Tag Archives: Planning

One Day Notice: Lowndes County Annual Planning Meeting, Jekyll Island, GA 2025-03-05

Update 2025-03-13: Packet: Lowndes County Commission Annual Planning Meeting 2025-03-05.

Update 2025-03-07: Cancelled: Lowndes County Commission meetings 2025-03-10-11 2025-03-10.

If you were signed up for Lowndes County’s civicplus alert system, yesterday you got a notice that today starts the three-day Lowndes County Annual Planning Meeting on Jekyll Island.

No agenda is posted.

The name of the venue is not mentioned, but at 110 Ocean Way, Jekyll Island, GA, is The Westin Jekyll Island Beach Resort, with rooms listed at $299/night, or $372 with taxes and fees.

One Day Notice: LCC Annual Planning Meeting, Westin Jekyll Island Beach Resort 2025-03-05-07

Generally I agree the budget of the Lowndes County Commission is frugal.

But not this resort island splurge away from the eyes of the taxpayers and voters.

LAKE has filed a Georgia Open Records Act (GORA) request for the agenda and board packet. The three-day statutory limit does not expire until after this retreat is over. We would have filed the request earlier, had we known. Continue reading →

Videos: Four rezonings, mobile home decals, Lift Station Pump, Tax Refunds @ LCC Regular 2025-02-11

Another meeting so long it had to be interrupted by the second scheduled Public Hearing on opting out of the state homestead exemption law: Tuesday evening’s Lowndes County Commission Regular Session.

Bethany Drive & River Run Passed over GLPC recommendation, Lowndes County Commission, February 11, 2025

The longest items Tuesday evening were the same that had had opposition in the Planning Commission.

5.a. REZ-2025-01 Hurtado Property, Bethany Dr., ~6.4ac, R-A to R-1 after much opposition and discussion passed 3:1 with a condition: no more than 5 residences.

5.d. REZ-2025-04 River Run Farm, 6490 River Run, ~27ac., C-C to R-21. passed 3:2 with Chairman Bill Slaughter breaking a tie.

Commissioner Mark Wisenbaker was not present the entire meeting.

Everything else passed unanimously.

For 5.c. REZ-2025-03 Thomas Linville, 4888 Break Thru Rd., ~16.3ac, R-1 to E-A the applicant clarified that he does not use chemicals for fire retardant, only water, most of his work is computer work, and there will be no big light on the property.

Two items passed 3:0 because a Commissioner had stepped out of the room.

Commissioner Smith was out for 6.a. Resolution Authorizing Lowndes Co. Tax Com. to Receive Checks etc..

Commissioner Orenstein was out for 6.h. Rules and Regulations for Claims for Refunds of Taxes

For 6.f. Acceptance of Hazard Mitigation Grant for Generators Commissioner Orenstein noted that when Ashley Tye fixes a problem, it does not cost the county anything. See also 7. County Manager Report about FEMA, GEMA, and water wells.

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

Videos: Four rezonings, mobile home decals, Lift Station Pump, Tax Refunds @ LCC Work 2025-02-10

Update 2025-02-13: Videos: Four rezonings, mobile home decals, Lift Station Pump, Tax Refunds @ LCC Regular 2025-02-11.

A meeting so long it had to be interrupted by the scheduled Public Hearing on opting out of the state homestead exemption law: yesterday morning’s Lowndes County Commission Work Session.

They vote on the regular items this evening at 5:30 PM.

The longest items yesterday morning were the same that had had opposition in the Planning Commission:
5.a. REZ-2025-01 Hurtado Property, Bethany Dr., ~6.4ac, R-A to R-1 and
5.d. REZ-2025-04 River Run Farm, 6490 River Run, ~27ac., C-C to R-21.

Collage @ LCC 10 February 2025

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 Lowndes County Commission board packet, received in response to a LAKE open records request:
http://www.l-a-k-e.org/blog/2025/02/four-rezonings-mobile-home-decals-lift-station-pump-tax-refunds-lcc-2025-02-10.html

For the separate homestead exemption opt-out Public Hearing, see:
http://www.l-a-k-e.org/blog/2025/02/lowndes-county-considers-opting-out-of-house-bill-581-lcc-public-hearing-2025-02-10.html

For the rezonings, see also the preceding Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) board packet materials, its agenda, and the LAKE videos of the GLPC meeting. Continue reading →

Packet: Four rezonings, mobile home decals, Lift Station Pump, Tax Refunds @ LCC 2025-02-10

Update 2025-02-11: Videos: Four rezonings, mobile home decals, Lift Station Pump, Tax Refunds @ LCC Work 2025-02-10.

Lowndes County Commission staff has discovered that The Crescent has its own 1975 local constitutional amendment and 1978 resolution by the County Commission making it tax exempt.

Monday morning the County Commission will review and Tuesday evening it will decide the Bethany Drive rezoning for which the Planning Commission recommended denial 8:1 and the River Run Road rezoning near the Alapaha River for which GLPC recommended approval with a condition 6:3, as well as the other two rezonings.

Collage @ LCC Packet 2025-02-10

The Lowndes County Commission board packet, received in response to a LAKE open records request, is on the LAKE website. Images of each page are below.

Here is the agenda.

See also the preceding Continue reading →

Packet: 4 Lowndes County rezonings @ GLPC 2025-01-27

Update 2025-02-10: Packet: Four rezonings, mobile home decals, Lift Station Pump, Tax Refunds @ LCC 2025-02-10.

The Lowndes County board packet materials for the January 27, 2025, Planning Commission meeting are on the LAKE website.

The Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) merely advises. The actual decision will be at the Tuesday, February 11, Lowndes County Commission meeting.

Collage: Lowndes County Rezonings, Packet @ GLPC 2025-01-27

Lowndes County sent these materials on February 4, 2025.

I responded on February 7:

As mentioned in response to your other message, in the thread about the January 27, 2025, Lowndes County Commission packet, you sent the packet items for the GLPC meeting to that thread.
Thanks for sending them.
However, the previous GLPC meeting minutes are missing from this Lowndes County response.
Please send the minutes of the previous GLPC meeting, which I think was November 25, 2024.
Also, the county could avoid this confusion by publishing the GLPC packet items and the previous GLPC meeting miinutes on lowndescounty.com along with the GLPC agenda. -jsq

LAKE still has not received those minutes. It is now February 10, which is 16 calendar days and ten business days after LAKE sent the open records request on January 25. That request was three days before the GLPC meeting, to allow time for response within the three-day statutory limit of the Georgia Open Records Act (GORA). Lowndes County is now more than a week late.

Videos: 4 county rezonings, 5 Valdosta, 2 Hahira @ GLPC 2025-01-27

Update 2025-02-10: Packet: 4 Lowndes County rezonings @ GLPC 2025-01-27.

The most contentious item at the recent GLPC meeting, at almost half an hour, was 8. CU-2025-02 Perma-Fix of South Georgia 1612 James P Rodgers Circle. Several people spoke against it, including Gretchen Quarterman at 14 minutes. The Planning Commissioners voted 4:5 to recommend denying that Conditional Use application, but then they voted 5:4 to recommend approving.

Collage @ LCC 27 January 2025

The Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) merely advises. The actual decision will be at the Thursday, February 6, Valdosta City Council (VCC) meeting. Valdosta has no agenda posted yet for that meeting:
https://www.valdostacity.com/city-council/agendas-minutes

LAKE has sent in an open records request for the VCC board packet.

Another long Valdosta City case was Continue reading →

Packet: Valdosta and Hahira Cases @ GLPC 2025-01-27

Update 2025-02-10: Packet: 4 Lowndes County rezonings @ GLPC 2025-01-27.

Update 2025-02-04: Videos: 4 county rezonings, 5 Valdosta, 2 Hahira @ GLPC 2025-01-27.

Thanks to Matt Martin, City Planner for Valdosta and Hahira, for sending their board packet materials for tonight’s Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) meeting at 5:30 PM.

Valdosta and Hahira Cases, Packet @ GLPC 2025-01-27, Perma-Fix approved by, GA-EPD to resume operations

This Valdosta case, 8. CU-2025-02 Perma-Fix of South Georgia (1612 James P Rodgers Circle) CUP for a Solid Waste Transfer Station in M-2 zoning, is for Perma-Fix to resume processing hazardous waste like it was doing seven years ago when it burned. The Georgia Environmental Protection Division (GA-EPD) has already approved it.

And is there a rare case for which staff recommends denial: 9. VA-2025-01 James Warren (202 Denmark Street) Rezone 0.73 acres from R-6 to C-C.

These board packet materials, received in response to a LAKE open records request, are on the LAKE website. Images of each page are below.

See also the agenda. Continue reading →

Agenda: 4 county rezonings, 5 Valdosta, 2 Hahira @ GLPC 2025-01-27

Lowndes County posted this agenda on lowndescounty.com/AgendaCenter at 8:23 AM this morning, after Gretchen asked the County Planner when it would be posted.

The meeting is this evening at

Agenda: 4 county rezonings, 5 Valdosta, 2 Hahira, Posted 8:23 AM the meeting day @ GLPC 2025-01-27

One of the county cases is for a subdivision by the Alapaha River: REZ-2025-04: River Run Farm, 6490 River Run, Naylor, Ga, Map/Parcel# 0259-029C, 27.12 acres.

Here is the agenda:

Lowndes County Cases
PDF

Greater Lowndes Planning Commission
~ Lowndes County ~ City of Valdosta ~ City of Dasher ~
~ City of Hahira ~ City of Lake Park ~ City of Remerton ~
Tuesday, January 21, 2025 5:30 P.M. Work Session
Monday, January 27, 2025 5:30 P.M. Regular Session
Lowndes County South Health District Administrative Office
325 West Savannah Avenue, Valdosta, Georgia
Continue reading →

Echols County Comprehensive Plan Update 2024-12-05

The first meeting was last week, but there will be plenty more, in the state-required five-year update process for the Echols County Comprehensive Plan.

Begin Echols County Comprehensive Plan Update in Statenville, organized by SGRC

That was a kickoff meeting.

Continue reading →

ULDC text amendments remove pines and pecans from protected trees @ LCC 2024-11-12

Update 2024-11-12: Videos: GLPC appointments, ULDC Amendments, 2 rezonings, Street Lighting, Beer and Wine, UPS, infrastructure acceptance, Regional Transit, Georgia Power, VSU, LMIG, Fire @ LCC Work 2024-11-12.

Thanks to Jason Davenport for sending a current draft of the ULDC text amendments for this evening’s Public Hearing at the Lowndes County Commission at 5:30 PM.

They are on the LAKE website in Word and PDF formats.

I’m not sure how the public is supposed to comment intelligently on these changes with about two hours to look at them, if they happen to look when I post this. The county has not posted any drafts of these text amendments.

Pines and pecans no longer protected: ULDC Text Amendments @ LCC 2024-11-12

The big change is:

5. Replace 4.07.07 (D) with:
4.07.07(D) All pine and pecan trees, even those over 24 inches dbh, are not considered protected trees.

Everyone understands that trees falling in Hurricane Helene (and Debby and Idalia) were a big problem.

But this seems like throwing the baby out with the bathwater. Continue reading →

On the LAKE front

Citizen dialog for transparent process by the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange