{"id":20534,"date":"2018-10-04T17:04:09","date_gmt":"2018-10-04T21:04:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/?p=20534"},"modified":"2018-10-04T17:04:09","modified_gmt":"2018-10-04T21:04:09","slug":"videos-backroom-county-commission-conditions-zboa-2018-09-11","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/2018\/10\/videos-backroom-county-commission-conditions-zboa-2018-09-11.html","title":{"rendered":"Videos: Backroom County Commission conditions @ ZBOA 2018-09-11"},"content":{"rendered":"

\r\nThe interesting part was not that\r\nZBOA \r\napproved everything unanimously<\/a> in its September 11, 2018 meeting<\/a>,\r\nincluding\r\nsetbacks<\/a>\r\nfor the same Stovall property at\r\n6002 N. Oak Street Ext., Valdosta, for which\r\nlater that same day\r\n\r\nthe Lowndes County Commission\r\napproved<\/a> removal of the prohibition on personal care homes.\r\nThe news is that Lowndes County Commissioner Scottie Orenstein\r\nstood up in a public meeting and\r\nspelled out\r\n\r\nat 30 minutes 47 seconds that<\/a> “there was some behind-the-scenes conversation”:\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"Scottie<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\n

\r\nScottie Orenstein, Lowndes County Commissioner.\r\nIn March 2015, there was a condition put on this.\r\nBut after speaking with Chairman Slaughter this afternoon,\r\n\r\n\r\nafter some of y’all reached out to me,\r\num, we bantered back and forth, there was some speculation\r\nthat this property was going to be developed speculatively.\r\nThere was no real plan for the property\r\nduring the rezoning request that came\r\nfor us in March 2015.\r\n

\r\nHowever,\r\nthere was some behind-the-scenes conversation about the possibility\r\nof a youth-type detention facility.\r\nSeveral words were used to describe what possibly may go there.\r\nSo I think this was simply a result of a non-objection from\r\nproperty owners on the rezoning request,\r\nand the condition was applied there that\r\nhow you, no, no, detention facility, no, and that became,\r\nwell, let’s just say, you know, no, uh, what’s the term that we’re using,\r\n[personal care homes], yes, um.\r\nSo I think, I really think it was as simple as that.\r\n

\r\nI’ve spoken with several other Commissioners and they remember it\r\nbasically the same way.\r\nSo, uh, I mean, I feel like\r\nfor the Commissioners, I can speak for them,\r\nthey don’t have any issues.\r\n

\r\nAnd as far as the road improvements, we don’t know\r\nwhen that is gonna happen.\r\nWe know that some engineering work is being done;\r\nsome property tax being sold, and so forth.\r\nWe’re a few years away from that.\r\nI don’t feel like it would be fair to tell you\r\nto take that under consideration for these folks.\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n

\r\nA Lowndes County Commissioner, in response to a question\r\nfrom an appointed county body, answered in his capacity\r\nas County Commissioner, not just for himself, but for all\r\nthe Lowndes County Commissioners,\r\nthat “there was some behind-the-scenes conversation”\r\nthat led to a zoning condition that said it was about personal care\r\nhomes, but was really about a possible youth detention facility.\r\nNone of that discussion is recorded in the County Commission’s\r\n\r\nown minutes<\/a>, nor in the LAKE videos of that March 9, 2015, Work Session<\/a>\r\nor\r\n\r\nMarch 10, 2015, Regular Session<\/a>,\r\nwhich were the March 2015 meetings in which was heard\r\n\r\nREZ-2015-04 Stovall Property, N Oak St Ext., R-21 to C-G, Well & Other, ~5.84\r\nacres<\/a>.\r\n

\r\nInstead, this Lowndes County Commissioner said he had determined that\r\nthese back-room dealings happened\r\nby consulting other County Commissioners,\r\nalso not in any open meeting,\r\nand he said he was speaking for them in saying that these back-room\r\ndealings had occured.\r\n

\r\nThat same evening of September 11, 2018,\r\nLowndes County Commissioner Demarcus Marshall confirmed in the\r\n\r\nLowndes County Commission Regular Session<\/a> that\r\n\r\n“detention centers or boy homes or what have you”<\/a>\r\nhad been “the concern earlier”.\r\nLowndes County Chairman Bill Slaughter, responding directly\r\nto Commissioner Marshall, did not deny that there had been such\r\ndiscussion earlier, nor did any other Commissioner.\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"Demarcus<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\nCommissioner Demarcus Marshall:\r\n

\r\n

\r\nIn regards to detention centers or boy homes or what have you,\r\nis this the correct language in a sense, or what would be the proper\r\nlanguage to use?\r\nShould we put any language in there that would prevent\r\ndetention centers or anything that might be\r\nof concern in that area?\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"Bill<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\nChairman Slaughter:\r\n

\r\n

\r\nWell, I think at this point just removing that restriction\r\nthat was put on it earlier is what the actual request is.\r\nI really wouldn’t see a need in modifying\r\nthat actual request when we actually have a plan here that is\r\ngoing to be an assisted living facility.\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n

\r\nGiven that all we learned in the\r\nLAKE video of the September 10, 2018 Work Session<\/a>\r\nis that the proposed rezoning was to remove the condition on personal care homes,\r\nand not why that restriction was put there in the first place,\r\nit would appear that County Commissioners also revealed that “there was some behind-the-scenes conversation” at which County Commissioners arrived at\r\ntheir decision to remove that condition when they voted the evening of September 11, 2018, as well as back in March 2015 when they put that condition on there.\r\n

\r\nDoes this seem right to you?\r\n

\r\nSee also\r\nthe ZBOA agenda<\/a>.\r\n

\r\n

\r\nValdosta – Lowndes County Zoning Board of Appeals\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\nMatt Martin,
Valdosta Planning and Zoning Administrator\r\n
\r\n300 North Lee Street, Valdosta, Georgia\r\n
\r\n(229) 259-3563\r\n

\r\nCarmella Braswell,
Lowndes County Zoning Administrator\r\n
\r\n327 North Ashley Street, Valdosta, Georgia\r\n
\r\n(229) 671-2430\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\nMEETING RESULTS SUMMARY\r\n
\r\nSeptember 11, 2018\r\n
\r\n2:30 p.m.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\nZBOA Members Present:<\/strong> Paul Alvarado, Nathan Brantley, Victoria Copeland, Nancy Hobby,\r\nJohn Holt, Mac McCall, Gretchen Quarterman, Allan Strickland\r\n

\r\nZBOA Members Absent:<\/strong> None\r\n<\/p>\r\n

    \r\n
  1. Call to Order\r\n

    \r\nLOWNDES COUNTY CASES:\r\n<\/H4>\r\n
  2. \r\n\r\n VAR-2018-15 — Sylvia Shaw & Deloris Oliver<\/a><\/strong>\r\n (3768 Crum Road, Valdosta) \r\n
    Request<\/strong> for a\r\n
    variance<\/strong> to ULDC Chapter 4.04.04 (c)(b)(i) as it pertains to the\r\nprovisions for Family Ties Land Divisions.\r\n\r\n(Approved 7-0)\r\n<\/strong>\r\n
  3. \r\n\r\n VAR-2018-16 — Tanika Christopher on behalf of Shelby Stovall<\/a><\/strong>\r\n(6002 N. Oak Street Ext., Valdosta)\r\n
    Request<\/strong> for a \r\n
    variance<\/strong> to ULDC Section 4.03.13 as it pertains to the\r\nSupplemental Standards for Congregate Personal Care Homes (Assisted\r\nLiving Facility) that mandates the minimum side yard setbacks\r\n\r\n(Approved 7-0)\r\n<\/strong>\r\n

    \r\nCITY OF VALDOSTA CASES:\r\n<\/H4>\r\n
  4. \r\n\r\n APP-2018-06 — New Hope Missionary Baptist Church<\/a><\/strong>\r\n(709 W. Gordon Street) \r\n
    Request<\/strong> for a\r\n
    variance<\/strong> to LDR Section 214-1 Table 1 as it pertains to the minimum\r\nfront yard building setback requirements in an R-6 zoning district\r\n\r\n(Approved 7-0)\r\n<\/strong>\r\n

    \r\nOTHER BUSINESS:\r\n<\/H4>\r\n
  5. Approval of Minutes: July 10, 2018\r\n\r\n(Approved 6-0-1)\r\n<\/strong>\r\n
  6. Adjournment\r\n\r\n3:09 PM\r\n<\/strong>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n

    \r\nHere’s\r\n\r\na LAKE video playlist:<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n

    \r\n