Category Archives: Lowndes County Commission

Packet items for REZ-2016-03-06, CAC, Skipper Bridge Road @ GLPC 2016-02-29

Thanks to Lowndes County Planner Jason Davenport’s expeditious response to my open records request with the packet materials for REZ-2016-03-06, for tonight’s Planning Commission meetin, we now know this proposed CAC rezoning is at the NW corner of Skipper Bridge Road and Stafford Wright Road, about one acre of the 113.88 acre parcel 0106 232 owned by JEV Duck Pond LLC, in the watershed of Cherry Creek, which flows to the Withlacoochee River. Perhaps not coincidentally, the county recently approved plans to pave Stafford Wright Road. The County Planner mentioned that in the agenda sheet summary that county road classifications (local rural, minor collector, etc.) are stated in the Lowndes County Thoroughfare Plan. Back in 2009 when that plan was last updated, the County Engineer said it “…works as a guide for development and potential use changes in property.”

GREATER LOWNDES PLANNING COMMISSION
AGENDA ITEM

SUBJECT: Rezoning Case REZ—2016-06 Continue reading →

Videos: Crosspointe Church @ ZBOA 2016-02-02

In a split decision with a condition, they approved their one case, VAR-2016-01 (CrossPointe Church, Valdosta GA), with all members present for the Zoning Board of Appeals. Not clear what are the buffer or landscape requirements they want a variance from. If ZBOA published its board packets online, we all would be able to see that. Same issue as for Lowndes County Commission, Valdosta City Council, and the other four cities in the county. They did not approve minutes of their previous meeting, and still no decision on name badges. The meeting took only 45 minutes.

Agenda below, with results from ZBOA’s own Meeting Results Summary, followed by the LAKE video. Continue reading →

Cancelled: Lowndes County Commission meetings this week 2016-02-22

Lowndes County website, 17 February 2016, Commission Meetings Canceled:

Due to a lack of agenda items requiring attention at this time, the Lowndes County Commission Meetings scheduled for Monday, February 22, 2016, at 8:30 am and Tuesday, February 23, 2016, at 5:30 pm, have been canceled.

The VDT 17 February 2016 quoted County Clerk Paige Dukes: Continue reading →

Videos: Rivers and Pipeline, Rehab homes, LAMP Lease, Rezonings, Alcohol, public defender, paving Stafford Wright Road @ LCC 2016-02-09

Gretchen thanked them for putting most of the response to her open records request on CDs, shortly after they had said at their recent planning session that they wanted to promote interaction with the community. Still nothing from the county attorney about the Sabal Trail documents, and it’s been well over three days. I invited them on behalf of WWALS to a workshop and a movie; there’s more below. See also the contested rezoning 5.d. REZ-2016-05 Union Rd Subdivision, E-A to R-A, ~114 acres for more water issues.

Three citizens spoke explicitly about the pipeline, Jim Parker, Michael Noll, and Dr. Mario Bartoletti, as also noted in Jason Stewart, VDT, 11 February 2016, Sabal protests continue. As I noted in another post,

I go to a lot of county commission meetings in Georgia and Florida. Nowhere but Lowndes County do I see Continue reading →

Why people don’t speak up: they owe their soul to the company store

Some of our elected officials wonder few people ever speak up around here. It’s simple: they owe their soul to the company store. If you don’t go along, you don’t get business.

As Tennessee Ernie Ford sang in that old Merle Travis song:

You load sixteen tons, what do you get
Another day older and deeper in debt
Saint Peter don’t you call me ’cause I can’t go
I owe my soul to the company store

Continue reading →

Videos: Rehab homes, LAMP Lease, Rezonings, Alcohol, public defender, and paving Stafford Wright Road @ LCC 2016-02-08

They vote tonight at 5:30 PM.

At yesterday’s Work Session, there were two unscheduled reports. Mark Stalvey of the county Housing Authority said they’re working together with Habitat for Humanity to form a nonprofit for collecting funds for rehabilitating housing, and they’re asking for $5,000 each from Valdosta and Lowndes County to get the nonprofit up and running, in return for which each would get to appoint some board members; the rest would be elected by the nonprofit board.

Last, Tina Folsom with Lowndes Associated Ministries to People (LAMP) said their executive director left, so they don’t need their space in the Leila Ellis building. They’d like to be let out of their lease and have the funds applied to another county building they’re also renting space in.

See previous post for context and the agenda. Below are links to each LAKE video of the Work Session, followed by a video playlist. Continue reading →

Videos: Chancy R6M, Stallings Road Cemetery, 4 County cases, one to E-A @ GLPC 2016-01-25

The Lowndes County cases are the ones the County Commission is reviewing this morning in their Work Session. GLPC recommended approval for all of them, with conditions on one, REZ-2016-03 Jacob Eckwahl on US 41 South.

See also the GLPC agenda and the LAKE videos of the 19 Jan 2016 GLPC Work Session. Below are the LAKE videos of the 25 Jan 2016 GLPC Regular Session, followed by a video playlist. Continue reading →

Videos: Chancy R6M, Stallings Road Cemetery, 4 County cases, one to E-A @ GLPC 2016-01-19

Not on the agenda, they started with a public hearing on the Comprehensive Plan. Expecting from the email announcement about the Comprehensive Plan that this would be a typical SGRC tables-and-easels mill-about meeting, I didn’t show up on the dot and was quite surprised to find the Planning Commission and staff in their usual spots. See separate post.

Here are the LAKE videos with some notes, followed by a video playlist. Continue reading →

Rezonings, Alcohol, public defender, and paving Stafford Wright Road @ LCC 2016-02-08

Monday morning 8:30 AM, the Lowndes County Commission will hear about (they vote Tuesday evening) four well and septic rezoning cases, one of them from R-10 to E-A, and another of 114 acres from E-A to R-A. The usual wine, beer, and liquor licenses, a County Purchasing Card and Credit Card Ordinance, a 2016 Public Defender Contract Renewal and Proposal from Lovell Engineering for Stafford Wright Road Paving Project. I remember residents of that road asking years ago for it to be paved; instead the county paved Quarterman Road. Here’s the agenda. See also the LAKE videos of the Planning Commission Work Session and Regular Session.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2016, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2016, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

Continue reading →

Videos: Planning Meeting, Lowndes County Commission @ LCC 2016-02-04

Suing local businesses helps run up fees to the county attorney, says County Manager Joe Pritchard. He didn’t mention that continuing to promote sprawl for example through the county’s thoroughfare plan also runs up fees that property taxes will never meet. Commissioners seemed very concerned about “stakeholders” whom they said were “the development community, the real estate community” and “the construction and homebuilder industries”. Maybe somewhere they mentioned the agricultural and forestry industries, or sales tax payers even if they don’t own real estate; if so I missed it. At least they’re thinking about the Comprehensive Plan and the general direction of the county in a public forum. And the County Planner did talk about quality of life. Plus it seems business prospects bringing that up got the attention of the County Manager. They said they have a responsiblity to set the direction of the county. How about instead of continuing to drive sprawl outwards, which is a fiscally (and environmentally) irresponsible path, turn to directing development to be more dense in already-developed areas? They continue this morning at 8:30 AM, and Gretchen is there again with the LAKE video camera.

Here’s the agenda followed by links to each LAKE video with a few notes. See also two previous pictures.

We are looking forward to the improved communication that was touted in the VDT headline. Jason Stewart, VDT, 4 February 2016, Slaughter wants to strengthen communication, Continue reading →