Author Archives: John S. Quarterman

Very unusual: Rehearing of a rezoning @ LCC 2022-09-13

Update 2022-09-12: Packet: redo 2 rezonings, 3 extraterritorial water & sewer, $438,537 RR crossing, $2,542,586 Griner Park @ LCC 2022-09-12.

Nobody seems to remember the Lowndes County Commission ever redoing a rezoning public hearing. Possibly this is what they’ve been holding Executive Sessions about lately.

Thanks to Jane Fleming Osborn for spotting this pair of public notices about redoing the same rezoning that appeared in the Valdosta Daily Times, apparently on August 29, 2022.

[Both notices]
Both notices

One is to consider the validity of the previous vote. Then they previously rezoned this property on June 16, 2022, one Commissioner was absent, and the Chairman decided a split vote.

The Public Notice is about the rezoning itself, with a prominent warning tacked on the end that it’s for a halfway house for drug rehabilitation. Apparently lack of that last bit was a legal problem Continue reading →

Agenda: 6 Remerton, 4 Valdosta, 1 Hahira, 1 Lowndes County cases @ GLPC 2022-08-29

Update 2022-09-21: Videos: 6 Remerton, 4 Valdosta, 1 Hahira, 1 Lowndes County cases @ GLPC 2022-08-29.

I wonder if the developer at Wainwright Drive in Valdosta knows about the repeated sewer leaks on One Mile Branch? And will Valdosta ever fix those before something else is built near there, putting more load on the sewer system?

[Both pages of the agenda]
Both pages of the agenda

Almost all of the four Remerton cases are variances, because Remerton does its own variances without going through Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBOA).

Hahira has a partly commercial rezoning northeast of I-75 Exit 29.

Lowndes County has one rezoning from residential to highway commercial.

Board packet and LAKE videos will follow.

Here is the agenda:

Greater Lowndes Planning Commission
~ Lowndes County ~ City of Valdosta ~ City of Dasher ~
~ City of Hahira ~ City of Lake Park ~ City of Remerton ~

Monday, August 22, 2022 5:30 P.M. Work Session
Monday, August 29, 2022 5:30 P.M. Regular Session
Lowndes County South Health District Administrative Office
325 West Savannah Avenue, Valdosta, Georgia

Continue reading →

Packet: Juvenile Justice, Manholes, Tax Appeals Module, Subdivision lighting @ LCC 2022-08-22

Update 2022-08-23: Videos: Juvenile Justice, Manholes, Tax Appeals Module, Subdivision lighting @ LCC 2022-08-22.

That’s a lot of subdivisions in the Basic Decorative Lighting District.

[Grove Pointe Phase V and Basic Decorative North West Lowndes County 2 Revised]
Grove Pointe Phase V and Basic Decorative North West Lowndes County 2 Revised

The board packet for this week’s Lowndes County Commission Work and Regular Sessions is on the LAKE website, received in response to a LAKE open records request.

The County wrote, “There is no meeting packet for the Millage Rate Meeting.” They did send an agenda for that meeting, which consisted of this:

  1. Call To Order
  2. Public Hearing—Millage Rate
  3. Adjournment

See also the LAKE videos of the Work Session and the agenda.

-jsq

Investigative reporting costs money, for open records requests, copying, web hosting, gasoline, and cameras, and with sufficient funds we can pay students to do further research. You can donate to LAKE today!

Notice: Special called meeting about LOST @ LCC 2022-08-26

Notice appeared yesterday of a meeting at 8:30 AM this morning. A very rudimentary agenda was provided.

[LOST]
LOST

Special Called Meeting

Friday, August 26, 2022

Date: August 26, 2022

Time: 8:30 AM

Location: Board of Commissioners Administration Building

Address: 327 N. Ashley Street
2nd Floor
Valdosta, GA 31601

The agenda: Continue reading →

Hunter rezoning, insurance, objections to rejection of Beasley rezoning @ LCC Regular 2022-07-26

Last month at the Lowndes County Commission, the Hunter rezoning acreage was finally resolved, the rejected Beasley rezoning came back in Citizens Wishing to Be Heard, and the Alapaha Plantation water filtration system still doesn’t work after a year.

[Hunter, Insurance, CWTBH]
Hunter, Insurance, CWTBH

Even the property owners didn’t know whether 6.a. REZ-2022-13 Hunter Property was for rezoning 2 or 7 acres. Commissioner Mark Wisenbaker resolved the issue by Continue reading →

Videos: Juvenile Justice, Manholes, Tax Appeals Module, Subdivision lighting @ LCC 2022-08-22

Update 2022-09-14: Videos: Millage, tax assessment, 3 utilities, ZBOA, Juvenile Justice @ LCC 2022-08-23.

Update 2022-09-13: Videos: slides @ LCC Millage 2022-08-23.

A Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention Grant was the longest item at yesterday morning’s Lowndes County Commission Work Session, followed by manhole improvements. The manholes will cost $439,836.00, but the grant will provide money to the county.

The two millage items taking no more than 18 seconds each, with presentation deferred to the 5PM Public Hearing today. They vote on all these items at 5:30 PM this evening.


[Stills]
Stills

Two technical items took Continue reading →

Packet: Walkers Crossing @ LCC 2022-08-08

The Walkers Crossing Roundabout got pictured in the board packet for the August 8 and 9, 2022, Lowndes County Commission meetings. That’s at the corner of GA 122 and GA 125 (Bemiss Road), where Lowndes, Berrien, and Lanier Counties meet.

[Walkers Crossing Preliminary Design and Construction Detail]
Walkers Crossing Preliminary Design and Construction Detail

Looks like the businesses will lose less parking lot space than might have been expected, apparently because the roundabout is shifted southwest onto Billy Walker Jr.’s land. It will be interesting to see big trucks negotiating that small circle. Continue reading →

Videos: Rezoning, Roads, Communications, Water leak @ LCC Regular 2022-08-09

The Lowndes County Commission took seventeen minutes to do the people’s business at its Regular Session, Tuesday, August 9, 2022.


[Collage]

The Flannigan rezoning was withdrawn by the applicant. Perhaps they thought that without a more complete plan, the rezoning would be denied and then they couldn’t come back for a year. By withdrawing, they do not have to wait to come with a new, more complete proposal.

The Boring Pond Lane abandonment actually had a speaker for, who Continue reading →

Packet: Rezoning, Roundabout, Abandonment, Subdivision @ LCC 2022-08-08

Update 2022-08-22: Packet: Walkers Crossing @ LCC 2022-08-08

Update 2022-08-22: Videos: Rezoning, Roads, Communications, Water leak @ LCC Regular 2022-08-09.

Here is the board packet for the August 8, 2022, Work Session and the August 9, 2022, Regular Session of the Lowndes County Commission, received in response to a LAKE open records request.

[Rezoning, Roundabout, Abandonment, Subdivision]
Rezoning, Roundabout, Abandonment, Subdivision

The packet is on the LAKE website.

See also the agenda and the LAKE videos of the Work session.

Investigative reporting costs money, for open records requests, copying, web hosting, gasoline, and cameras, and with sufficient funds we can pay students to do further research. You can donate to LAKE today!

-jsq

Almost a million dollars @ LCC 2022-08-22

Update 2022-08-22: Videos: Juvenile Justice, Manholes, Tax Appeals Module, Subdivision lighting @ LCC 2022-08-22.

Update 2022-08-26: Packet: Juvenile Justice, Manholes, Tax Appeals Module, Subdivision lighting @ LCC 2022-08-22.

The big item involves keeping ahead of sewer system problems to avoid sewage spills: “Lowndes County was awarded a Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA) loan for lift station and manhole improvements. Staff identified approximately 100 manholes that need rehab and improvements, including structural repairs and coating the interiors. The project was advertised and bids accepted for the work. Two bids were received, one from Gulf Coast Underground for $1,508,450.00 and one from RPI for $439,836.00. Staff recommends approval and authorizes the Chairman to sign the contract with RPI, Inc. for $439,836.00.”

[Collage]
Collage

They will Continue reading →