Tag Archives: Valdosta City Council

Videos: Comprehensive Plan Update Public Hearing 2 @ LCC 2021-10-26

Only one citizen showed up to speak: David Houtz, who asked Commissioners not to change the Character Area Maps, and said he had not seen the latest plan. SGRC’s Elizabeth Backe handed him a copy; she also presented a summary of the process at the beginning of the meeting, and clarified process later.

[Citizen David Houtz, Elizabeth Backe of SGRC, Houtz receives plan, Sparse audience, City Planner Matt Martin, Commissioners Orenstein and Marshall, Commissioners and VDT reporter]
Citizen David Houtz, Elizabeth Backe of SGRC, Houtz receives plan, Sparse audience, City Planner Matt Martin, Commissioners Orenstein and Marshall, Commissioners and VDT reporter

You can see in this LAKE video a discussion between Valdosta and Hahira City Planner Matt Martin and Lowndes County Commissioner Scottie Orenstein about changes to the Hahira Character Area map is not recorded in the minutes, as well as the rest of the 17-minute meeting.

Commissioners discussed the Comprehensive Plan Update again this morning in their Work Session, and they will approve it tomorrow afternoon at 5:30 PM in their Regular Session. Continue reading →

No agenda for tomorrow’s Planning Commission meeting @ GLPC 2021-10-25

Update 2021-10-25: Agenda and Hahira case.

According to its schedule on the City of Valdosta website, the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) meets as usual tomorrow, the last Monday of the month.

When: 5:30pm to 6:30pm, Monday, October 25, 2021

Where: South Health District Administrative Office
325 West Savannah Avenue, Valdosta, GA 31601

[GLPC Schedule]
GLPC Schedule

That’s at the exact same time as the Lowndes County Commission Regular Session, which normally would be Tuesday at 5:30 PM, but that time slot is taken by the Public Hearing to Review and Transmit the 2021 Comprehensive Plan Update.

Lowndes County’s website has nothing in its calendar for this meeting, and no agenda is posted.

I have sent a request for agenda and board packet to the city and county Clerks and Planners. While the other four cities in Lowndes County may also have items on the agenda, Valdosta and Lowndes County traditionally handle the agenda.

If I get anything in time before the meeting tomorrow evening, I will post it.

-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!

Videos: Many objections at Comprehensive Plan Stakeholder Meeting @ LCC Comp Plan 2021-09-28

Update 2021-11-08: Videos: Comprehensive Plan Update Public Hearing 2 @ LCC 2021-10-26.

All of the speakers at the Comprehensive Plan Stakeholder Meeting were opposed to moving the Suburban Area line farther north on the Character Area Map. They presented cogent reasons, such as they live up there and aren’t going to sell, there are already 750 lots available for sale while it took a decade for Nelson Hill’s 500 lots to sell, and the county should be looking out for its people and preserving much of the county for the next 50 years.

[Comprehensive Plan Update, Crowd, Lowndes County Character Areas, Map of those opposed to changing Character Areas]
Comprehensive Plan Update, Crowd, Lowndes County Character Areas, Map of those opposed to changing Character Areas

Most of the Commissioners acted like further development northwest in the county is a force of nature over which they have no control, and expressed more concern for developers and investors than for the room full of people in front of them or the 900 petition signatories opposed.

Here are links to each LAKE video of each speaker with copious notes, followed by a LAKE video playlist. There was no agenda. The lowndescounty.com online calendar had only a title, Comprehensive Plan Stakeholder Meeting, date, time, and place, with no agenda. The draft minutes are sketchy, omitting key points such as the Dorfman report, but you can find that report below. Continue reading →

Videos: Motorola, Library, SDS, Leadership Lowndes @ LCC 2021-09-28

Two weeks ago, the Lowndes County Commission approved everything unanimously, except 6.c. Consideration of Service Delivery Strategy Agreement Language, for which Commissioner Clay Griner voted against. He didn’t say why.

[Motorola, Library, SDS, Leadership Lowndes]
Motorola, Library, SDS, Leadership Lowndes

Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, followed by a LAKE video playlist. See also the agenda and board packet, and the draft minutes of the previous morning’s Work Session and of this Regular Session.

SDS county road agreement, library, Georgia Forestry @ LCC 2021-09-27

At least part of the long-contentious Service Delivery Strategy (SDS) has been resolved between Lowndes County and the City of Valdosta. The county has agreed not to fund county roads using property taxes from incorporated taxpayers, that is, taxpayers within city limits of any of the five cities in the county.

Plus the county is spending a million dollars on communications equipment, road graders, and an architect for a library addition.

[County roads not to be paid out of city property taxes]
County roads not to be paid out of city property taxes

Continue reading →

Videos: Church, Personal Care Home, RV vendor, Lake Park Zoning Ordinance @ GLPC 2021-08-30

Almost half an hour on the church on Woodlawn Drive (sidewalks and building size), eleven minutes on the personal care home on Slater Street, and three minutes each on the RV sales expansion and the Lake Park Zoning Ordinance amendments. That was a slack evening for the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC), at 47 minutes total.

[Welcome, Lake Park, RV expansion, Board]
Welcome, Lake Park, RV expansion, Board

GLPC recommends. The Lowndes County Commission is already meeting about its items. Lake Park and Valdosta Mayor and Council will decide their items.

Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, followed by a LAKE video playlist. See also the agenda. Continue reading →

Lake Park Zoning Ordinance, LAR Properties, Valdosta Personal Care & Church @ GLPC 2021-08-30

Update 2021-09-13: LAKE videos.

For Monday evening it’s a light agenda for the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission.

[Map, Sales, Business, Agenda]
Map, Sales, Business, Agenda

One curious item is REZ-2021-14 LAR Properties of Lake Park, 5359 Mill Store Rd., 0200 292A, ±12.76 ac., P-D to C-H, County Utilities. That appears to be a vacant lot behind an RV store.

[Map: LAR Properties, Lowndes County Tax Assessors]
Map: LAR Properties, Lowndes County Tax Assessors

Google maps thinks the RV store is Day Bros RV, and their own website agrees. But if you go to google streetview, the sign out front says Alliance Coach RV Sales & Service.

According to the Lowndes County Tax Assessors, Day Bros RV Sales LLC sold both lots Continue reading →

Videos: Deannexation + 2 Valdosta cases, 2 Lowndes County cases @ GLPC 2021-07-26

Here are LAKE videos of each agenda item of the Monday, July 26, 2021, Regular Session of the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC), followed by a LAKE video playlist. The big item was 5. VA-2021-16 (pt 1) Uvalde Land Co. Deannex 310 acres from the City of Valdosta.

Greater Lowndes Planning Commission 2021-07-26

See also the agenda and Deannexation east of Withlacoochee River linked to subdivision west @ GLPC 2021-07-26. LAKE videos of the following Lowndes County Commission and Valdosta City Council meetings will also be up soon.

Deannexation of Cherry Creek Wetlands Mitigation Bank @ VCC 2021-08-05

The Greater Lowndes Planning Commission recommended 6-3 to deny the de-annexation of 310 acres of the Cherry Creek Wetlands Mitigation Bank. Thursday evening at 5:30 PM the Valdosta City Council decides.

[Map, Agenda]
Map, Agenda

Among other items on the agenda are Consideration of an Ordinance for Film Production in the City of Valdosta and Consideration of an appointment to the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) Citizens Advisory Committee. We don’t know who they are considering appointing.

AGENDA
REGULAR MEETING OF THE VALDOSTA CITY COUNCIL
5:30 PM Thursday, August 5, 2021
COUNCIL CHAMBERS, CITY HALL

  1. Opening Ceremonies
    1. Call to Order
    2. Invocation
    3. Pledge of Allegiance to the American Flag
  2. Awards and Presentations
    1. Consideration of the August, 2021 Employee of the Month Award (Patrol Officer Jermaine Johnson, Valdosta Police Department).
  3. Minutes Approval
    1. The Minutes from the July 22, 2021 Regular Meeting are forthcoming.
  4. Public Hearings
    1. Consideration of an Ordinance for a Conditional Use Permit for a Car Wash and Quick Oil Change business in a Community-Commercial (C-C) Zoning District as
      requested by SHJ Construction Group (File No. CU-2021-03). The property is located at 3205 Inner Perimeter Road. The Planning Commission reviewed this at their July 26, 2021 Regular Meeting and recommended approval with four conditions (9-0 vote).

    2. Consideration of an Ordinance to rezone 0.59 acres from Single-Family Residential (R15) to Community-Commercial (C-C) as requested by SW North Valdosta, LLC (File No. VA-2021-15). The property is located at 3277 North Valdosta Road. The Planning Commission reviewed this at their July 26, 2021 Regular Meeting and recommended approval (9-0 Vote).

    3. Consideration of an Ordinance to deannex 310 acres from the City of Valdosta as
      requested by Uvalde Land Company (File No. VA-2021-16). The property is the City portion of the Cherry Creek Wetlands Mitigation Bank property which is located between the Withlacoochee River and the Cherry Creek residential neighborhoods. The Planning Commission reviewed this
      request at their July 26, 2021 Regular Meeting and recommended denial (6-3 Vote).

  5. Ordinances and Resolutions
    1. Consideration of an Ordinance for Film Production in the City of Valdosta. (First Reading)

    2. Consideration of a Resolution to approve an Amendment to the Georgia Municipal Employees Benefit System (GMEBS) Master Defined Benefit Retirement Plan.

  6. Bids, Contracts, Agreements and Expenditures
    1. Consideration of bids for 95 Gallon Roll Out Cart Containers for the Public Works Department (Bid No. 58-20-21 95).

  7. Local Funding and Requests
    1. Consideration of a request to declare two vehicles from the Valdosta Police Department as surplus property.

  8. Boards, Commissions, Authorities, and Advisory Committees
    1. Consideration of an appointment to the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) Citizens Advisory Committee.

  9. Citizens to be Heard

  10. City Manager’s Report
  11. Council Comments
  12. Adjournment

-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!

Deannexation east of Withlacoochee River linked to subdivision west @ GLPC 2021-07-26

What does a big parcel of flood plain property on the east (left) bank of the Withlacoochee River have to do with a subdivision to the west, both on the agenda for this Monday’s Greater Lowndes Planning Commission?

Well, both seem to have been requested by the same person, who is also somehow involved with the owner of the land in between.

What do the various LLCs and people involved want to do with hundreds of acres of floodplain next to the Withlacoochee River? They probably can’t build subdivisions on it, but they could log it, dig sand mines, put a shooting range there, or many other possibilities that might not be good for the river or nearby homeowners.

I have filed an open records request with Lowndes County so we can find out more.

Let’s start with the Valdosta deannexation case:

City of Valdosta Cases:

  1. VA-2021-16 Uvalde Land Co. (Cherry Creek — Withlacoochee River) Deannex 310 acres from the City of Valdosta

[Map: Uvalde Land Company, LLC:]
Map: Uvalde Land Company, LLC:

The Lowndes County Tax Assessor says: Continue reading →