Category Archives: Education

Too bad about the Nichols House –Jim Parker @ VCC 2014-10-23

Received 23 October 2014 on Alfred Willis comments at Valdosta Historic Preservation 2014-10-06. I added the [vote correction] and the links. -jsq

I attended tonight’s City Council meeting, and heard Dr Willis’ impassioned advocacy of the Council approving the historical preservation of the Nichols’ House. Our Historic Preservation Commission reviewed this and request recommended approval by a vote of five to one. Dr Willis sold me on the merits. Unfortunately, the Council must not have heard what I did, and unanimously voted against [actually all but one against] approving the designation. It looks to me, that as it stands, demolition of the house could commence tomorrow, and the replacement construction of the apartments for VSU students can commence.

A huge number of apartment buildings have been built over the past few years. First with the large complexes of Blanton Commons, The Gardens, and The Grove, to the numerous buildings along West Mary, Baytree Drive, Boone Drive and Oak Street, among others. Plans are still on tap for the major development of the entire city block just south of campus (one that I can actually appreciate). The question was mentioned to me tonight whether Continue reading →

Videos: Nichols House, Turner Brooks, Scintilla Charter School, sidewalk, street lights @ VCC 2014-10-23

If it’s old, it’s no good: tear it down! Despite Alfred Willis saying the Nichols House was not just historic like he presented in his October 1st lecture, but perhaps the most historic, a lawyer spoke against it, and the Valdosta City Council voted against preserving it and thus in favor of demolishing it for the Turner Brooks subdivision next to VSU. Only Council Robert Yost, in whose district the Nichols House remains for the moment, voted for preserving it. We’re told the water issues noted by WWALS for that subdivision are permitting issues, so we’ll see what happens with those. See also Alfred Willis’ comments to the Valdosta Historic Preservation Commission.

And the Council approved Scintilla Charter School’s conditional use, perhaps not coincidentally after local attorney Bill Langdale spoke for it. Plus a sidewalk, streetlights, and other matters.

See the agenda. Here are videos of events as they transpired at the 23 October 2014 Regular Session of the Valdosta City Council.

Continue reading →

Nichols House, Turner Brooks, Scintilla Charter School, sidewalk, street lights @ VCC 2014-10-23

The historic nature of the Nichols House in the proposed Turner Brooks subdivision next to VSU, which also has water issues noted by WWALS, will be considered at the Valdosta City Council tonight; the picture is of people at a previous Planning Commission meeting about this. See Alfred Willis’ comments to the Valdosta Historic Preservation Commission. Also Scintilla Charter School’s proposed rezoning, a sidewalk, streetlights, and other matters.

Here’s the agenda.

AGENDA
REGULAR MEETING OF THE VALDOSTA CITY COUNCIL
5:30 PM Thursday, October 23, 2014
COUNCIL CHAMBERS, CITY HALL
Continue reading →

Video: Baytree Nichols House, Alfred Willis Lecture @ VSU 2014-10-01

First all-electric house in Valdosta, new materials, unusual arrangement of space for indoor-outdoor living on the same level outside as in, with light throughout because mostly only one room wide, in a western atomic ranch house adapted for Valdosta. Will what Dr. Willis had to say about “a replete instance of the diffusion of Californian” be enough to preserve the masterpiece of Lloyd Greer Sr. (1885-1952) from development?

Announced as Continue reading →

NYC Schools to use more solar power; how about in sunny southeast?

Solar high schools: not just for Dublin, Georgia anymore. New York City, and Rochester, NY, too! How about solar Lowndes High School? Or the new Valdosta High School? Or since Valdosta has already put solar at its Mud Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant, how about on other city buildings? How about on the county palace? Or in Hahira, Dasher, Remerton, or Lake Park?

Erin Durkin wrote for New York Daily News 29 September 2014, 24 NYC schools getting solar panels in $28M project — and City Hall could be next, Continue reading →

Bailey Gung Scintilla Land @ GLPC 2014-09-29

A request in the county for heavy manufacturing. In Valdosta, Scintilla Charter Academy wants a school Conditional Use Permit; Julie Hiers spoke about that proposed school at the most recent county commission meeting. And the tabled Gung event center and flea market is back.

Here’s the agenda.

Greater Lowndes Planning Commission

Lowndes County City of Valdosta City of Dasher City of Hahira City of Lake Park

REGULAR MONTHLY MEETING

AGENDA

Lowndes County South Health District Administrative Office
325 West Savannah Avenue

Monday, September 29, 2014* 5:30 P.M. * Public Hearing

Continue reading →

Nichols House frat no longer; maybe historic preservation @ VCC 2014-09-11

LAKE has video, but meanwhile, so you can prepare for the Oct. 1st talk about that historic Nichols House, here’s some background.

Chip Harp wrote for Valdosta Today 17 September 2014,

In last week’s Valdosta City Council meeting, Council voted 5-2 in favor of re-zoning nearly 4 acres of land in the Alden Park Community, near the campus. Some neighbors in the community stand firmly against the development, which would include a 180-bed student housing complex, and say it takes away from their neighborhood, based on a report from WCTV’s Winnie Wright.

Winnie Wright reported for WCTV 16 September 2014, The Historic Standing Of One Home Could Determine Future Of Surrounding Community, Continue reading →

Valdosta’s Ultramodern Masterpiece: The Nichols House on Baytree —Alfred Willis Lecture 2014-10-01

Received yesterday in PDF. This is the historic structure where Turner Brooks wants to build a subdivision. -jsq

300x232 Talk Flyer, in Valdosta's Ultramodern Masterpiece: The Nichols House on Baytree, by Alfred Willis, 1 October 2014 7:00pm – Wednesday, October 1st, 2014
Valdosta State University
Bailey Science Center, Room 1011

This event is FREE and open to all.
Parking is also free in the Georgia Avenue Parking lots.
* For more information please contact Colleen McDonough,
229-333-5759 or cmcdonou@valdosta.edu

The Nichols house is a replete instance of the diffusion of Californian on the Nichols House & Valdosta Architecture design ideals in the postwar decade, the work that brought architect Lloyd Greer’s career to its culmination, and the starting point for the careers of several leading Valdosta architects of the next generation. Continue reading →

Videos: Georgia Power, Rotary, Tires @ VLCIA 2014-08-19

They (maybe) finally settled on their new name: Valdosta-Lowndes County Development Authority; see Minutes. Interesting discussion about Express Scripts, and some details about presenters at the next day’s Community Economic Development meeting. I talked about the Alapaha River Water Trail.

And they are talking about spec[ulative] building, such as they liked when they saw it in Douglas and Valdosta Mayor Gayle liked in Vidalia.

Here’s the agenda, with a few notes, and links to the videos.

300x225 VLCIA, in VLCIA, by John S. Quarterman, 19 August 2014 Valdosta-Lowndes Development Authority
Tuesday, August 19, 2014 5:30 p.m.
Development Authority Conference Room
103 Roosevelt Drive
Monthly Meeting Agenda
Continue reading →

Alternative 4: Richland, Preston, Americus, Cordele, Ashburn and I-75 FERC to Sabal Trail

300x395 Map, in Alternative 4: Richland, Americus, Cordele, Ashburn and I-75 FERC to Sabal Trail, by John S. Quarterman, 14 September 2014 Richland in Stewart County, Preston in Webster County, Americus in Sumter County, Cordele in Crisp County, Ashburn in Turner County, if you thought you were off the Sabal Trail path, think again! You’re in FERC’s eye for a 36-inch fracked methane pipeline just like Tifton, Adel, Hahira, and Valdosta in Tift, Cook, and Lowndes Counties Georgia, and in Florida Jennings in Hamilton County, Lake City in Columbia County, Alachua and Gainesville in Alachua County, Ocala in Marion County, Wildwood in Sumter County, and Ferndale in Lake County, and probably some other cities and counties you can find on the map. And Alternative 4 would cross the Withlacoochee River in Lowndes County just before passing right next to Lowndes High School and an exploding pipeline segment’s throw from Valdosta Mall.

300x386 Withlacoochee River and Lowndes High School, in Alternative 4: Richland, Americus, Cordele, Ashburn and I-75 FERC to Sabal Trail, by John S. Quarterman, 14 September 2014 Alternative 4 in FERC’s recent instructions for Sabal Trail to “include analyses” would start even farther north on I-75 than Alternative 1.

Alternative 4 beginning from Alternate 2 near Richland, Georgia and following Highway 280 to near Americus, Georgia; then following a high voltage transmission line (along Sabal Trail’s Hillabee Alternative route); then following Alternate 1 starting near Tifton, Georgia and extending to the proposed endpoint.

Here’s a very rough map of Alternative 4: Continue reading →