{"id":5190,"date":"2013-08-16T18:17:38","date_gmt":"2013-08-16T22:17:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/?p=5190"},"modified":"2013-08-16T18:22:54","modified_gmt":"2013-08-16T22:22:54","slug":"phase-ii-of-moody-family-housing-already-has-a-sinkhole-tom-kurrie-lcc-2013-08-13","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/2013\/08\/phase-ii-of-moody-family-housing-already-has-a-sinkhole-tom-kurrie-lcc-2013-08-13.html","title":{"rendered":"Phase II of Moody Family Housing already has a sinkhole –Tom Kurrie @ LCC 2013-08-13"},"content":{"rendered":"

\r\nTom Kurrie said Phase I has a structural issue and Phase II of\r\nthe proposed Moody Housing has a sinkhole,\r\nat\r\n\r\nthe 13 August 2013 Lowndes County Commission Regular Session<\/a>.\r\n\r\n

\r\n\"Existing<\/a>\r\n\r\nTom Kurrie spoke for<\/a>\r\nthe rezoning for Phase I,\r\n\r\nREZ-2013-09<\/a>,\r\nfirst giving something unknown to the County Clerk,\r\nand then saying:\r\n

\r\nBill Holland and I are the applicants,\r\nwe represent the owner of the property, the Howard Dasher Company,\r\nas well as the developers of the property, Balfour Beatty Communities.\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n

\r\nThe ubiquitous Bill Holland had spoken the previous morning\r\n\r\nin the Work Session<\/a>.\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"Tom<\/a>\r\n

\r\nThis time, Kurrie\r\nsaid the project had been in the makings for over two years.\r\n(Funny how the county didn’t tell us about it until they were ready\r\nto rush it through.)\r\nHe said it was for “prestige housing” for base personnel.\r\nHe said it was unusual in being 8 miles west of Moody AFB.\r\nHe introduced Ron Nestor, Senior Vice President of Balfour Beatty,\r\nand said it was a public-private partnership.\r\nAnd use would be restricted to Air Force personnel.\r\nWe’d already heard about such restrictions at\r\n\r\nthe Planning Commission<\/a>.\r\nHe said it would be a “gated community”.\r\nWe’ll see if that actually happens this time, unlike at\r\nNelson Hill<\/a> just up Val Del Road;\r\nyou can see both locations on this map:\r\n<\/p>\r\n

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

\r\n\r\nKurrie also mentioned professor Noll and geotechnical issues such\r\nas sinkholes, now or future.\r\nKurrie admitted Phase II (not the one they’re applying for now)\r\ndoes have a sinkhole.\r\n(The\r\n\r\nsite plan<\/a> does say that right on it: “Existing Sinkhole”,\r\nand you can see it in\r\n\r\nthe county Tax Assessors map<\/a>.)\r\nHe said the developer had identified an environmental issue in part\r\nof the land for Phase I and no houses would be built on that.\r\n

\r\nHe added that the Air Force had done a draft Environmental Assessment\r\nof 176 pages and “your planner has a copy of that.”\r\n\r\n\"Sinkhole<\/a>\r\nHe added,\r\n

\r\nThere was no significant impact, and a finding of no practical alternative.\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n

\r\nWhy not?\r\nBecause:\r\n

\r\nThis is the site that has been approved by the Air Force, and no other site\r\nhas been approved for this purpose whatsoever.\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n

\r\nSo why did the Air Force\r\nbother doing an EA if the result had already been pre-determined\r\nby the Air Force?\r\nThe public comment period for the EA didn’t even expire until 15 August 2013,\r\nbut as you’ll see the County Commission went ahead and voted on 13 August anyway.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\nKurrie wrapped up after less than seven minutes,\r\ngetting to the real point: there’s probably going to be a BRAC,\r\nand this is a way for the county to show support for Moody.\r\nCurious how citizens wishing to be heard have to stick to 5 minutes\r\nbut developers or their attorneys can go on indefinitely.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"John<\/a>\r\nCommissioner John Page wanted to know what would happen if Moody closed,\r\nwould locals then be able to use this housing?\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\nKurrie said Scott Rafshoon was present to represent the developer.\r\nKurrie added that this project would be owned by the Air Force\r\nafter 50 years.\r\nSee next post<\/a>\r\nfor Rafshoon’s answer.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\nHere’s\r\n\r\nthe video:<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n

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