Today: setbacks and nonconforming use in the county,
and setbacks and buffers in the city of Valdosta,
at the Valdosta-Lowndes County Zoning Board of Appeals.
They start in a few minutes from now at the Valdosta City Annex.
Variance to LDR Section 214-1 Table 2 as it pertains to rear yard setbacks in O-P Zoning and to LDR Section 310-112(A)(1) as it pertains to stream buffers
APP-2013-09 – RREMC Restaurants LLC (Denny’s; 1328 N St Augustine Road)
Variance to LDR Section 214-7 as it pertains to exterior building materials
APP-2013-10 — UHS-Pruitt Corporation (Parkwood Developmental Center; 1501 N Lee St.)
Variance to LDR Section 214-1 Table 2 as it pertains to rear yard setbacks in O-P Zoning and to LDR Section 310-112(A)(1) as it pertains to stream buffers
OTHER BUSINESS:
Attendance Policy
Approval of Minutes:
August 6, 2013
July 9, 2013 (revised to correct Case # scriveners errors)
Here are videos of the two Lowndes County cases (both in Lake Park)
and the one Valdosta case at the April meeting of the
Valdosta-Lowndes County Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBOA).
Here are videos of the March meeting of the
Valdosta-Lowndes County Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBOA).
They had two cases, one each for Lowndes County and Valdosta.
Valdosta-Lowndes County Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBOA)
had one Lowndes County case at its 5 June 2012 meeting,
VAR-2012-07,
already posted separately.
ZBOA, unlike GLPC, does actually make binding decisions,
but chose not to do so at this meeting for this case.
First they considered two City of Valdosta cases,
APP-2012-06
(Bill Nijem spoke for the applicants)
and
APP-2012-07,
both about signs, one at Academy Sports, and the other at Gander Mountain,
both of which had been tabled at their previous meeting.
ZBOA approved both with conditions.
Here’s
a video playlist.
Audience left to right, with name, appointed by, and date term expires:
Laverne Gaskins, Valdosta, 05/08/12
Gretchen Quarterman, Lowndes County, 05/07/14
Paul Alvarado, Valdosta, 07/01/13
Scott Orenstein, Vice-Chair, Valdosta, 10/11/13
Dr. Willie Houseal, Lowndes County, 05/07/14
Nancy Hobby, Valdosta, 07/01/13
Dave Kirk, Lowndes County, 08/28/13
Not present:
Allan Strickland, Chair, Valdosta, 05/07/14
Video Playlist
Regular Session, Valdosta-Lowndes County Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBOA),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 5 June 2011.
Video by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE).
A controversial case made its way from the Planning Commission for a
rezoning recommendation to the Zoning Board of Appeals for a buffer variance
decision,
all before it reached the Lowndes County Commission for a decision
on the rezoning.
Valdosta-Lowndes County Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBOA)
had one Lowndes County case at its
5 June 2012 meeting,
a buffer variance request,
VAR-2012-07.
Related aspects of this same property had already been heard by
the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) on 21 May 2012
as the controversial rezoning case REZ-2012-09 Copeland.
ZBOA member Nancy Hobby recused herself from VAR-2012-07.
ZBOA discussed it at great length and eventually
decided to table it.
ZBOA, unlike GLPC, does actually make binding decisions,
but chose not to do so at this meeting for this case.
Presenting the Case
Carmella Braswell, Lowndes County Zoning Administrator,
presented the case,
saying the property owner, John A. Copeland,
wanted a buffer variance for his property at 3258 Loch Laurel Road.
The applicant and four neighbors spoke for the buffer variance,
but one neighbor spoke against, and others had hired locally famous
lawyer Bill Nijem to speak against.
Carmella Braswell noted
that GLPC had moved
its meeting ahead a week,
but staff had managed to meet statutory requirements.
ZBOA wanted to know what they were buffering against.
Answer seemed to be one single-family residence and a pasture.
Ms. Braswell said staff had considered buffering according to
the zoning statutes, and there were for example churches nearby,
plus the existing buffering was mostly on other landowners’
property, and the applicant would be required to plant his own
vegetative buffer, plus staff recommended a six foot privacy fence.
Dave Kirk noted the abuse of the property had been occuring since 1967.
Ms. Braswell said that was unbenownst to county zoning.
Also there was no current business license on the property,
not since 2007.
Gretchen Quarterman asked how long the residents to the north had been there:
before or after 2007.
Ms. Braswell said well before 2007, and they were present at the meeting.
(See Gail Hiers below.)
The Valdosta-Lowndes County Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBOA)
had a somewhat unusual case to start out its March meeting,
of someone wanting to revert to a previous zoning after the County Commission
had approved a rezoning.
The owner wants to do a development, but doesn’t have the resources in this economy,
so wants to go back to agricultural zoning to make a little money while waiting.
It was complicated, with issues of wetlands, costs,
advice by county staff, and small business employment. Watch and see!
They also had a sign request from Denny’s, with input from the neighboring Mobil station and others.
Both of these cases were numbered 2012-01 (one from the county and one from the city).
How can they be numbered 01?
If I understand correctly, these were the first cases ZBOA has received this year,
and this was the first ZBOA meeting this year.
That could be an indication of the state of the local economy.
The
Zoning Board of Appeals decided unanimously at its 6 December 2011 meeting
to publish its agendas and minutes on the City of Valdosta’s website.
This item was not on the agenda, but members of such a board can make motions
anyway.
Member Gretchen Quarterman suggested it.
Valdosta City Planner Matt Martin said they could do it no problem.
Discussion ensued.
They all agreed to post agends before their meetings,
and to post minutes after they are approved (usually at the next meeting,
a month later).
Maybe other local boards and authorities will follow this example.
Left to right:
Laverne Gaskins (V), Gretchen Quarterman (L),
Paul Alvarado (V), Allan Strickland, Chair (V),
Nancy Hobby (V), Dave Kirk (L),
Carmella Braswell (Lowndes County Zoning Administrator),
Matt Martin (Valdosta City Planning and Zoning Administrator).
Absent: Scott Orenstein, Vice-Chair (V), Dr. William Houseal (L).
L: Lowndes County appointee.
V: Valdosta appointee.
The corpulent corporate giant asked for a variance, and met with
unexpected opposition, as well as unexpected results.
The formal title of the item was
VAR-2010-15 McDonald’s Corp. (4601 Foxborough Avenue),
on the agenda of
the Valdosta-Lowndes County Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBOA).
McDonald’s was
“Requesting a Variance to the maximum square footage allowed for drive-thru signage.”
Lowndes County Zoning Administrator Carmella Braswell.
introduced the case, and
Chair Allan Strickland mentioned pictures of other fast food restaurants
with signs within ordinance limits.
