That looks like a creek running through 1501 North Lee Street, as Valdosta City Council Sonny Vickers asked Tuesday and is on the Valdosta City Council agenda for a vote tonight, after being considered for a recommendation at the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission Regular Session 26 August 2013.

Matthew Woody wrote for the VDT yesterday, City discusses zoning request,

Councilman Sonny Vickers expressed concern about the facility being too close to the stream. He asked if the City approved this and there was a flood, would the City be liable. He asked if any of the surrounding areas have been flooded in the past, and Martin said that in the past 43 years, there has never been an issue.

And what about waste flowing downstream or into the aquifer?

Extract from the Planning Commission agenda with links to the videos:

CITY OF VALDOSTA CASES:

FINAL ACTION by the City of Valdosta Mayor-Council
Thursday, September 5, 2013
Valdosta City Hall, 216 E. Central Avenue, Valdosta, Georgia
Council Chambers, 2nd Floor
5:30 p.m.

2. VA-2013-12 UHS Pruitt Corporation
   Property Location: 1501 North Lee Street (Parkwood Development Center)

   

   Request to rezone 4.96 acres from Single-Family Residential (R-6) and (R-10) to Office-Professional (O-P)

   

   City Planner Matt Martin said the applicant had been there for 40 years and zoning had changed during that time, so now they had to ask for rezoning to expand.

   

   Martin presented for 2.5 minutes and said staff recommended rezoning.

   

   Commissioners had no questions of staff. Nobody in the audience wanted to speak for or against.

   Commissioners had no discussion. Commissioner Wildes moved to recommend the rezoning, saying as staff had remarked the request was because zoning had changed, and the request was for the minimum. Commissioner Hall seconded. With no further discussion, all were in favor.

   Here’s Part 1 of 2:

   
   Medical development to span One Two Mile Branch in downtown Valdosta? Part 1 of 2:
   Regular Session, Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC),
   Video by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE),
   Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 26 August 2013.

3. CU-2013-02 UHS Pruitt Corporation
   Property Location: 1501 North Lee Street (Parkwood Development Center)
   Request Conditional Use Permit (CUP) for a Residential Care facility in an O-P zoning district.

   

   City Planner Matt Martin said the creek (clearly visible in bright blue on the site plan) is One Two Mile Branch, a state-protected stream with buffers, also locally protected with stream buffers. He noted it’s a “triple threat”: zoning, conditional use, and variance. The variances being sought from the Zoning Board of appeals is for a few feet of encroachment into the stream buffer.

   

   Commissioner Celine Gladwin wanted to know if the neighbors were in agreement with the shared driveway. Martin said there was already an easement for that.

   

   Martin added that if you look at the survey in the rezoning packet (which he did not display on the screen) “if you use some imagination with the fine print” the conditional use fits there. Say what? Even if the city published the packet we’d still have to use our imagination?

   No citizens wanted to speak for or against, so Chair Johnnie Ball went directly to Commission discussion. They had no further discussion, either. Commissioner Wildes moved to recommend the request with “the conditions that were previously stated by staff”. Commissioner Bailey seconded. No further discussion. Unanimous approval.

   Here’s Part 2 of 2:

   
   Medical development to span One Two Mile Branch in downtown Valdosta? Part 2 of 2:
   Regular Session, Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC),
   Video by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE),
   Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 26 August 2013.

-jsq

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