Update 2023-06-14: Packet: Howell Road Halfway House massive opposition 2023-06-12.

Apparently somebody sued and the county is going to tidy up by invalidating its previous decision on the Howell Road Halfway House rezoning and hold yet another Public Hearing before making what will likely be the same decision. That will be this Monday, June 12, 2023, at 5:30 PM.

Redo rezoning, WRPDO Site Map, REZ-2022-10 The Campus Transitional Facility

How five days’ notice solves the legal problem of lack of previous notice, I don’t know. Also why they could not wait one day and hold this Public Hearing in their regularly-scheduled Regular Session of this Tuesday is mysterious. Perhaps the County Attorney will explain it all.

Meanwhile, the county’s apparent lack of concern for the Character Areas of the Comprehensive Plan does not bode well for other rezonings elsewhere.

For what they plan to do Monday evening see Rezoning Case REZ-2022-10 The Campus Transitional Facility Validity.pdf:

COUNTY ACTION REQUESTED ON: REZ-2022-10 The Campus Transitional Facility — Validity of April 11, 2023, Decision

HISTORY, FACTS AND ISSUES: On March 28, 2023, the Board began and voted to table the public hearing ona request to rezone property located at 2193 Howell Road from Estate Agricultural (E-A) to Planned Development (P-D) for uses including a Transitional Care Facility until the April 11, 2023, Board meeting, at which the Board continued the public hearing on the request and voted to rezone the property to Planned Development (P-D).

The County has received a challenge to the validity of the April 11, 2023, decision based on the notice to the public.

Declaring the April 11, 2023, zoning decision invalid and reconsidering rezoning the property will make this challenge moot.

OPTIONS: 1. Declare the April 11, 2023, zoning decision invalid.
2. Redirect

RECOMMENDED ACTION: Board’s Pleasure

DEPARTMENT: Planning DEPARTMENT HEAD: JD Dillard

This case could be an indication of how little Lowndes County Staff and Commissioners care about Character Areas; see Rezoning Case REZ-2022-10 The Campus Transitional Facility, 2193 Howell Road.pdf:

Overall, staff found the request inconsistent with the Character Area, but consistent with the goals and policies of the Comprehensive Plan.

I would have thought the Character Areas were geographic details of the goals and policies of the Comprehensive Plan.

Instead Staff wrote:

The largest concerns for the TRC were ensuring that the proposed use was able to be developed on the subject property and that its impacts to the surrounding area were manageable. At this point, it is the hope of staff that the benefit the proposed use brings to the community and the proposed site plan with its buffering and setbacks will mitigate any potentially negative effects on surrounding properties.

Regarding the alleged benefits, there is still the question of whether the facility will have qualified medical staff, which the county rezoning agenda sheet says it will not:

This potential facility is not currently licensed for substance abuse recovery assistance. Beyond a support group or outside visit from a licensed counselor, clients with substance abuse needs will be referred to other facilities, organizations, or counselors licensed for such care.

So this facility appears to be basically a church group, with no more competence in dealing with “clients with substance abuse needs” than any other church group.

There are many objections from people nearby, which I would think would be one reason Character Areas were established.

Before the Lowndes County Commission, the Planning Commission had a different opinion:

The Planning Commission heard the request and the concerns of the neighbors, and recommended denial by a vote of (8-2).

So this decision does not bode well for rezonings elsewhere in the county.

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Here is the agenda.

See also the LAKE Videos: Howell Road Halfway House approved in split vote @ LCC Regular 2023-04-11, and follow the see also links back from there.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
SPECIAL CALLED MEETING
PROPOSED AGENDA
MONDAY, JUNE 12, 2023, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

1. Call to Order
2. Public Hearing
   1. Rezoning Case REZ-2022-10 The Campus Transitional Facility – Validity of April 11, 2023, Decision
      

      Documents:Rezoning Case REZ-2022-10 The Campus Transitional Facility Validity.pdf

   2. Rezoning Case REZ-2022-10 The Campus Transitional Facility, 2193 Howell Road E-A to PD-R, Well & Septic, ~23 acres
      

      Documents:Rezoning Case REZ-2022-10 The Campus Transitional Facility, 2193 Howell Road.pdf

3. Adjournment

-jsq

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