Videos: ULDC Lake Alapaha, house, design; LDR solar parking lot @ ZBOA 2014-08-05

ZBOA postponed Lowndes County’s Lake Alapaha water treatment plant variance so the county could think about it some more, presumably related to that no-bid contract for equipment upgrade.. Two other county Lowndes County variances ( minimum side yard setbacks (approved), lot access (denied). Both of Dr. Urbonas’ solar parking lot Valdosta cases were tabled for a month so he could figure out a revised way to do it, probably involving connecting the supports to the building so they wouldn’t be accessory structures. Plus some sentiment that Valdosta City Council needed to address this issue that solar parking shouldn’t be classed as accessory structures.

The county cases are variances from the Unified Land Development Code (ULDC) and the city cases are variances from Valdosta’s Land Development Regulations (LDR), and both the ULDC and LDR are supposed to be consistent with the Comprehensive Plan.

Here’s the agenda with links into the videos and some notes. All ZBOA members were present: Paul Alvarado, Laverne Gaskins, Nancy Hobby, Dr. Willie Houseal, Mac McCall, Scott Orenstein, Gretchen Quarterman, and Chairman Allan Strickland. The City of Valdosta puts ZBOA agendas and minutes online in real PDFs.

Valdosta -Lowndes County Zoning Board of Appeals

Matt Martin, Valdosta Planning and Zoning Administrator Carmella Braswell, Lowndes County Zoning Administrator
300 North Lee Street, Valdosta, Georgia 327 North Ashley Street, Valdosta, Georgia
(229) 259-3563 (229) 671-2430

AGENDA


Tuesday, August 5, 2014
2:30 p.m.
  1. Call to Order

    Video.

LOWNDES COUNTY CASES:

  1. VAR-2014-08 — Lowndes County Board of Commissioners
    (6328 Lake Alapaha Boulevard, Naylor)
    Variance to ULDC Chapter 4.01.02(E) as it pertains to building location requirements (minimum side yard setbacks).

    Video. You can hear them say they postponed it per request from Lowndes County. I don’t whether there’s any legal difference between postponing and tabling. ZBOA’s own Summary says:

    TABLED until the scheduled September ZBOA meeting (7-0 vote)
  2. VAR-2014-09 — Rick Wagner
    (2969 Swamp Edge Road, Valdosta)
    Variance to ULDC Chapter 6.01.02 as it pertains to lot access

    Video. The applicant spoke for. Nobody else spoke for or against, although one person wanted clarification about the location. Until Walton T. Lineberger of 3646 Linberger Road hopped up just as they were trying to make a motion. He said he had a letter to the effect that he had tried to contact Mr. Wagner. And that the applicant’s property’s southwest corner impinged on his about 9′ 0.3″. Chairman said ZBOA didn’t deal with that, and he would need to take that up with surveyers and attorneys. Before that, board members discussed location, access, and the need to come back for the same process if there was any development. Gretchen moved to approve siting D, seconded by Dr. Houseal, unanimous approval. ZBOA’s own Summary says:

    APPROVED (7-0 vote)
  3. VAR-2014-10 — BTL Investments
    (Alexandria Street and 2607 Sims Street, Valdosta)
    Variance to ULDC Table 4.01.03 (F) as it pertains to Single Family Design Standards

    Video. About putting a single-wide on a lot zoned for double-wides. TRC unanimously recommended approval as Paul Alvarado left the meeting. Much discussion about nearby buildings of various types, vinyl siding, rentals, law enforcement, etc. One landowner referred to it as “the street of shame”, saying he owned his house as did more than half of the people there, indicating it was the rentals that were the problem, “500% turnaround”. Chairman clarified that law enforcement issues were not something ZBOA could address. He eventually had to say someone was out of order.

    Dr. Houseal moved to deny; Laverne Gaskins seconded; they and Nancy Hobby and Mac McCall voted for denying, while Scott Orenstein and Gretchen Quarterman voted against. ZBOA’s own Summary says:

    DENIED (4-2 vote)

CITY OF VALDOSTA CASES:

  1. APP-2014-07 — Arunas Urbonas
    (2922 N. Oak Street)
    Variance to LDR Section 218-7 as it pertains to the location and setback distance for accessory structures

    Video. Arunas Urbonas is a doctor with an office at 3564 N Crossing Street. My guess (some sort of addition to his offices) was wrong. He wants to upgrade his solar panel structures, to shade parking lots. Very interesting discussion; see separate post.

  2. APP-2014-08 — Arunas Urbonas
    (3564 N. Crossing Circle)
    Variance to LDR Section 218-7 as it pertains to the location and setback distance for accessory structures

    Video. Same solar parking lot idea as the previous item. More even more interesting discussion; see separate post.

OTHER BUSINESS:

  1. Approval of Minutes: June 3, 2014

    Video. ZBOA’s own Summary says:

    APPROVED (5-0 vote)
  2. Adjournment

    Video. ZBOA’s own Summary says:

    Adjournment 4:08 pm

Here’s a video playlist:


Videos: ULDC Lake Alapaha, house, design; LDR location and setback
Regular Session, Valdosta-Lowndes County Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBOA),
Video by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 5 August 2014.

-jsq