Author Archives: John S. Quarterman

Videos: Spring Creek Well, force main, and elevator with For Consideration and Bids from previous cancelled session @ LCC Regular 2024-02-27

In these LAKE videos of the February 27, 2024, Lowndes County Commission Regular Session, you can see they spent three minutes discussing the 6.e. Spring Creek Well Pilot Study. Everything else they breezed through.

They vote again this evening at 5:30 PM on three rezonings and other items.

[Collage @ LCC 27 February 2024]
Collage @ LCC 27 February 2024

Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, with a few notes by Gretchen Quarterman, followed by a LAKE video playlist.

See also: Continue reading

Agenda: five rezonings, four paving projects and a road abandonment @ LCC 2024-03-11

Update 2024-03-12: Packet: Petition against Gresham Event Venue and letter supporting Southern Gardens @ LCC 2024-03-11.

The two rezonings from last month are back, including the controversial Gresham Event Center. Plus three new rezonings from the Planning Commission. And five For Consideration items, three for road paving or wetlands credits for paving, plus a quit claim and a road abandonment.

All were heard at the Lowndes County Commission Work Session yesterday morning. They will be decided at the Regular Session this evening at 5:30 PM.

[Five rezonings @ LCC 2024-03-11-12]
Five rezonings @ LCC 2024-03-11-12

Here is the agenda.

I neglected to send in an open records request for the board packet, so we don’t have that yet.

But the board materials for the first two rezonings will be similar to those from the February 12, 2024, Lowndes County Commission Meetings.

And the board materials for the rest of the rezonings will be similar to those from the February 26 Planning Commission meeting.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, MARCH 11, 2024, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2024, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

  1. Call to Order
  2. Invocation
  3. Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag
  4. Minutes for Approval
    1. Work Session – February 26, 2024 & Regular Session – February 27, 2024
  5. Public Hearing
    1. REZ-2024-01 Gresham Event Venue, 8415 Old Valdosta Rd., E-A to PD-R, ~10.3 acres, Well & Septic

      Documents:REZ-2024-01 Gresham Event Venue, 8415 Old Valdosta Rd..pdf

    2. REZ-2024-02 Byrd Property, 3715 & 3725 Byrd Rd., E-A to R-1, ~7.5ac, Well & Septic

      Documents:REZ-2024-02 Byrd Property, 3715 and 3725 Byrd Rd.pdf

    3. REZ-2024-03 Southern Gardens, 4609 Bemiss Rd. 5ac, C-G to P-D, County Utilities

      Documents:REZ-2024-03 Southern Gardens, 4609 Bemiss Rd. 5ac, C-G to P-D, County Utilities -.pdf

    4. REZ-2024-04 Clyattstone Rd Subdivision, ~62ac, R-1 to R-10, County Utilities

      Documents:REZ-2024-04 Clyattstone Rd Subdivision.pdf

    5. REZ-2024-05 Dasher Property, 1776 Old Clyattville Rd, ~115ac, E-A & CON to M-2 & CON, County Utilities

      Documents:REZ-2024-05 Dasher Property, 1776 Old Clyattville Rd.pdf

  6. For Consideration
    1. Transportation Investment Act (TIA) Local Project Delivery Application – Hall Road

      Documents:Transportation Investment Act (TIA) Local Project Delivery Application – Hall Road.pdf

    2. Transportation Investment Act (TIA) Local Project Delivery Application – Orr Road Extension

      Documents:Transportation Investment Act (TIA) Local Project Delivery Application – Orr Road Extension.pdf

    3. Purchase of Wetland Credits for Coleman Road NW Paving Project

      Documents:Purchase of Wetland Credits for Coleman Road NW Paving Project.pdf

    4. Walker Avenue Quit-Claim

      Documents:Walker Avenue Quit-Claim.pdf

    5. Abandonment of a Portion of Race Track Road SE (CR #310)

      Documents:Abandonment of a Portion of Race Track Road SE.pdf

  7. Reports – County Manager
  8. Citizens Wishing to be Heard-Please State Your Name and Address
  9. Adjournment

-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!
http://www.l-a-k-e.org/blog/donate

Agenda

[5. Rezonings]
5. Rezonings
PDF

REZ-2024-01 Gresham Event Venue, 8415 Old Valdosta Rd., E-A to PD-R, ~10.3 acres, Well & Septic

[BUDGET IMPACT: N/A to utilize the property as a club, lodge, meeting or event facility, primarily for weddings, family reunions, birthday parties, corporate events, community gatherings, etc., with the ability to accommodate overnight guests.]
BUDGET IMPACT: N/A to utilize the property as a club, lodge, meeting or event facility, primarily for weddings, family reunions, birthday parties, corporate events, community gatherings, etc., with the ability to accommodate overnight guests.
PDF

REZ-2024-02 Byrd Property, 3715 & 3725 Byrd Rd., E-A to R-1, ~7.5ac,

[BUDGET IMPACT: N/A to subdivide the property into conforming lots for individual residences.]
BUDGET IMPACT: N/A to subdivide the property into conforming lots for individual residences.
PDF

REZ-2024-03 Southern Gardens, 4609 Bemiss Rd. 5ac, C-G to P-D, County Utilities

[BUDGET IMPACT: N/A to develop a 60-unit apartment complex with amenities.]
BUDGET IMPACT: N/A to develop a 60-unit apartment complex with amenities.
PDF

REZ-2024-04 Clyattstone Rd Subdivision, ~62ac, R-1 to R-10, County Utilities

[BUDGET IMPACT: N/A to develop a 110-lot subdivision.]
BUDGET IMPACT: N/A to develop a 110-lot subdivision.
PDF

REZ-2024-05 Dasher Property, 1776 Old Clyattville Rd, ~115ac, E-A & CON to M-2& CON, County Utilities

[BUDGET IMPACT: N/A to M-2 and CON zoning.]
BUDGET IMPACT: N/A to M-2 and CON zoning.
PDF

Transportation Investment Act (TIA) Local Project Delivery Application –

[BUDGET IMPACT: N/A Hall Road is on the [TIA] Constrained List to start professional engineering in June 2024. The Local Project Delivery Application starts the process by allowing Lowndes County to manage the project and procurement process at the local government level.]
BUDGET IMPACT: N/A Hall Road is on the [TIA] Constrained List to start professional engineering in June 2024. The Local Project Delivery Application starts the process by allowing Lowndes County to manage the project and procurement process at the local government level.
PDF

Transportation Investment Act (TIA) Local Project Delivery Application – Orr Road Extension

[BUDGET IMPACT: N/A Session Orr Road is on the Transportation Investment Act (TIA) Constrained List to start professional engineering in June 2024.]
BUDGET IMPACT: N/A Session Orr Road is on the Transportation Investment Act (TIA) Constrained List to start professional engineering in June 2024.
PDF

Purchase of Wetland Credits for Coleman Road NW Paving Project

[BUDGET IMPACT: $39,600.00 total of 2.64 wetland credits at 15,000.00 dollars per credit.]
BUDGET IMPACT: $39,600.00 total of 2.64 wetland credits at 15,000.00 dollars per credit.
PDF

Walker Avenue Quit-Claim

[BUDGET IMPACT: N/A Lighthouse Christian Fellowship Center has requested that their portion, which is 0.115 acres, of the abandoned right of way be Quit-Claimed to them.]
BUDGET IMPACT: N/A Lighthouse Christian Fellowship Center has requested that their portion, which is 0.115 acres, of the abandoned right of way be Quit-Claimed to them.
PDF

Abandonment of a Portion of Race Track Road SE (CR #310)

[BUDGET IMPACT: N/A Langdale Vallotton Attorney at Law representing Southern Gateway, LLC, requests abandoning approximately 1720.50' Linear feet and begins at the intersection of Madison Highway, then west to the dead end.]
BUDGET IMPACT: N/A Langdale Vallotton Attorney at Law representing Southern Gateway, LLC, requests abandoning approximately 1720.50′ Linear feet and begins at the intersection of Madison Highway, then west to the dead end.
PDF

-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!
http://www.l-a-k-e.org/blog/donate

ULDC Text Amendment Status @ LCC 2024-03-26 2024-02-26

Update 2024-03-23: Packet: ULDC text amendments, Hahira Personal Service Shops, Valdosta PSS and rezonings @ GLPC 2024-03-25.

Here is the ULDC Text Amendment handout from the Lowndes County Commission Work Session of February 26, 2024, received in response to a LAKE open records request.

[ULDC Text Amendments Status, Public Hearings @ LCC 2024-02-26]
ULDC Text Amendments Status, Public Hearings @ LCC 2024-02-26

Continue reading

Videos: Valdosta subdivisions, Lowndes County subdivisions and manufacturing @ GLPC 2024-02-26

The Valdosta rezonings will be heard by the Valdosta Mayor and Council at their Work Session this evening at 5:30 PM, Tuesday, March 5, 2024, and decided at their Regular Session Thursday evening. At least this time the subdivisions are mostly next to other subdivisions.

The Planning Commissioners unanimously recommended approval of VA-2024-02 on Cherry Creek Road. Ditto VA-2024-03, the Mt Zion Church Road rezoning, and VA-2024-04, the corresponding annexation.

The Lowndes County rezonings will be decided by the Lowndes County Commission on Tuesday, March 12. The Planning Commissioners unanimously (I think) recommended approval of REZ-2024-03 on Bemiss Road. Ditto REZ-2024-04 on Clyattstone Road and REZ-2024-05 on Old Clyattville Road, with some conditions.

[Collage @ GLPC 26 February 2024]
Collage @ GLPC 26 February 2024

Below are Continue reading

Videos: ULDC Text Amendment, new well, force main, and elevator with For Consideration and Bids from previous cancelled session @ LCC Work 2024-02-26

Update 2024-03-09: ULDC Text Amendment Status @ LCC 2024-03-26.

Yesterday morning at the Lowndes County Commission Work Session, they went straight into the ULDC Text Amendment. The changes County Planner J.D. Dillard discussed were not in the board packet. I have filed an open records request to get them. It’s fine that they want to be business friendly for incoming businesses, as he said. A little more friendly to we the taxpayers and voters would also be good, for example by publishing the board packet and proposed ULDC changes on the county’s own website, lowndescounty.com.

They could even put the proposed ULDC Text amendments on lowndescounty.com before they vote this evening at 5:30 PM.

[Collage @ LCC 26 February 2024]
Collage @ LCC 26 February 2024

While discussing minutes for approval, Chairman Bill Slaughter asked when the rezoning cases that were not decided two weeks ago due to the meeting being cancelled due to Commissioner illness: when will those rezoning cases be heard? Answer: March 12 there will be five rezoning cases. So apparently the old ones plus the new ones from yesterday’s Planning Commission meeting. County Manager Paige Dukes further clarified that they had to go back through the process of public announcements of the rezoning Public Hearings. Thank you, Chairman, for asking that question.

Those were the two longest items, at 3 minutes and 30 seconds and one minute and 20 seconds, each. The entire meeting took eleven minutes.

About 6.e. Spring Creek Well Pilot Study, Gretchen noted, “I hope this money comes from the enterprise fund for water and sewer and not the general fund.”

About 7.d. Golden Oaks Subdivision Force Main she noted “$100,500 to service around 30 homes. Again, I hope this is funded by the enterprise fund. Perhaps in the interest of transparency, the source of funds could be mentioned.”

Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, followed by a LAKE video playlist.

See also Continue reading

Packet: Missing ULDC Text Amendment, new well, force main, and elevator with For Consideration and Bids from previous cancelled session @ LCC 2024-02-26

Update 2024-02-27: Videos: ULDC Text Amendment, new well, force main, and elevator with For Consideration and Bids from previous cancelled session @ LCC Work 2024-02-26.

In the board packet Lowndes County sent this morning in response to yesterday’s LAKE open records request, there is more information on the 6.e. Spring Creek Well Pilot Study and 7.d. Golden Oaks Subdivision Force Main, including bid sheets and a contract. There was nothing additional on the third new agenda item, 7.a. Bid to Upgrade the Main Elevator at the Human Resource Building.

The ULDC Text Amendment (TXT-2024-01) Update Presentation was not included in the board packet. I have filed an open records request to get it.

[Packet: new well, force main, and elevator @ LCC 2024-02-26]
Packet: new well, force main, and elevator @ LCC 2024-02-26

Since no map was included of the Golden Oaks Subdivision, I have added one from VALORGIS. Continue reading

Agenda: ULDC Text Amendment, new well, force main, and elevator plus For Consideration and Bids from previous cancelled session @ LCC 2024-02-26

Update 2024-02-27: Packet: Missing ULDC Text Amendment, new well, force main, and elevator with For Consideration and Bids from previous cancelled session @ LCC 2024-02-26.

Another stealth ULDC presentation heads this morning’s Work Session at the Lowndes County Commission. You will be able to see it in the LAKE videos Gretchen is taking. You won’t see it in Lowndes County’s own videos, because they no longer post video of their Work Sessions.

[Old and new items @ LCC 2024-12-26]
Old and new items @ LCC 2024-12-26

Other new items are:

Everything else is carried forward from the cancelled previous Regular Session.

But none of the rezonings were carried forward, possibly because they had to advertise the Public Hearings again. I guess they’ll handle those next month along with the new ones on tonight’s Planning Commission agenda.

Here is the agenda.

I neglected to request the board packet after the previous meeting was cancelled due to lack of quorum due to Commissioner illness. However, I have included on the LAKE website the board packet items from the previous meeting’s packet.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2024, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2024, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

Continue reading

Valdosta subdivisions, Lowndes County subdivisions and manufacturing @ GLPC 2024-02-26

Update 2024-03-05: Videos: Valdosta subdivisions, Lowndes County subdivisions and manufacturing @ GLPC 2024-02-26.

Subdivisions everywhere. At least this time mostly next to other subdivisions.

[Valdosta and Lowndes County cases @ GLPC 2024-02-26]
Valdosta and Lowndes County cases @ GLPC 2024-02-26

The GLPC board packet, received in response to a LAKE open records request, is on the LAKE website.

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 ~
Tuesday, February 20, 2024 5:30 P.M. Work Session
Monday, February 26, 2024 5:30 P.M. Regular Session
Lowndes County South Health District Administrative Office
325 West Savannah Avenue, Valdosta, Georgia

Continue reading

Videos: Gresham Event Venue, Kinderlou-Clyattville Road RoW, Hurricane Idalia repairs @ LCC Work 2024-02-12

This morning the Lowndes County Commission spent nine and a half minutes on the contentious Gresham Event Venue on Old Valdosta Road. They did not discuss the substantial opposition letters from Richard A. Stalvey and Justin Coleman.

Two of the Commissioners were not present: Joyce Evans and Demarcus Marshall. They were with County Manager Paige Dukes in Washington DC.

Commissioner Scottie Orenstein (it’s in his district) asked if the Gresham Event Venue applicants understood they needed not to be a noise nuisance. The County Planner said the applicants had been made aware, and had discussed using tents which could accomodate up to 300 people. I don’t see how that would reduce noise.

Chairman Bill Slaughter asked if a condition could be added that music could only be inside the building. The County Planner said yes, but Code Enforcement would have to enforce it. There was more discussion of noise.

They vote 5:30 PM Tuesday (tomorrow).

[Collage @ LCC 12 February 2024]
Collage @ LCC 12 February 2024

They spent 3 minutes on the less contentious Byrd Road house lot project, and less on Continue reading

Videos: Gresham Event Venue on Old Valdosta Road, Byrd Road residences, Hahira three-parter, and Valdosta rezonings @ GLPC 2024-01-29

The Gresham Event Venue, after 21 minutes and two failed votes, got a 5:3 recommendation of denial by the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) on January 29, 2024. The actual rezoning decision will be made at the February 13, 2024, Lowndes County Commission meeting.

The Richard Hill River and Nan Street Valdosta rezoning took 16 minutes. GLPC recommended all commercial.

Longest was the three-part Hahira case, rezone, PUD, and annex. GLPC recommended to approve, table, and approve, respectively, with all three motions by Franklin Bailey.

[Collage @ LCC 29 January 2024]
Collage @ LCC 29 January 2024

GLPC recommended approval of everything else.

Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, with a few notes by Gretchen Quarterman, followed by a LAKE video playlist.

See also the Continue reading