In a rezoning case we heard the de facto motto of the Lowndes County Commission:

“I’m really trying to develop the property as full as it could be.”

This was in discussion about REZ-2012-07 McNeil Property, 6888 & 6870 McNeil Road, Hahira, on the agenda for the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission meeting of 30 April 2012. According to the tax assessors’ database, they spelled it wrong: it’s McNeal Road. This rezoning was for lot width, such as would have to happen for the Gloria Dave property to be subdivided. Nathan Smith spoke for, representing multiple people. There was concern among the GLPC board that the rezoning would permit more houses than were currently being requested.

This was the only case in that meeting with speakers against. Elizabeth Daniels, lives nearby (I think she said across the road), pointed out that four lots on one section would permit 4 lots on another section, and that would be a problem on that narrow road.

Donya Rigal, 6840 McNeal Road, the property next door, pointed out dust from traffic and other problems. McNeal Road is a county road, 35 feet wide.

County Planner Jason Davenport said:

“They did actually reserve 12 and a half feet of each of these properties in anticipation of improvement, but I don’t know that that’s on any list for improvement any time soon”

On questioning about whether further subdivision would be possible with the requested rezoning, he pointed out that family ties would enable further subdivision without rezoning on the subject property just as it would on the neighboring properties of the people who spoke against. Then he added:

“I’m really trying to develop the property as full as it could be. If they did do that much development, I don’t know what the County Engineer would do about road improvement. Because that’s a healthy amount of lots on that road there.”

Beware the county will probably later try to pave that road and then recommend further subdivision.

Further discussion included that if the current owners sold it off, whatever they said they would do wouldn’t matter, and the new owners might be able to subdivide every 2.5 acres. Ted Raker, the new City of Hahira GLPC member, noted:

“The difference on E-A and R-A is space between houses. They can’t do it with E-A.”

The proposed rezoning is from E-A to R-A. GLPC made a unanimous recommendation for with a condition that only four houses can be placed on the property.

Here’s a video playlist:

I’m really trying to develop the property as full as it could be. —Jason Davenport
Regular Session, Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 30 April 2012.
Video by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE).

-jsq

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