensive Plan Update, Appointments to VLPRA and Library Board, Road Resurfacing and Widening @ LCC Regular 2026-07-28.

Update 2026-07-28:
Links to three documents cited in the draft Comprehensive Plan.

Update 2026-07-28:
Datacenter meeting after Lowndes County Commission Regular Session 2026-07-28.

The draft 2026 Comprehensive Plan Update has appeared on the county’s own website, lowndescounty.com.
See below for how that happened.

Below are LAKE videos of the Monday morning Work Session of the Lowndes County Commission, July 27, 2026, with some notes by John S. Quarterman.
They vote at 5:30 PM this evening, Tuesday, in their Regular Session.

Don’t forget the
second page of the agenda says,
“There will be an information sharing session to address data center ordinance considerations following the adjournment of the regular meeting.”http://www.l-a-k-e.org/blog/2026/07/datacenter-meeting-after-lowndes-county-commission-regular-session-2026-07-28.html”>separate post.
More on that in a

Comprehensive Plan Update, Appts to VLPRA and Library Board, Road Resurfacing and Widening @ LCC Work Session 2026-07-27

Monday morning I was experimenting with an external microphone, which does seem to work better,
although with quite a bit of hiss.

See also the agenda and the board packet, received in response to a LAKE open records request.

Comprehensive Plan

After the meeting, I mentioned to County Planner JD Dillard and County Attorney
G. Walter Elliott that the draft Comprehensive Plan Update is not on the county website, so how can citizens know what to say in the

Public Hearing 6.a. 2026 Comprehensive Plan Transmittal? 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

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: 1 Lake Park, 2 Lowndes County, 4 Valdosta @ GLPC 2026-04-27

Update 2026-05-10:
Packet: 3 rezonings, 4 road items, 1 beer and wine, VLCIA bonds, servers, debris hauler @ LCC 2026-05-11.

“Is a daycare center technically a club for babies?”
GLPC Chair Steve Miller.

Lowndes County Planning JD Dillard said he would have to ask the zoning administrator for her interpretation, of

7. VA-2026-03 Request, Jonathan Irvin amended PD, mixed-use Child Daycare – School.

The Planning Commissioners found a way not to recommend denial even of the one item
for which Valdosta City staff recommended denial,

6. CU-2026-02 Request by Hedgecock Investments LLC, Conditional Use Permit (CUP).
They added to one of the conditions.
Calvin Graham was the lone vote against.
Afterwards he told me he just didn’t think it belonged there.

Collage @ GLPC 27 April 2026

Everything else sailed through, except the first Lowndes County rezoning got a split vote for recommending approval.

Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item,
followed by a LAKE video playlist.

Videos: 3 Lowndes County rezonings, one recommended against @ GLPC 2026-02-23

Two new Commissioners joined the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC)
this year:
John “Mac” McCall joined in January for the first time.
This February meeting was the first for Brian Touchton.

The Planning Commission unanimously recommended denial because of inadequate site plan for

3. REZ-2026-04 VII7B, 5507 Central Street (Clyattville), 0095-022, R-10 to C-G.

GLPC recommended approval for the other two, with an added condition
for

4. REZ-2026-05: 1925 Davis@84, U S Highway 84 West, 0059-090, ~21.7 acres.

Collage @ LCC 23 February 2026

GLPC recommends.
The Lowndes County Commission will decide these three rezonings on

March 10, 2026.

Here are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item,
with a few notes by Gretchen Quarterman,
followed by a LAKE video playlist.

Packet: the 3 Lowndes County rezonings @ GLPC 2026-02-23

Received in response to a LAKE open records request, the board packet materials
for Monday’s Greater Lowndes Planning Commission meeting
are

on the LAKE website
with images below.

Collage @ GLPC Packet 2026-02-23

The delay, once again, was because I didn’t send the Georgia Open Records Act (GORA) request until yesterday.

Although if the Lowndes County would put the board packet on lowndescounty.com,
nobody would have to play open records tag.

Apparently two Planning Commissioners during the meeting said they got these materials late or not at all.
So putting them on the county’s own website would let anyone pick them up, even Planning Commissioners.

Agenda: Three Lowndes County Rezonings @ GLPC 2026-02-23

Update 2026-02-24: Packet: the 3 Lowndes County rezonings @ GLPC 2026-02-23.

February is a short month, and this Monday evening is the Regular Session
of the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC).

They have on their agenda three rezonings in Lowndes County, one commercial in Clyattville,
and the other two subdivsions on US 84 and Val Del Road.

GLPC recommends.
The Lowndes County Commission will decide on March 10, 2026.

Collage @ GLPC Agenda 2026-02-23

Here is the

GLPC agenda.

We don’t have the board packet, because I got the date wrong and only sent the open records request this morning.

Lowndes County could put the board packet on its own website,
and nobody would have to play this game of tag.

Instead, I have included maps of the subject properties from the Lowndes County Tax Assessors.

Meanwhile, the county did send the draft minutes from the previous GLPC meeting.
Those are

on the LAKE website.

Greater Lowndes Planning Commission

~ Lowndes County ~ City of Valdosta ~ City of Dasher ~

~ City of Hahira ~ City of Lake Park ~ City of Remerton ~

Monday, February 16, 2026 5:30 P.M. Work Session

Monday, February 23, 2026 5:30 P.M. Regular Session

Lowndes County South Health District Administrative Office

325 West Savannah Avenue, Valdosta, Georgia

Continue reading →

Videos: Valdosta downtown multi-family residential development and office and storage in Lowndes County @ GLPC 2026-01-26

Update 2026-02-08:
Packet: 3 rezonings, 1 Utility Easement Termination, Orr Road Bids, Backup Generators for Pruitt Health Facilities @ LCC 2026-02-09.

They unanimously recommended approval of all items, at
the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC),
at its January 26, 2026, Regular Meeting.

Collage @ GLPC 26 January 2026

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
agenda and the board packet,
received in response to a couple of LAKE open records requests.

Why should a private media firm have to pry these materials out of the county?

I’m not blaming the county staff.
They do what they are told to do by the County Commissioners.

I’m not blaming the Planning Commissioners.
They are merely an advisory body.

So please ask your Lowndes County Commissioners why they do not publish
important materials so the public can see what they the Commissioners are using to make decisions? Continue reading →

Packet: 3 Lowndes County rezonings @ GLPC 2026-01-20

Update 2026-01-24:
Packet: Valdosta downtown multi-family residential development and office and storage in Lowndes County @ GLPC 2026-01-26.

Lowndes County has three small rezoning cases on this week’s agenda for the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC).

This post has what Lowndes County sent before the GLPC Work Session, coming up 5:30 PM, Tuesday, January 20, 2026.

Obviously these materials are not yet complete, since the third one has nothing but one conceptual site plan.
The agenda is also not yet ready.

And the county tells us that County Planner JD Dillard said, “The DRAFT minutes are still in draft status.”

Collage @ GLPC Packet 2026-01-20

The City Clerks of Remerton and Lake Park say they have no items for GLPC this month.

Valdosta, Hahira, and Dasher have not been heard from yet.

This may be the first time Lowndes County has responded first to a LAKE open records request
for GLPC materials.
Those materials are
on the LAKE website.

Since I seem to have been hasty in sending this request before the Work Session,
I guess I’ll send another request before the Regular Session, which the county says will be January 26.

As always, the appointed GLPC Commissioners make recommendations, and the county or city elected
officials make the actual decisions later. Continue reading →

On the LAKE front

Citizen dialog for transparent process by the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange