Tag Archives: Withlacoochee River

Survey, petition, letters, speak against conmmercial development on GA 122 at Skipper Bridge Road

Update 2023-01-21: Packet: Dollar General rezoning again, VLDA appointment, 2 subdivision infrastructure, special assessment rate, DA VOCA, server blades @ LCC 2023-01-23.

If you do not think “commercial and shopping options in Lowndes County” should include a development foothold in an agricultural and forestry area, here are ways you can oppose it: a survey, a petition, letters, call your Commissioner, and speak in the Public Hearing.

Trash bags across GA 122 from the rezoning notice sign

Somebody identified only as “Joe w/ WG Research” is sending text messages with a survey that includes this question:

4. Would you be in favor of a new and architecturally enhanced Dollar General in North Lowndes County located on GA Hwy 122?

No doubt they want to hear from everybody. So please answer the survey and get friends and relatives who oppose that rezoning to answer it.
https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/7170646/Lowndes-County?x=2DCD7BDE9 Continue reading →

Public Notice: Rezoning REZ-2022-20, GA 122 @ Skipper Bridge Road for a Dollar General 2023-01-08

Update 2023-01-13: Survey, petition, letters, speak against conmmercial development on GA 122 at Skipper Bridge Road.

That’s sixteen days before the January 24th Public Hearing about the proposed rezoning for a Dollar General at GA 122 and Skipper Bridge Road by the Lowndes County Commission.

Public Notice and Future Development Map, REZ-2022-20, GA 122 @ Skipper Bridge Road

Which appears to be sufficient notice according to O.C.G.A. 36-66-4(a): “A local government taking action resulting in a zoning decision shall provide for a hearing on the proposed action. At least 15 but not more than 45 days prior to the date of the hearing, the local government shall cause to be published within a newspaper of general circulation within the territorial boundaries of the local government a notice of the hearing. The notice shall state the time, place, and purpose of the hearing.”

The notice says opponents of the rezoning have to file a disclosure report about campaign contributions. The same law, O.C.G.A. 36-67A-3 (2010) says the applicant must also file a disclosure report. I will include a request for that in the LAKE open records request before the January 24th Public Hearing.

Valdosta Daily Times, City and Public Notices, January 8, 2023,

PUBLIC NOTICE TO THE CITIZENS OF LOWNDES COUNTY, Continue reading →

Correspondence: Proposed Rezoning on GA 122 at Skipper Bridge Road 2022-12-12

Update 2022-12-20: Videos: Dollar General rezoning tabled, Troupville Nature Park land purchased @ LCC 2022-12-13.

All letters were opposed, of those sent to GLPC or LCC by December 12, 2022, about the rezoning for a Dollar General on GA 122 at Skipper Bridge Road.

Thanks to Lowndes County Planner JD Dillard for sending this correspondence on REZ-2022-20 last Monday in response to an open records request, before I mentioned it in the Lowndes County Commission meeting Tuesday.

Map, Letters, REZ-2022-20, GA 122 & Skipper Bridge Road

Letters

There are letters from Joyce Jones, Jamie Rowntree, and Gwen Rowntree. Gwen Rowntree sent a letter to the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) and followed up with a similar letter to the Lowndes County Commission (LCC).

It appears that while there may be people who have spoken to Commissioners in support of the rezoning, as of Monday a week ago nobody had written in support. All the letters are in opposition.

As you can see, Continue reading →

Videos: Opposition gets Dollar General on GA 122 & Skipper Bridge voted down @ GLPC 2022-11-28

Update 2022-12-09: Agenda: Sprawl on Skipper Bridge Road and Purchase of Land Between the Rivers @ LCC 2022-12-12.

Update 2022-12-09: Massive citizen opposition to development foothold in agricultural and forestry area @ GLPC 2022-12-08.

The eight citizens who spoke against the Dollar General rezoning at GA 122 and Skipper Bridge Road get star billing.

Collage @ GLPC 28 November 2022

“We don’t need to have new commercial zoning in our area.” —Gretchen Quarterman

“We have no interest in adding convenience to our peaceful little community.” —Becky Rowntree Harris

“The river is literally my back yard.” —Danielle Jackson

“Ten-day is an absolute joke.” —Samuel Heath Dawson

“And the other 112 acres would be the next battle.” —William Pope

“Put it across from Ashley Paulk’s development.” —Roxanne Newton

“Even with the goose egg [?] it’s still a Dollar General and I do not want this.” —Dan Richardson

“Please take the wishes of the many, versus the dollars of the few.” —Last Speaker

GLPC voted 7:1 to recommend disapproval. The actual rezoning decision will be made by the Lowndes County Commission at its Regular Session, Tuesday, December 13th, 2022, 5:30 PM. If you don’t want that store in an agricultural area, attracting still more subdivisions still farther north in the county, call or write your county commissioner or come speak against at that meeting. If somebody wants to start a petition, that might also help.

Or you can jump to the full meeting, in which you’ll learn the Hahira deannexation was unanimously voted against, GLPC has a new board member, Ron Bythwood, and a new Chair and Vice-Chair starting in January.

So, about 5. REZ-2022-20 Teramore, Hwy 122/Skipper Bridge Rd, 0067 051, 3.0 ac.E-A to C-C. Continue reading →

Videos: River Gauges, Lift Station, Disaster Relief, Hazards, Facilities, TIA, Service Delivery @ LCC 2022-10-24

Most items sailed through this morning’s Work Session of the Lowndes County Commission. They vote tomorrow, Tuesday evening, at 5:30 PM.

The county continues to be unhappy with the City of Valdosta about the Service Delivery Agreement.

Chairman Bill Slaughter asked to have the Patrol Car Laptop Lease tabled for further clarification.

River Gauges, Hazard Mitigation, Facilities, Service Delivery, Lift Station, Reports @ LCC 2022-09-24

Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, with a few notes by Gretchen, followed by a LAKE video playlist. See also the agenda and board packet. Continue reading →

Packet: Lift Station & Force Main, River Gauge, Transit, Code Red, Facilities, TIA, SDS, etc. @ LCC 2022-10-24

Update 2022-10-24: Videos: River Gauges, Lift Station, Disaster Relief, Hazards, Facilities, TIA, Service Delivery @ LCC 2022-10-24.

It’s a long agenda even with no rezonings, at the Lowndes County Commission Work Session this morning.

They vote Tuesday evening at 5:30 PM on $3 million in expenditures. The agenda says that $1,839,820 for Hazard Mitigation will be “Fully reimbursed to Lowndes County (90% from FEMA 10% from Pruitt Health Corporation)”.

Cost	What
$1,839,820.00	Approval of Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) Applications
$1,084,938.91	Exit 13 Lift Station and Force Main Project
$50,300.00	Patrol Car Laptop Lease
$31,500.00	Code Red Service Renewal
$23,850.00	Joint Funding Agreement with USGS for Stream Gauge Maintenance
$3,030,408.91	Total

Agenda @ LCC 2022-10-24

The Stream Gauge item is for the river gauges on the Withlacoochee River at Skipper Road [sic] (Hagan Bridge) and the Little River near Hahira (Folsom Bridge).

Here is the agenda.

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

Roads, Wastewater, and Trash @ VCC 2022-02-24

A twelve-foot alligator surfaced twice at the briefest Valdosta City Council meeting of recent memory, in Special Recognitions and Citizens to Be Heard, related to the Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle organized by WWALS, with Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman as a speaker.

Valdosta City Council, Staff, and Citizens

Four from Leadership Lowndes where there, and there’s a New Neighborhood Development and Community Protections Manager, Anetra Riley. The Mayor recognized WWALS, which is a first.

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

Videos: Valwood award, river gauges, Comprehensive Plan, Alcohol @ LCC Regular 2021-10-25

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

The County Manager said the Character Area Maps were not changing in the Comprehensive Plan Update, so she expected the Public Hearing Tuesday to be brief, but a quorum would be required. At the end, I thanked the Commissioners for not changing the character area maps and asked them to follow them in future rezonings.

County Manager, PIO, Valwood Valiants, Character Area Maps

The river gauge funding and the beer and wine license sailed through unanimously. The longest items were the two part Proclamation Presentation to Valwood Valiants Volleyball Team and the County Manager’s Report.

Here are links to each LAKE video of each agenda (and non-agenda) item, with a few notes, followed by a LAKE video playlist. See also the LAKE videos of the same morning’s Work Session, the agenda, and the board packet which we received in response to a LAKE open records request and put on the LAKE website. Some day the county will put its own board packets on its own website. Continue reading →

Videos: River gauges, Lowndes County Extension Office @ LCC Work 2021-10-25

By far the longest item was the informative 7.a. Lowndes County Extension Office Presentation, at the Lownndes County Commission Work Session yesterday morning.

River Gauges, Beer and Wine, Reports, Extension Agent

The river gauges and the beer and wine license took not much longer than to read the agenda items.

Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, with a few notes, followed by a LAKE video playlist. See also the agenda and board packet, received in response to a LAKE open records request and on the LAKE website. Continue reading →

Maps: Comprehensive Plan Final Public Hearing @ LCC 2021-10-26

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

Here is the almost-completed Lowndes County Character Area Map for tomorrow’s Public Hearing to Review and Transmit the 2021 Comprehensive Plan Update. It does not look like the Character Areas have changed much.

Still, if you care, be there.

When: 5:30 PM, Tuesday, October 26, 2021

Where: 327 N. Ashley Street, 2nd Floor Commission Chamber, Valdosta, GA 31601

2016 and 2021 Lowndes County Character Area Maps

Thanks to Elizabeth Backe of SGRC, who wrote this morning:

The most recent version of the comp plan update is located on our website here, however there is one additional update that our web team has not yet uploaded. This item is for each of the work programs and it is the completion of an electric vehicle report. I anticipate them uploading this today. The Character Area map is located in the Appendix of the plan.

More specifically, this is the draft I picked up from that SGRC web page.

That entire plan is now on the LAKE website, with images of each page:
http://www.l-a-k-e.org/govt/loco/2021-10-26–public-hearing-comprehensive-plan

This is the map from page 128: Continue reading →

On the LAKE front

Citizen dialog for transparent process by the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange