Category Archives: GLPC

One big Dasher, two small Lowndes County rezonings @ GLPC 2022-06-27

Update 2022-07-11 Packet: the two Lowndes County Rezonings @ GLPC 2022-06-27.

The big Dasher item is to split out a couple of parcels for children, at the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) Regular Session Monday evening, June 27, 2022.

One of the two Lowndes County cases looks like they want to build a store. The other is a rare case of rezoning to more rural.

[Agenda, Wisenbaker rezoning]
Agenda, Wisenbaker rezoning

Here is the agenda. Thanks to Loretta Hylton of SGRC, we already have the Dasher board packet item, which is on the LAKE website. We have sent Lowndes County an open records request for their cases and the preceding GLPC meeting minutes.

Greater Lowndes Planning Commission
~ Lowndes County ~ City of Valdosta ~ City of Dasher ~
~ City of Hahira ~ City of Lake Park ~ City of Remerton ~
Monday, June 20, 2022 5:30 P.M. Work Session
Monday, June 27, 2022 5:30 P.M. Regular Session
Lowndes County South Health District Administrative Office
325 West Savannah Avenue, Valdosta, Georgia

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Videos: Request to table, another rezoning withdrawn @ LCC 2020-06-16

Update 2022-06-28: LAKE videos, Two controversial rezonings, Medical Council, Courts, Prisoners, Utilties @ LCC Regular 2022-06-16.

The applicant’s request to table 7.a. REZ-2022-09 Flannigan, James Rd. until August was met with scepticism by Commissioner Scottie Orenstein, who said it sounded like panic after the Planning Commission had unanimously recommended denial. But he said it would be OK since the stated purpose of tabling was for the applicant to talk to the opponents, who are numerous.

[Rezonings, Courts, Paving, Water]
Rezonings, Courts, Paving, Water

There is also a petition and letters against 7.b. REZ-2022-10 The Campus Transitional Care Facility, 2193 Howell Rd., and the neighboring property owner opposes, as two Commissioners clarified.

County Planner JD Dillard said there were petitions pro and con the Dairy Queen rezoning, 7.c. REZ-2022-11 Makesh, LLC, 900 Lakes Blvd. We have not seen them, but we have sent in an open records request for them. Update 2022-06-28: for those two peitions, see, Two controversial rezonings, Medical Council, Courts, Prisoners, Utilties @ LCC Regular 2022-06-16.

The fourth rezoning, 7.d. REZ-2022-12 Pittman, Phelps, Leonard, Moss Oak Trail, was withdrawn by the applicant.

The Commissioners vote this evening at 5:30 PM in the Regular Session. Before that, Continue reading →

Packet: Petitions and letters against rezonings @ LCC 2022-06-16

Update 2022-06-16: Videos: Request to table, another rezoning withdrawn @ LCC 2022-06-16.

Many letters and petition signatures against two rezonings REZ-2022-09 Flannigan, James Rd. and REZ-2022-10 The Campus Transitional Care Facility, 2193 Howell Rd.

I hear there’s actually a petition for the Dairy Queen of REZ-2022-11 Makesh, LLC, 900 Lakes Blvd. However, that petition is not in the packet as sent by Lowndes County in response to a LAKE open records request.

The Commissioners vote this evening at 5:30 PM in the Regular Session. Before that, at 5:00 PM, is a Budget Public Hearing.

[Rezonings, Courts, and Water]
Rezonings, Courts, and Water

The packet is on the LAKE website. See also the agenda. And for the rezonings, the preceding Greater Lowndes Planning Commission meeting.

-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!

4 rezonings, 2 xourts, 1 appointment, and a big ARPA-funded water project @ LCC 2022-06-16

Update 2022-06-16: Packet: Petitions and letters against rezonings @ LCC 2022-06-16.

For some reason, the Lowndes County Commission is holding both its Work and Regular Sessions on this Thursday, June 16, 2022. I hear they are in DC lobbying the federal government on Monday and Tuesday.

They are also holding a 5 PM Budget Public Hearing before the 5:30 PM Regular Session.

[Rezonings]
Rezonings

Here is the agenda. For the rezonings, see also the preceding Greater Lowndes Planning Commission meeting.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 2022, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 2022, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

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Videos: 4 long Lowndes County cases + 2 long Valdosta cases @ GLPC 2022-05-23

Update 2022-06-14: Agenda, 4 rezonings, 2 xourts, 1 appointment, and a big ARPA-funded water project @ LCC 2022-06-16

An overflow crowd, some in the lobby, came for the four Lowndes County cases at the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission, May 23, 2022. Two of the Valdosta cases were also contentious. The whole meeting took more than three hours, so long there was griping about people getting hungry. The door alarm went off at 8 o’clock, but they plowed ahead with three remaining cases. When they adjourned at 8:52 PM, nobody was left in the audience but Gretchen Quarterman with the LAKE video camera.

[Flannigan, Campus, Makesh, Pittman]
Flannigan, Campus, Makesh, Pittman

One county and one city case were on James Road. The county case got a unanimous recommendation to deny, moved by famously pro-development Franklin Bailey. The Commissioners really did not seem to like “speculative commercial use on the subject property.” Continue reading →

5 Valdosta rezonings, 1 Hahira ordinance amendment, 4 Lowndes County rezonings with without packets @ GLPC 2022-05-23

Update 2022-06-03: 4 long Lowndes County cases + 2 long Valdosta cases @ GLPC 2022-05-23, including the board packet materials for the county cases and the minutes for the previous meeting.

Everything from a pair of personal care homes to a fraternity to a church to the Salvation Army wants rezoning or variances at this evening’s Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) meeting.

The board packet materials for the Hahira and Valdosta items are on the LAKE website, thanks to City Planner Matt Martin.

[Maps]
Maps

LAKE has no materials for the Lowndes County items, and no copy of the draft minutes from the previous meeting, because Lowndes County has not yet sent them in response to a LAKE open records request.

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, May 16, 2022 5:30 P.M. Work Session
Monday, May 23, 2022 5:30 P.M. Regular Session
Lowndes County South Health District Administrative Office
325 West Savannah Avenue, Valdosta, Georgia

Continue reading →

Videos: Remerton and Hahira cases @ GLPC 2022-04-25

Remerton at almost 28 minutes was far the longest item at the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission Monday. Second was for Hahira, at 12 minutes. Everything else breezed through.

[Remerton and Hahira Cases @ GLPC 2022-04-25]
Remerton and Hahira Cases @ GLPC 2022-04-25

The sound is not so good because the county has still not fixed the audio in the room.

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 Lake Park packet item, which Loretta Hylton of the Southern Georgia Regional Commission sent, saying she heard I was looking for it. It’s now on the LAKE website (PDF). Also, she said “The attorney pulled the Dasher item before submitting it to the Planning Commission.”

We still don’t have the Remerton item. The Valdosta and Hahira items were already on the LAKE website, previously sent by City Planner Matt Martin. We still don’t have the Remerton items. There were no Lowndes County packet items. Continue reading →

Big Hahira rezoning, 4 small Valdosta @ GLPC 2022-04-25

Update 2022-04-25: Hahira subdivision proposed near Big Branch of Franks Creek @ GLPC 2022-04-25.

The one big rezoning on the agenda for this evening’s meeting of the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission is HA-2022-06, Sweet Bay Properties, 7440 Union Road, 0024 024, 72 acres, R-15 to R-6, on the site of Guthrie Lumber Company.

Staff recommendation is “Find R-10 zoning consistent with the Comprehensive Plan and the Standards for the Exercise of Zoning Power (SFEZP), and recommend approval of R-10 zoning (instead) to the City Council.”

[Rezonings]
Rezonings

Here is the agenda. The Hahira and Valdosta items, sent by City Planner Matt Martin, are on the LAKE website. The Dasher, Lake Park, and Remerton items are not; LAKE will send Lowndes County an open records request. The minutes of the previous GLPC meeting are not on the county’s website yet, so they are also not included on the LAKE website yet. Continue reading →

Hahira withdrawn, 4 Valdosta, 3 Lowndes @ GLPC 2022-03-28

The Hahira rezoning was withdrawn by the applicant, but all the other rezonings were heard by the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission last month, including the contentious REZ-2022-07 Hayden Park, Camelot Crossing and Val Del Road, which has already come before the Lowndes County Commission once and is back again today.

[Example rezonings]
Example rezonings

Here is the agenda. The board packet is on the LAKE website, The Valdosta rezoning items were sent by City Planner Matt Martin. The Lowndes County rezoning items were received in response to a LAKE open records request. The county did not send the agenda nor the minutes of the previous meeting, both of which LAKE got off the county website. The county also did not send the Valdosta items, in apparent violation of the Georgia Open Records Act (GORA).

Greater Lowndes Planning Commission
~ Lowndes County ~ City of Valdosta ~ City of Dasher ~
~ City of Hahira ~ City of Lake Park ~ City of Remerton ~
Monday, March 21, 2022 5:30 P.M. Work Session
Monday, March 28, 2022 5:30 P.M. Regular Session
Lowndes County South Health District Administrative Office
325 West Savannah Avenue, Valdosta, Georgia

Continue reading →

Videos: Camelot Crossing subdivision tabled for two weeks @ LCC 2022-04-12

The Camelot Crossing subdivision, with no currently-planned outlet on Val Del Road, was tabled for two weeks at the request of the opponents, who filled the room. The county also still has an issue with a chokepoint through which both exits route, as mentioned by Commissioner Clay Griner, who made the motion to table, seconded by Demarcus Marshall. Commissioner Mark Wisenbaker said there was an outlet onto Old US 41 North, and he voted against tabling.

[Presentation and rezonings]
Presentation and rezonings

Commissioner Scott Orenstein mentioned that the YMCA still plans to build “an aquatic center” on its nearby property.

The other two subdivision rezonings were approved unanimously, as were all the other voting items.

Below are links to Continue reading →