Tag Archives: Valdosta City Council

Videos: Valdosta Mobile home CUP, AGL tank farm, DR-10 to R-P, and a county E-A to R-A @ GLPC Regular 2025-11-24

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The Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) voted to recommend approval of all three city cases and the one Lowndes County case, all but one unanimously.

On 3. CU-2025-09 Mary Pierce 809 ½ Nardo Street – CUP for mobile home, the vote was split 5-1-1. Commissioner Graham abstained. Commissioner Hightower voted no, saying he was concerned about setting a precedent.

On 4. VA-2025-13 Atlanta Gas Light (AGL) NW Corner Inner Perimeter – GA 84 E, Gretchen Quarterman said she wasn’t necessarily opposed to the gaslighters’ project, but she is very concerned about the safety of trucking in explosive liquid natural gas right past Valdosta High School and into the busy intersection at US 84 and Inner Perimeter.

The actual decisions will be made by the Valdosta City Council and the Lowndes County Commission.

[Collage @ GLPC Regular 24 November 2025]
Collage @ GLPC Regular 24 November 2025

Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, with a few comments by Gretchen Quarterman, followed by a LAKE video playlist.

See also the LAKE videos of last week’s GLPC Work Session. and the agenda and the board packet, received in response to a LAKE open records request.

Here is the LAKE video playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLshUv86fYkiEhCI5lsbQx1Fr8_hpgXfIV

-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!
http://www.l-a-k-e.org/blog/donate

Packet: Valdosta Mobile home CUP, AGL tank farm, DR-10 to R-P, and a county E-A to R-A @ GLPC 2025-11-24

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Update 2025-11-28: Videos: Valdosta Mobile home CUP, AGL tank farm, DR-10 to R-P, and a county E-A to R-A @ GLPC Regular 2025-11-24.

The Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) votes tonight at 5:30 PM in its Regular Session on the three Valdosta cases and the one Lowndes County case. GLPC recommends.

The actual decisions will be made by the Valdosta City Council and the Lowndes County Commission; see the GLPC agenda for when and where.

[Collage @ GLPC Packet 2025-11-22]
Collage @ GLPC Packet 2025-11-22

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.

See also the LAKE videos of last week’s GLPC Work Session.

Greater Lowndes Planning Commission
~ Lowndes County ~ City of Valdosta ~ City of Dasher ~
~ City of Hahira ~ City of Lake Park ~ City of Remerton ~

Monday, November 17, 2025 5:30 P.M. Work Session
Monday, November 24, 2025 5:30 P.M. Regular Session
Lowndes County South Health District Administrative Office
325 West Savannah Avenue, Valdosta, Georgia

Continue reading →

Videos: Valdosta Mobile home CUP, AGL tank farm, DR-10 to R-P, and a county E-A to R-A @ GLPC Work 2025-11-17

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Three Valdosta cases and one Lowndes County case were discussed yesterday evening at the Work Session of the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC).

GLPC will vote on its recommendations at its Regular Session, next Monday, November 24, 2025, at 5:30 PM.

The actual decisions will be made by the Valdosta City Council and the Lowndes County Commission; see the GLPC agenda for when and where.

[Valdosta Mobile home CUP, AGL tank farm, DR-10 to R-P, a county E-A to R-A, @ GLPC Work Session 2025-11-17]
Valdosta Mobile home CUP, AGL tank farm, DR-10 to R-P, a county E-A to R-A, @ GLPC Work Session 2025-11-17

See below for the agenda and the LAKE videos of this GLPC Work Session.

The first case was confusing: Continue reading →

Videos: 1 County, 4 Valdosta, 1 Hahira @ GLPC 2025-10-27

Update 2025-11-13: Gretchen found the rest of the videos. Some were on the card, others were in the camera internal memory. All posted now.

Apparently the video camera failed when I changed the battery, because all I’ve got is video of the last two cases at the October 27, 2025, Regular Session of the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC).

[Videos: Greater Lowndes Planning Commission, Regular Session, 2025-10-27]
Videos: Greater Lowndes Planning Commission, Regular Session, 2025-10-27

After several citizens spoke against, the Planning Commissioners recommended approval 6:4 for the Eager Road rezoning, for decision by the Valdosta City Council.

They recommended approval 8:2 of the billboard variance, for decision by the Hahira City Council.

GLPC recommended approval with five new conditions of the one Lowndes County case, the Copeland Road rezoning (no video; sorry), for final decision by the Lowndes County Commission tomorrow, November 12, 2025.

Below are links to each LAKE video, followed by a video playlist.

Packet: 1 County, 4 Valdosta, 1 Hahira @ GLPC 2025-10-27

Update 2025-11-10: Packet: Appointments to Planning Commission & Library Board, Copeland Road rezoning, Holiday and meeting schedule, Jumping Gully Road Bridge over Bevel Creek @ LCC 2025-11-12.

You’ve seen the agenda and the LAKE videos of the Work Session. Here is the board packet for Regular Session of the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC).

The one Lowndes County case has a backstory going back ten years of failed and at least one successful rezoning.

At least two of the Valdosta City cases also have extensive backstory.

The Hahira case is to replace a billboard that was blown over by Hurricane Helene.

[Packet: Collage @ GLPC 2025-10-27]
Packet: Collage @ GLPC 2025-10-27

The board packet, received in response to a LAKE open records request, is on the LAKE website.

Images of each page are below.

-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!
http://www.l-a-k-e.org/blog/donate

Continue reading →

Workshop 1, Lowndes County Comprehensive Plan Update 2025-10-20

Why I went to the Monday GLPC Work Session: after it was the first Workshop for the Greater Lowndes Comprehensive Plan, including the cities of Valdosta, Hahira, Remerton, Dasher, and Lake Park. Updates to the Comprehensive Plan are required by the state of Georgia every five years.

James Horton of the Southern Georgia Regional Planning Commission (SGRC) conducted the Workshop.

[Workshop 1, Lowndes County Comprehensive Plan Update, James Horton, SGRC, Monday, October 20, 2025]
Workshop 1, Lowndes County Comprehensive Plan Update, James Horton, SGRC, Monday, October 20, 2025

For the current Plan, see:
https://lowndescounty.com/DocumentCenter/View/1512/2021-Greater-Lowndes-Comprehensive-Plan-PDF?bidId=

James Horton gave a very comprehensive review of what’s in the Comprehensive Plan and what it is for. Then most of the session consisted of people filling out a SWOT analysis, mostly online. That’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. You can SWOT, too: follow the QR code.

Afterwards, County Manager Paige Dukes mentioned she had just been to a session with One Valdosta-Lowndes (OVL) and we all needed to make all these plans work together. I was slow to get the camera restarted, so I missed the first part of what she said, but you can get the gist from what’s on the video.

Each of the cities has its own planning beyond what’s in the Comprehensive Plan, Parks and Rec and the Tourism Authority each have their plans, and of course OVL was intended for projects that affect all of the above.

Reminds me of the old joke about when there were a dozen standards, so somebody started another standard to merge the standards. Then where were a dozen plus one standards.

James Horton says:

The next meeting is Workshop 2 on Monday November 17, 2025 at 325 West Savannah Avenue at 6:00 PM following the work session of the Greater Lowndes County Planning Commission.

And the third Workshop will also be after a GLPC Work Session, on January 20, 2026. Continue reading →

Videos: 1 Lowndes County Case, 4 Valdosta Cases, 1 Hahira Case @ GLPC Work 2025-10-20

2025-10-25: Packet: 1 County, 4 Valdosta, 1 Hahira @ GLPC 2025-10-27.

The one Lowndes County case has a backstory going back ten years of failed and at least one successful rezoning.

At least two of the Valdosta City cases also have extensive backstory.

The Hahira case is a billboard.

These cases were presented at the Work Session of the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC). GLPC will vote for their recoomendations next Monday, 27 October 2025.

[Collage @ GLPC Work Session 20 October 2025]
Collage @ GLPC Work Session 20 October 2025

Here is the agenda.

Greater Lowndes Planning Commission
~ Lowndes County ~ City of Valdosta ~ City of Dasher ~
~ City of Hahira ~ City of Lake Park ~ City of Remerton ~


Monday, October 20, 2025 5:30 P.M. Work Session
Monday, October 27, 2025 5:30 P.M. Regular Session
Lowndes County South Health District Administrative Office
325 West Savannah Avenue, Valdosta, Georgia

Continue reading →

Community Preparedness Townhall 2025-08-26

Valdosta City Council Nick Harden organized an informative meeting that he called a Community Preparedness Townhall, also known as a Disaster Recovery Meeting. Hurricane Helene featured, and also the flash flood last November.

A cavalcade of Valdosta City, Lowndes County, and Georgia state officials spoke, as well as people from private nonprofits.

They attempted to answer all the citizen questions.

[Collage @ Community Preparedness Townhall, 26 August 2025]
Collage @ Community Preparedness Townhall, 26 August 2025

Below are links to LAKE videos of most of the speakers, with a few notes by Gretchen Quarterman, followed by a LAKE video playlist. Continue reading →

Videos: 1 Complicated Lowndes County case, 1 easy, 1 Lake Park, 6 Valdosta @ GLPC 2025-08-25

Update 2025-10-11: Packet: Rezonings, Dogs, Roads, and Subdivisions @ LCC 2025-10-13.

Update 2025-10-09: Packet: LP-2025-01, Lake Park Church of Christ @ GLPC 2025-08-25.

Update 2025-09-07: Packet: A controversial and an easy rezoning, pet shop ordinance, and Moody AFB water storage tank @ LCC 2025-09-08.

The apparently complicated rezoning did take 21 minutes, 3. REZ-2024-06 – 1735 Madison Hwy – Horace Ave. CON – C-H to CON – C-H. Ed Hightower moved to recommend denial, seconded by Tommy Willis. Vicki Rountree voted against, and the motion passed 6:1.

But the two longest were Valdosta City Cases, almost 39 minutes on 8. VA-2025-08 Andrew Duren (417 Brookfield Road) C-C(c) to C-C and almost 44 minutes on 11. VA-2025-11 Stoker Development LLC (310 Eager Road) R-15 to R-6.

[Collage @ GLPC 25 August 2025]
Collage @ GLPC 25 August 2025

The Planning Commissioners recommended denial 4:3 on VA-2025-11 Stoker, and approval everything else.

Commissioner Chip Wildes has been reappointed by the Valdosta City Council.

The meeting had item 13. 2025 Comprehensive Plan Update but the item was never announced.

See also the Continue reading →

Lowndes County and Cities SPLOST Agreement and Project Lists 2025-08-04

Update 2025-08-24: Agenda: Millages, Opioid Litigation, Hightower Road, SPLOST IX, TREES Act, PFAS Groundwater Claims @ LCC 2025-08-25.

Update 2025-08-12: Videos: Proclamations, 2 small rezonings, Comprehensive Plan, USGS Gauges, GDOT for Shiloh Road, Civic Center Hurricane Repair @ LCC Work 2025-08-11.

On August 7, Lowndes County told me in response to the LAKE August 4, 2025, open records request:

“Regarding your below open records request, we will have this information ready for you next Thursday, August 14, 2025.”

Meanwhile, a usually reliable source has sent what appears to be the SPLOST IX Agreement and the Project Lists for the county and each of its cities. They are on the LAKE website.

[Lowndes County SPLOST, Agreement and Project Lists, Valdosta, Hahira, Remerton, Dasher, Lake Park]
Lowndes County SPLOST, Agreement and Project Lists, Valdosta, Hahira, Remerton, Dasher, Lake Park

Text and images of the Project Lists are below.

We’ll see if they match what I get from the county on Thursday.

This is what I asked for: Continue reading →