Tag Archives: Transportation

Videos: Datacenter, Sinkholes, small rezoning, communications tower, Animal Services Ordinance, Rural Transit, Bids, and Legacy Behavioral Health @ LCC Regular 2026-09-08

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They approved almost everything, but they tabled until November 10, 5.b. TWR-2026-01 Salem Church New 365′ Telecommunication Tower.

They appear to have removed some things from and added others to the 6.a. Animal Services Ordinance. Unlike many other local governments, they don’t have first and second readings. Ordinances appear on the agenda on a Friday and get voted on the following Tuesday, with no opportunity for citizen input.

County Manager Paige Dukes said EMA Director Ashley Tye had been elected vice-president of the International Association of Emergency Managers for Region 4, which includes quite a few states. Then she introduced the 14-minute 8.a. Legacy Behavioral Health – Youth Leadership Team Presentation.

Four Citizens Wished to Be Heard: Jimmy LeFiles – chemical dangers of data centers, George Fisher – sink holes, development, and data centers, Cathy Reese – 3908 Forrest Street Ext – Code Enforcement issues, and Lisa Pike 5348 Five Ash Road – Hall Road Paving Concerns.

[Collage @ LCC Regular 8 September 2026]
Collage @ LCC Regular 8 September 2026

Due to the Monday holiday, the morning Work Session and the evening voting Regular Session of the Lowndes County Commission were the same day, Tuesday, September 8, 2026.

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

See also the Continue reading →

Videos: small rezoning, communications tower, Animal Services Ordinance, Rural Transit, Bids, and Legacy Behavioral Health @ LCC Work 2026-09-08

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Update 2026-09-09: Videos: Datacenter, Sinkholes, small rezoning, communications tower, Animal Services Ordinance, Rural Transit, Bids, and Legacy Behavioral Health @ LCC Regular 2026-09-08.

They spent 14 minutes discussing 5.b. TWR-2026-01 Salem Church New 365′ Telecommunication Tower, the Lowndes County Commissioners at their Work Session this morning, including the County Attorney weighing in.

They also spent 10 minutes on 6.a. Animal Services Ordinance.

If you were not there, you can only see what happened in these LAKE videos.

[Collage @ LCC 8 September 2026]
Collage @ LCC 8 September 2026

Due to the Monday holiday, that was the same morning as this evening’s voting Regular Session at 5:30 PM.

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

See also the Continue reading →

Packet: small rezoning, communications tower, Animal Services Ordinance, Rural Transit, Bids, and Legacy Behavioral Health @ LCC 2026-09-08

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Update 2026-09-08: Videos: small rezoning, communications tower, Animal Services Ordinance, Rural Transit, Bids, and Legacy Behavioral Health @ LCC Work 2026-09-08.

Two cases come from the Planning Commission to the Lowndes County Commission today, plus revisions to the Animal Services Ordinance, renewal of Rural Transit, Bids for two vehicles for Fire and Public Works. Plus a presentation by Legacy Behavioral Health in the Regular Session.

[Packet: rezoning, communications tower, Animal Services Ordinance, Rural Transit, Bids, and Legacy Behavioral Health @ LCC 2026-09-08]
Packet: rezoning, communications tower, Animal Services Ordinance, Rural Transit, Bids, and Legacy Behavioral Health @ LCC 2026-09-08

Here is the agenda.

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

For the rezoning and the communications tower, see the board packet of the preceding Planning Commission meeting, which includes some materials not in the County Commission packet, and the LAKE videos of that GLPC meeting.

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

Continue reading →

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

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

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

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

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 →

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

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

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 →

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

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 →