Gretchen Quarterman also spoke against the proposition, citing that
extending residential areas further out into undeveloped Lowndes County
would create greater strain on an already tight fiscal operating budget.
Schoolchildren, safety, and farmland: three topics that often seem forgotten in discussions of development.
Opposing the
proposed rezoning for Notthinghill,
neighbor Thomas E. Stalvey Jr. noted
that traffic on Cat Creek Road
is already a problem, and adding a subdivision would make it worse.
He noted that it’s traffic routed down Cat Creek to Moody that
accounts for a lot of it.
He said school children stood out on the road and they were already in danger.
“If we put 49 more houses out there, it’s just going to up the risk.”
Jordan Leman is a student at VSU who had just spoken to the
Valdosta City Council in Citizens to be Heard, at the same
regular session yesterday where they approved putting referendum
about Sunday alcohol sales on November’s ballot.
“…try to get as many college students and as many non-college students
here in Valdosta and Lowndes County
to go out and vote for it or to go register to vote.
…
Get the word out to go vote on Sunday sales.”
Valdosta City Council just passed motion for alcohol referendum —Jordan Leman
Regular Session, Valdosta City Council (LCC),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 21 July 2011.
Videos by John S. Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
Buying alcohol on Sundays just got one step closer to reality Thursday evening, with the Valdosta City Council’s passage of an ordinance to authorize a referendum for the Nov. 8 General Election.
The referendum will allow voters in the city of Valdosta to decide whether package sales of malt beverages, wine and distilled spirits should be allowed by retailers on Sundays between 12:30 and 11:30 p.m. Currently, citizens can purchase alcoholic beverages on Sundays at local restaurants. This measure, approved by the state of Georgia’s legislature this year, will allow package and grocery stores, and other retailers, to sell alcoholic beverages on Sundays.
The measure passed 5 to 1, with Councilman Robert Yost opposing. Councilman Deidre White was not in attendance.
Pritchard also said they (the county in its previous investigation,
presumably the one of 2010)
examined the character of those testifying for
the complaints and he said they found biases.
“Whatever problems there are, they’re going to be resolved.”
2011-05-24 The VDT quotes County Manager Joe Pritchard
as saying:
“It’s no longer a case of an individual making a claim, as it will be evident by the physical evidence provided by the security cameras.”
and:
“You take that policy, coupled with the updated standard operating
procedures, added to the technical verification and I think that
addresses the issues. My purpose is to eliminate any problem or potential
problem.”
2011-05-31 statement by Director Linda Patelski saying two people fired for euthanasia violation of 20 May 2011
the attached is the drug test every employee had after the GDA turned
the statements over to the county manager… he “Joe Prichard” stated
some employees were interviewed EVERYONE even Linda was Drug tested…
she was the only one that showed concern for the drug test, she stated
because she mixed the pentasol she may test positive to the drug.
But all employees were certified to euthenis and we get it all over our
fingers and some of us have even had the syringes explode from the
needles and get in our eyes and mouth and we were not scared of testing
positive. And “all” employees were interviewed not “some”! And I might
add we all passed! Notice it is also under reasonable suspicion not
random…
Somebody finally called a developer’s bluff!
Answering Commissioners’ questions about
his opposition to rezoning for Nottinghill on Cat Creek Road,
Calvin Marshall did what I’ve never seen anyone do before in opposing a subdivision:
he upped the ante.
Commissioner Richard Raines said he would require Nottinghill lots to have:
“Not perhaps, but a fence around the edge of the property.
…
Need to make sure that bicycles and fourwheelers, that children are not playing
in a field that is used to grow crops.”
Seems fair, except that he seemed to be talking about each individual
eventual property owner having to put up a fence, and I can tell you by
experience that that won’t happen without the neighboring landowner
personally insisting to each lot owner.
Unless the Commission insists that county code enforcement actually
enforce such a condition, which would be a good thing for a change.
Then Commissioner Raines asked Calvin Marshall:
“Is it still your position that 12-15,000 square foot lots are OK?”
Neighboring landowner demolishes developers’ arguments; explains agriculture to Lowndes County Comission.
Neighboring landowner Calvin Marshall,
speaking against rezoning for
REZ-2011-10 Nottinghill,
said neighbors,
“We’re not interested in a Bluepool,
We’re not interested in a Chatham Place.
And we’re certainly not interested in what they built out on Val Del Road.
We’ve also looked at what they’ve done with Old Pine,
and we’re definitely not interested in that, either.
Too small lots, small homes.”
That last one is presumably
Glen Laurel,
which had a roomful of neighbors opposing it last year.
Calvin Marshall asked for the Commissioners to deny the Nottinghill
rezoning request.
He also asked:
“The other thing that we asked the developer … what you going to do about
the neighbors that have got a farm on each side?
What kind of buffer are you going to put there?
…
We farm that land, we grow crops,
we run cows,
we run goats,
we run hogs,
and we’re going to continue to do that.
…
We don’t have an answer as to what they’re going to do for a buffer.”
Calvin Marshall continued with the economic argument:
“There’s three or four generations of property owners in this room tonight.
These people go back for three or four generations.
And these people have worked hard.
County Planner Jason Davenport introduced REZ-2011-10 Nottinghill, Cat Creek Rd, 0144 0255-0258, ~15.75 ac., 49 lots, Co W/S, R-1 to R-10.
He said the TRC recommended approval with a condition,
the Planning Commission recommended approval with a different condition,
and now staff preferred requiring a minimum lot size of 12,000 square feet.
Nottinghill, Cat Creek Road, rezoning —Jason Davenport
Regular Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 12 July 2011.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
It was during the meeting, as in this video.
I was confused because I left the room briefly and didn’t see it.
Fortunately, Gretchen had a camera going.
I was disinvited to be on Black Crow radio —Ashley Paulk
Regular Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 12 July 2011.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
This 18 month old Tenn. Walking Horse was refused vet care or euthensia
not only by its owner but by my Director as well. I was alerted through
911 dispatch on a Saturday while working. I spoke to my director
(Linda) about the colts situation and she advised me she was not going
to WASTE COUNTY FUNDS picking him up, euthenising him or disposing of
him. Five days later with a Lowndes County deputy and Officer Ronnie
Ganas and Dr. Mary Rogers, he was darted (colt was not halter broken)
and euthenised; Tifton Diagnostic Lab found a high utensil wire
embedded in the left hind leg (pastern) which had severed his deep
flexor tendon. PLEASE REMEMBER vet care or euthenising was REFUSED
David Rodock wrote in the VDT 13 July 2011,
Citizens speak against Cat Creek crowding:
She referred to a report County Planner Jason Davenport
commissioned from
Prof. Jeffrey H. Dorfman of UGA,
Local Government Fiscal Impacts of Land Use in Lowndes County,
December 2007,
in which he recommended development close in to existing services
for the most benefit to all parties.
As
Prof. Dorfman has said,
“Local governments must ensure balanced growth, as sprawling residential growth is a certain ticket to fiscal ruin*
