Tag Archives: Lowndes County

Sabal Trail pipeline Easement with Lowndes County Commission 2026-01-26

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This is the easement for a 36-inch fracked methane pipeline that the Lowndes County Commission approved on January 26, 2016, saying it was a good business decision.

Nevermind the letter that the Chairman sent to FERC on April 11, 2014, Sabal Trail will be expected to adhere and honor all Lowndes County Ordinances -Bill E Slaughter, JR to FERC.

Anyway, this easement has a couple of interesting clauses.

On page 2, “4.a. Single Pipeline; Pipeline Depth. This Easement allows a single underground Pipeline with a maximum pipe outer diameter of thirty-six (36) inches, and with the maximum allowable operating pressure” of natural gas transported within the pipeline as permitted by applicable law, rule or regulation.”

Now that Sabal Trail wants a second pipeline, it will have to negotiate with landowners again, including the Lowndes County government. And it is already doing so; see a following post.

[Sabal Trail pipeline Easement with Lowndes County 2016-01-26, Between Railroad Ave. and Madison Highway]
Sabal Trail pipeline Easement with Lowndes County 2016-01-26, Between Railroad Ave. and Madison Highway

Another interesting clause is on page 5, “13. Taxes. Grantee shall assume and pay the amount of any taxes lawfully assessed and applicable to Grantee and due and owing on the Pipeline, Pipeline Facilities or Easement Area.”

Evidently if you have enough leverage, you can get Sabal Trail to agree to things they never would have offered.

The property is between Railroad Avenue and Madison Highway, south of Clyattville. It is near Clyatt Mill Creek, and uphill from the Withlacoochee River. It has an old landfill on one of the parcels; thus the monitoring wells in the easement.

PDF of the easement, received in response to a LAKE open records request, is on the LAKE website.

Images of each page are below.

But first, here is a Sabal Trail alignment map that covers the subject property. For such alignment maps for the entire pipeline in all three states, see LAKE: Sabal Trail Transmission alignment maps 2016-04-07. Continue reading →

Videos: Datacenter Moratorium, Millage Rates, TIA agreements, CDBG-DR application, LAS Holding Pond Sludge Removal @ LCC Regular 2026-08-25

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The 60-day moratorium on datacenter applications passed unanimously with no discussion.

Six citizens were heard against datacenters, and one about conduct unbecoming by the Commissioners.

The Lowndes County Commission also passed everything else unanimously in their Regular Session of August 25, 2026.

Including the four millage rate items. There was a millage presentation, with a promise that it would be on the county website. I don’t see it there yet. If it’s still not there this afternoon, I will post screenshots from the LAKE video.

[Collage @ LCC Regular 25 August 2026 --LAKE]
Collage @ LCC Regular 25 August 2026 –LAKE

Below are links to videos of each agenda item, with some notes by John S. Quarterman, followed by a LAKE video playlist.

See also the Continue reading →

Videos: Datacenter Moratorium, Millage Rates, TIA agreements, CDBG-DR application, LAS Holding Pond Sludge Removal @ LCC Work 2026-08-24

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Update 2026-08-26: Videos: Datacenter Moratorium, Millage Rates, TIA agreements, CDBG-DR application, LAS Holding Pond Sludge Removal @ LCC Regular 2026-08-25.

At the Work Session yesterday morning, Gretchen Quarterman noted, “Not a Data Center Moratorium, just an application moratorium. State Law changed this year, because of pressures from big money, to require that permitting of Data Centers be processed in 30 days. Should the county get an application, they would not have time to make an ordinance. Seems like reaction, rather than proaction to me and while lip service was given to community involvement, 60 days isn’t very long for that to happen.”

There was also no promise to show the draft datacenter ordinance to the people, instead of the usual Lowndes County Commission practice that until it shows up in an agenda on a Friday to be voted on the next Tuesday, as is the usual practice with Lowndes County ordinances.

[Collage @ LCC 24 August 2026]
Collage @ LCC 24 August 2026

Finance Director Stephanie Black said millage rates for the two Authorities and Fire would remain the same, while there would be a rollback on the main millage rate.

The presentations on each of the millage rates will be this evening at the Regular Session.

Commissioners had questions on almost every item at the Work Session.

The CDBG-DR grant application is supposed to be for Community Development Disaster Recovery, but seems to be exclusively to help developers who want to develop in the Riverside Road area without taking responsibility to pave the road. Why not use those funds for actual disaster recovery?

The Land Application System (LAS) Holding Pond Sludge Removal is complicated; thus the wildly varying bid amounts.

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

See also the Continue reading →

Origin of Coppage Road Tree Canopy 2026-08-08

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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 →

Packet: Datacenter Moratorium, Millage Rates, TIA agreements, CDBG-DR application, LAS Holding Pond Sludge Removal @ LCC 2026-08-24

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Update 2026-08-25: Videos: Datacenter Moratorium, Millage Rates, TIA agreements, CDBG-DR application, LAS Holding Pond Sludge Removal @ LCC Work 2026-08-24.

Something we’d been told for many weeks would never happen may happen Tuesday: the Lowndes County Commission will vote on a Data Center Moratorium, as promised by a county announcement Friday.

Does this mean no datacenters? Of course not. It’s just a delay of 60 days, while the county works on its datacenter ordinance.

But it’s some small sign that maybe the county is listening to the many people who have proposed a moratorium. As recently as July 28 we were told Lowndes County will not be doing a moratorium. Now it’s on the agenda.

We still see no indication of any planned Public Hearings for the draft datacenter ordinance, and nobody outside the county government has seen any draft, so far as I know.

They will also be setting the milage rates, with a rollback for the county-wide millage, and the same as usual for VLPRA, VLCIA, and Fire Services.

They will vote on two TIA items, one for Twin Lakes Road, and three items about a CDBG-DR funding application.

And, finally, a complicated bid solution for Land Application System (LAS) Holding Pond Sludge Removal.

[Packet: Datacenter Moratorium, Millage Rates, TIA agreements, CDBG-DR applic., LAS Holding Pond Sludge Removal @ LCC 2026-08-24]
Packet: Datacenter Moratorium, Millage Rates, TIA agreements, CDBG-DR applic., LAS Holding Pond Sludge Removal @ LCC 2026-08-24

Here is the agenda.

See also the board packet, received in response to a LAKE open records request, is on the LAKE website, with images of each page below. Why the county does not put that packet on its own website continues to be mysterious.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, AUGUST 24, 2026, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, AUGUST 25, 2026, 5:30 p.m
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

Continue reading →

Data Center Moratorium vote Tuesday @ LCC 2026-08-21

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Update 2026-08-21: Packet: Datacenter Moratorium, Millage Rates, TIA agreements, CDBG-DR application, LAS Holding Pond Sludge Removal @ LCC 2026-08-24.

We have no further confirmation of this, since the county has not yet posted its agenda for next week in their Agenda Center, and they have not yet responded to LAKE’s open records request for the board packet.

But they sent this press release out to subscribers to lowndescounty.com and it’s on that web page under Lowndes County News.

Actually, at least one County Commissioner confirms this moratorium should be on the agenda for Tuesday. And probably also the animal ordinance.

Maybe Lowndes County is finally going to catch up to Brooks and Cook Counties and the City of Adel and many more Georgia counties, as well as Madison and Citrus and many other Florida counties, which have already passed datacenter moratoriums.

For much more about datacenters, see:

https://wwals.net/issues/datacenters

[Datacenter Moratorium vote Tuesday, 2026-08-21 --Lowndes County Board of Commissioners]
Datacenter Moratorium vote Tuesday, 2026-08-21 –Lowndes County Board of Commissioners

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Friday, August 21, 2026

Lowndes County Board of Commissioners to Consider Data Center Moratorium

Lowndes County, Georgia: The Lowndes County Board of Commissioners will consider a proposed moratorium on data centers in unincorporated Lowndes County during its Regular Session Meeting on Tuesday, August 25, 2026.

If approved, the moratorium would be in place on an interim basis while the County develops a comprehensive data center ordinance for consideration and approval by the Lowndes County Board of Commissioners.

Meeting Information

Date: Tuesday, August 25, 2026

Time: 5:30 p.m.

Location: Commission Chambers

Address: 327 North Ashley Street, Valdosta, Georgia 31601

The Board recognizes the importance of carefully evaluating the potential impacts and considerations associated with data center development and will continue to review the matter through the appropriate public process.

-jsq

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

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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 →

Videos: Lake Alapaha rezoning to ag., Howell Road rezoning and annexation to Valdosta @ GLPC 2026-07-27

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Update 2026-08-07: Packet: R-21 to E-A rezoning, Jail door lock and skylight, Subdivision Infrastructure, LMIG Resurfacing Bids @ LCC 2026-08-10.

After sixteen minutes and several citizen speakers, the Planning Commissioners unanimously recommended approval of 3. REZ-2026-15 Mardun Ventures, 6325 Lake Alapaha Blvd., ~10.7 acres, Map & Parcel 0261 056″.

[Videos: Lake Alapaha rezoning to ag. @ GLPC 2026-07-27, Howell Road rezoning and annexation to Valdosta]
Videos: Lake Alapaha rezoning to ag. @ GLPC 2026-07-27, Howell Road rezoning and annexation to Valdosta

In a rare showing, four Lowndes County Commissioners were present for whole session: Michael Smith, Chairman Bill Slaughter, Scottie Orenstein, and Mark Wisenbaker.

The Planning Commissioners took 35 minutes to reach a split vote on 4. VA-2026-07 Request by Sheldon Hill and Laine Chaney to rezone 15.57 acres and 5. VA-2026-08 Request by Sheldon Hill and Laine Chaney to annex a total of 21.97 acres into the City of Valdosta.

They even had Lowndes County Chairman Bill Slaughter talk about water and sewer delivery pricing and annexation, at 15:10.

They recommended approval of the rezoning by 7:1, with Ed Hightower against.

They recommended denial of the annexation by 7:1, with James Miller against.

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

See also the Continue reading →

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

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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: R-21 to E-A rezoning, Jail door lock and skylight, Subdivision Infrastructure, LMIG Resurfacing Bids @ LCC Regular 2026-08-11

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The Lowndes County Commission passed everything unanimously. Plus they had a proclamation about 811, two citizens spoke about datacenters, one about an alleged sinkhole, one invitation to a fair, and one talked about Southern Georgia Black Chambers.

Vice-Chair Mark Wisenbaker again presided, this time over the Regular Session.

Here are the LAKE videos of this Regular Session, with a few notes by John S. Quarterman.

See also Continue reading →