Tag Archives: JD Dillard

Videos: Golf carts, mental health, wetland credits, regional transit, Lift Station and Fire Station Access Roads, 2 TIA Road Bids @ LCC Work 2023-09-25

Update 2023-09-26: Packet: Golf carts, mental health, wetland credits, regional transit, Lift Station and Fire Station Access Roads, 2 TIA Road Bids @ LCC 2023-09-25.

Lowndes County Commissioners were unusually chatty in yesterday morning’s Work Session, about 5.b. Mental Health Model Resolution for ACCG, in which they sounded like prison reform advocates.

[Collage @ LCC 25 September 2023]
Collage @ LCC 25 September 2023

Also about 6.a. Grove Point Lift Station Access Road, 5.c. Purchase of Wetland Credits for Shiloh Road Bridge Project, and 5.a. Quiet Pines Golf Course Ezgo Golf Cart Lease Agreement.

They had no questions about the almost $4 million dollar item, 6.b. TIA 2023-05 Briggston Road Grading, Drainage, Base, and Paving Bids, which leads to Wild Adventures.

See below for more notes on those items, with the LAKE videos of each agenda item, followed by a LAKE video playlist.

See also the agenda and bid documents.

We have not yet received a response to the LAKE open records request for the board packet.

Sure, I only sent that request Sunday. But it is stil mysterious why Lowndes County does not put its board packets on its own website, like many counties smaller and larger in Georgia and Florida have been doing for years. Continue reading →

Packet: the 2 Lowndes County Cases @ GLPC 2023-09-25

About the time I posted the agenda and the four Valdosta City cases and moved on to other tasks, the packet materials arrived for the two Lowndes County cases for the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) meeting tonight, and the draft minutes for last month’s GLPC meeting.

[Collage of the two Lowndes County cases @ GLPC 2023-09-25]
Collage of the two Lowndes County cases @ GLPC 2023-09-25

While the delay was primarily due to me forgetting to send in an open records request until Sunday. Nonetheless, it is mysterious why Lowndes County does not put GLPC board packets on lowndescounty.com along with the agendas, and the same for Lowndes County Commission board packets. Many counties and cities smaller and larger in Georgia and Florida have been doing that for years.

These additional materials are on the LAKE website.

See also the agenda and the city cases.

-jsq

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!
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2 Lowndes County Cases, 4 Valdosta City Cases @ GLPC 2023-09-25

Update 2023-09-26: Packet: the 2 Lowndes County Cases @ GLPC 2023-09-25

For the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) meeting tonight, City Planner Matt Martin actually recommended against CU-2023-03 Kristie Jenkins (2525 N Ashley Street – Suites M & O) CUP for an Event Center in C-H zoning.

[Collage @ GLPC 2023-09-25]
Collage @ GLPC 2023-09-25

The last two city cases are a rezoning and annexation request that go together, for Edward Jennings LLC (1869 Madison Highway) 3.96 acres.

Here is the agenda.

The board packet materials for the city items are on the LAKE website, received in response to a LAKE open records request.

We have not yet received anything from Lowndes County. County Planner JD Dillard did acknowledge this morning that they county has two cases, and “We’ll get those to you.” He did not say when.

Greater Lowndes Planning Commission
~ Lowndes County ~ City of Valdosta ~ City of Dasher ~
~ City of Hahira ~ City of Lake Park ~ City of Remerton ~
Monday, September 18, 2023 5:30 P.M. Work Session
Monday, September 25, 2023 5:30 P.M. Regular Session
Lowndes County South Health District Administrative Office
325 West Savannah Avenue, Valdosta, Georgia

Continue reading →

Draft Proposed Lowndes County Land Development Code changes 2023-06-13

Here are the draft changes to the Unified Land Development Code (ULDC) that Jason Davenport presented to the Lowndes County Commission in its Work Session of Monday, June 12, 2023.

[Ten amendments, timeline, and primary staff]
Ten amendments, timeline, and primary staff

The new rebuttal part of the Public Hearings, Continue reading →

Correspondence: Proposed Rezoning on GA 122 at Skipper Bridge Road 2022-12-12

Update 2022-12-20: Videos: Dollar General rezoning tabled, Troupville Nature Park land purchased @ LCC 2022-12-13.

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.

[Map, Letters, REZ-2022-20, GA 122 & Skipper Bridge Road]
Map, Letters, REZ-2022-20, GA 122 & Skipper Bridge Road

Letters

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.

As you can see, Continue reading →

Videos: Many rezonings, some contentious @ GLPC 2022-09-26

Update 2022-10-31: Packet: Two rezonings, Pictometry, Lift Station quit claim, Val Del Estates subdivision infrastructure 2022-10-10

Actually, not contentious: the planners and applicants spoke for a long time. Nobody spoke against the rezoning requests, and the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) voted unanimously to recommend approval of all of them, last month on September 26, 2022.

[Four of many rezonings @ GLPC 2022-09-26]
Four of many rezonings @ GLPC 2022-09-26

Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, with a few notes by Gretchen, followed by a LAKE video playlist. See also the agenda and board packet. Continue reading →

Packet: 1 Dasher art studio, 2 Lowndes County, 7 Valdosta @ GLPC 2022-09-26

Update 2024-01-24: Why the traffic light: The Towns at 4443 (Bemiss Road @ Studstill Road) letter of intent and Conceptual Plan @ GLPC 2022-09-26.

Update 2022-10-24: Videos: Many rezonings, some contentious @ GLPC 2022-09-26.

Thanks to Loretta Hylton of SGRC for the Dasher agenda item, to City Planner Matt Martin for the seven Valdosta items, and to BOC Records for the two Lowndes County Items, presumably made by County Planner JD Dillard.

The board packet for the September 26, 2022, Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) Regular Session is on the LAKE website.

See also the agenda.

[Collage, GLPC Board Packet, 2022-09-26]
Collage, GLPC Board Packet, 2022-09-26

-jsq

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!

Agenda: Dasher 1, Lowndes County 2, Valdosta 7 including VLCDA 2 @ GLPC 2022-09-26

Update 2022-09-29: Packet: 1 Dasher art studio, 2 Lowndes County, 7 Valdosta @ GLPC 2022-09-26.

At the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) meeting this evening at 5:30 PM, the only sizeable rezoning they will discuss will be REZ-2022-16 Townes at 4443, 4443 Bemiss Road, and that one is next to another subdivision, on the county’s main northside drag.

[Both pages of the agenda @ GLPC 2022-09-26]
Both pages of the agenda @ GLPC 2022-09-26

It will be interesting to see how this Valdosta rezoning goes, after recent shenanigans involving a Lowndes County halfway house rezoning: REZ-2022-16 Townes at 4443, 4443 Bemiss Road.

The Valdosta Lowndes County Development Authority (VLCDA) wants to rezone and annex into Valdosta an acres at 1349 Old Statenville Road, which is next to one of VLCDA’s existing industrial parks. Continue reading →

Videos: 6 Remerton, 4 Valdosta, 1 Hahira, 1 Lowndes County cases @ GLPC 2022-08-29

The most contentious case at the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission on August 29, 2022, was, at 28 minutes, Lowndes County REZ-2022-15 Gary O’Neal, 2547 US 84 West, 0089-094 and 095, 3.24 Acres, Current Zoning: R-21 (Medium Density Residential) Proposed Zoning: C-H (Highway Commercial). This was the only split vote. For that past case and for the Lowndes County Commission decision this time, see Packet: redo 2 rezonings, 3 extraterritorial water & sewer, $438,537 RR crossing, $2,542,586 Griner Park @ LCC 2022-09-12.

Second at 21 minutes was Continue reading →

County rehab center vote invalid –Valdosta Daily Times 2022-09-12

Update 2022-09-13: GA Forestry, $3 million, redoing 2 rezonings, 3 extraterritorial water and sewer @ LCC 2022-09-12.

The newspaper of record reported on the unusual redo of a zoning decision by the Lowndes County Commission, noting the Commissioners did not follow the law in at least two ways.

But it did not say who discovered those infractions: the County Attorney? The County Planner? The Chairman who cast the tie-breaking vote? Somebody who sued or threatened to sue?

Want to dig into that question, VDT?

Meanwhile, the Commission will proceed with correcting its infractions in three agenda items this evening.

7.b. REZ-2022-10 The Campus Transitional Care Facility, 2193 Howell Rd 7.b. REZ-2022-10 The Campus Transitional Care Facility, 2193 Howell Rd
LAKE Video of the erroneous hearing and vote on June 16, 2022.

Malia Thomas, Valdosta Daily Times, September 12, 2022, County rehab center vote invalid,

VALDOSTA — The Lowndes County Commission will have to revisit a controversial rezoning decision in light of a discovery that the original vote was invalid due to a “failure to follow zoning procedures.”

On June 16, Continue reading →