Category Archives: Lowndes County Commission

Videos: Heavy Manufacturing politics @ GLPC Special 2016-01-05

Even the Planning Commissioners weren’t told what company “Project Max” is, because the Development Authority is still bidding the location as one of two being considered by the company. See also the agenda the previous update. Planning Commissioners did have quite a few questions about expansion, appropriate zoning, any potential pollution or contamination, etc. Naturally, the Planning Commission recommended approval, so the actual decision will be before the County Commission next Tuesday evening. Meanwhile, here are links to the LAKE videos of the Planning Commission, with a few notes, followed by a video playlist. Continue reading →

Update: Heavy Manufacturing site provided by Langdale @ GLPC Special 2016-01-05

We still don’t know what company might locate on Rocky Ford Road, but we’re told it’s clean, Site location needs water to cool its boiler which will be fired by natural gas, that it rejected Bassford Business Park because of air quality (too near Sterling Chemical?), and we have the location of the new site, which turns out to be on land owned by Langdale Capital Assets, Inc.

Speaking for the rezoning from the Development Authority were Executive Director Andrea Schruijer, Industry Coordinator Stan Crance, and Chairman Tom Call. Every Lowndes County Commissioner was present. When asked how an agenda the same day was enough notice, Lowndes County Planner Jason Davenport said the Special Called Meeting was actually announced in the Valdosta Daily Times last week. Also that the rezoning will only take effect if the Development Authority buys the land first. Gretchen asked a few questions about parking: if the business is going to expand, will there be enough? Someone told Gretchen that the company would have solar power.

We shall see. And you will be able to see this meeting by tomorrow in the LAKE videos Gretchen took. Continue reading →

Cemetery again, sewer, billboards, dwelling, parking @ ZBOA 2016-01-05

2:30 PM today, the Zoning Board of Appeals agenda has a proposed cemetery and name badges back on it, plus some new cases, including another Valdosta sanitary sewer variance, a billboard variance, and others.

Valdosta-Lowndes County Zoning Board of Appeals

Carmella Braswell, Lowndes County Zoning Administrator
327 North Ashley Street, Valdosta, Georgia
(229) 671-2430

Matt Martin, Valdosta Planning and Zoning Administrator
300 North Lee Street, Valdosta, Georgia
(229) 259-3563

AGENDA
January 5, 2016
2:30 p.m.

Continue reading →

Videos: Cell tower, cemetery, sewer, and radio tower @ ZBOA 2015-12-01

Videos of the December 2015 ZBOA meeting. The cemetery item got tabled and is back on today’s agenda.

Here’s a video playlist:


Videos: Cell tower, cemetery, sewer, and radio tower
Regular Session, Valdosta-Lowndes County Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBOA),
Video by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 1 December 2015.

-jsq

Heavy Manufacturing rezoning on special called Planning Commission agenda @ GLPC Special 2016-01-05

Update 7:30 PM 5 Jan 2016: The land is owned by Langdale, and why not Bassford Business Park.

Henry Manufacturing (the one in Oregon? Decatur, GA?) on the agenda for a Special Called Meeting of the Planning Commission, just announced today, for 5:30 PM today. Apparently the Development Authority thinks it’s landed a big fish and wants a rezoning for it. Which 134 acres on Rocky Ford Road is not clear: there’s no such size tract according to the Tax Assessors’ map.

Map of properties on Rocky Ford Road

All the large tracts are owned either by Langdale Company or a Langdale investment corporation. Or it could be out of the 219.99 acre tract owned by the Paine Clarence M. Family Trust or the 187.76 acre tract owned by Griffin LLC. As usual, we the taxpayers are left guessing. Tonight at 5:30 PM maybe we’ll find out. -jsq Continue reading →

Videos: Surprise boat landing, MAZ, WWTP, tax lighting, civic center, court, insurance, hazardous waste @ LCC 2015-12-08

County Manager Joe Pritchard asked the Lowndes County Commission to spend the funds the citizens of Lowndes County approved on the SPLOST VII referendum for the Naylor Boat Ramp:

Motion by Commissioner Demarcus Marshall We are proposing for the purchase of 4.35 acres of property on the Alapaha River designated for the purpose of a boat ramp. You have the documentation there before you, the warranty deed. And as you are aware, this also reserves for an easement by the current owner, a proposed easement, and the appraisal is for $24,000, as is the purchase price, and that is the consideration for the proposed easement.

Commissioner Scottie Orenstein asked: Continue reading →

Videos: MAZ, WWTP, tax lighting, civic center, court, insurance, hazardous waste @ LCC 2015-12-07

Here are videos from Monday morning’s Work Session. They already met again to vote this evening. See also the previous Planning Commission agenda with the packet materials obtained by LAKE for the Withlacoochee Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) condition changes, the Moody Activities Zones (MAZ) changes to the ULDC, and the Orchard at Tillman Crossing and the LAKE videos of that meeting.

Here’s the Lowndes County Commission agenda, which also includes many other items, such as the obscurely named Execution of the Resolution for Hazardous Waste Trust Fund, which is about the closed landfill at Clyattville.

Here’s a video playlist:


Videos: MAZ, WWTP, tax lighting, civic center, court, insurance, hazardous waste
Work Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Video by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 7 December 2015.

-jsq

Videos: Law, radio, solid waste, busses, and qualifying fees @ LCC 2015-11-10

A month ago, nobody on the County Commission or staff knew how much the extra equipment might cost for the three Sheriff’s pursuit vehicles, but they awarded the bid to Langdale Ford anyway. The automobile dealer on the Commission did have some computations on why the higher bid might be more cost-effective. “We have the bids in the room” said the County Engineer, recommending awarding $1,188,500 to the Scruggs Company for Graded Aggregate Base, Curb-and-Gutter and Asphalt. He also noted “they will come in and place the curb and gutter”. The County Engineer also announced flashing and then regular traffic lights at Tillman Crossing on Old US 41 North.

Two citizens talked about dog problems: three dogs perhaps without shelter and barking dogs and arson.

Commissioner Demarcus Marshall is holding a Town Hall December 15th.

Here’s the agenda. See also the LAKE videos of the previous morning’s Work Session. Below are links to each of the videos of the Regular Session, followed by a video playlist. Meanwhile, they already met again this morning and will vote again Tuesday evening. Continue reading →

MAZ, WWTP, tax lighting, civic center, court, insurance, hazardous waste @ LCC 2015-12-07

This morning at 8:30 AM, then for voting Tuesday evening at 5:30 PM, the Withlacoochee Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) condition changes, the Moody Activities Zones (MAZ) changes to the ULDC, and the Orchard at Tillman Crossing from the previous Planning Commission agenda are on this morning’s very long Lowndes County Commission agenda, along with many other items. Among them, the obscurely named Execution of the Resolution for Hazardous Waste Trust Fund is about the closed landfill at Clyattville.

See also the LAKE videos of the 30 November 2015 GLPC meeting, and this morning’s agenda is below.

-jsq

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, December 7, 2015, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, December 8, 2015, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

Continue reading →

Withlacoochee River Wastewater Treatment Plant packet materials @ GLPC 2015-11-30

The mysterious missing materials from Monday’s Planning Commission meeting are on the LAKE website now, thanks to Lowndes County Planner Jason Davenport, by electronic mail today, 3 December 2015.

He explained that this requested zoning, REZ-2015-20, was a followon to rezoning REZ-2010-15 from 2010 for the new Withlacoochee River Wastewater Treatment Plant, plus since then Valdosta had bought another adjoining parcel. The materials explain the current concerns about buffers, setbacks, roads, other uses, noise, lights, etc.; see the text pages. The County Planner said the packet for next week’s County Commission meetings will also include an agenda item cover sheet.

For all the other packet items from Monday’s GLPC meeting, see the previous post. See also the related variance VAR-2015-16 that was before the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBOA) Tuesday.

Here’s the beginning of the overview from the GLPC materials:

The main reason for this request is the current conditional requirement of a bermed buffer along the norther boundary of the subject property. Right now if the previously approved conditions (Attached toward the end of the packet), approved site plan (Attached . . ,), and ULDC are combined it looks like what is currently required to be constructed is Continue reading →