Category Archives: Military

Chamber goes to bat for Moody

Don’t fix it if it ain’t broken, says the Valdosta-Lowndes Chamber of Commerce about the county-proposed changes to the Moody Activities Zone (MAZ), in a resolution mailed to its members Friday.

Chamber Board of Directors action:

While the Valdosta-Lowndes Chamber of Commerce is extremely supportive of property rights and wary of intrusion upon those rights, we are also extremely supportive of Moody Air Force Base and its continued and varied missions in our community. Moody, for more than 70 years, has Continue reading →

Moody MAZ, Agriculture, Church @ GLPC 2015-06-29

This evening, the notorious TXT-2015-01 Moody Activity Zoning Districts (MAZ) ULDC text amendments are back on the agenda, for decision by the Lowndes County Commission a month later. Usually reliable sources say the Valdosta-Lowndes Chamber of Commerce will be opposing some of these changes. Meanwhile, LAKE has laid out the board packet item from last time so you can get an idea of what’s going on and why, including links to the LAKE videos of the previous GLPC and Lowndes County Commission meetings where these MAZ changes were discussed.

REZ-2015-12 Martha Russ wants to zone to less density while REZ-2015-13 Clementine Miller wants more density. And in Valdosta CU-2015-02 Kelly Barcol wants a church in a Single-Family Residential (R-10) district.

Here’s the agenda. Continue reading →

Videos: Deep South Sanitation litigation resolution, Animals, MAZ, Water, School @ LCC 2015-06-09

Not on the agenda for the 9 June 2015 Regular Session: settlement agreement for the county’s unnecessary lawsuit against Deep South Sanitation. Commissioners had no questions, but I have two:

how much did the county spend on the lawsuit?
how much did the county end up paying DSS?

Also unscheduled: Recognition of Leadership Lowndes Attendees.

Citizen Billy Rowland had some comments about road grading and wondered how Animal Control could come take his dog from his posted property yet not do anything when he reported barking dogs.

They approved a Scruggs Co. contract for Paving on Coppage Road, which includes curb and gutter to save some of the tree canopy. They approved a Bid for Bemiss Road Mowing even though it’s a state highway, plus a Bid for a Zero-Turn Mower for the Public Works Department from Nashville Tractor. They approved the Bid for a Fire Pumper for Lowndes County Fire Rescue and the LCSO Patrol Car Laptops Lease Purchase and tabled the Lowndes Middle School Utility Service from Valdosta utilities.

Via LAKE open records request, see the board packet item for the complicated Moody Activity Zones Text Amendments to the Unified Land Development Code that were tabled for more time at the Tuesday June 9th 2015 Regular Session of the Lowndes County Commission. See the LAKE videos of the Planning Commission meeting that considered the MAZ and the rezonings on this agenda. The Shiver and Kinsey rezonings were were approved unanimously with no speakers from the public and no Commissioner comments. The Orchard at Stone Creek rezoning discussion about a retirement home lasted for 14 minutes, including updated maps that were only provided to LAKE on paper, despite a request for electronic copy. See also the agenda and the LAKE videos of the previous morning’s Work Session.

Continue reading →

Videos: MAZ, Water, School @ LCC 2015-06-08

Through a LAKE open records request, now you can see the complicated Moody Activity Zones Text Amendments to the Unified Land Development Code, which affect everything from animals to retirement homes. In these LAKE videos you can see the Lowndes County Commission consider that and other matters at their Work Session of Monday 8 June 2015, including Lowndes Middle School Utility Service from the City of Valdosta, two water well and septic rezonings on Mt. Zion Rd and Touchton Rd, and water and sewer for 24 acres of The Orchard at Stone Creek, Tillman Crossing Rd. Plus Utility Relocation for the Replacement of Franks Creek Bridge on Morven Road and many bids, including for Paving on Coppage Road; staff recommends the Scruggs bid. County Manager Joe Pritchard noted many of the bids were related to SPLOST in an effort “to get those projects up and running as quickly as possible”.

Here’s the agenda. See also the LAKE videos of the Planning Commission meeting that considered these rezonings and the MAZ. Continue reading →

Board packet item for MAZ ULDC Text Amendment TXT-2015-01 @ LCC 2015-06-08

It’s no wonder the Planning Commission wanted more time for these complicated proposed county code changes to the Moody Activity Zoning Districts (MAZ). The county could have just as easily put the PDF of this item online with the agenda. They didn’t, so LAKE filed an open records request, which no only makes these maps and text available to the public, it demonstrates the county can supply electronic format via email.

Here’s plain text for the Board packet agenda item sheet and the Planning Division Amendment Notes, and images of all the other pages from the PDF.

Videos: Doublewide, Commercial, Professional, Residential, Landscape, Stormwater, Suburban, Agriculture, Schools, and Moody @ GLPC 2015-05-26

The Planning Commission said at its 26 May 2015 meeting that it needed at least a month more to review Lowndes County’s proposed changes to the Moody Activity Zoning (MAZ) Districts, which is why the County Commission is pushing back the schedule on that.

Another big item is REZ-2015-11 The Orchard at Stone Creek, yet another subdivision on Old US 41 N, this one due west of Nelson Hill on Val Del.

Here’s the agenda. Below are links to each of the LAKE videos of the agenda items, followed by a video playlist. Continue reading →

Water, septic, sewer, utilties, Lowndes Middle School @ LCC 2015-06-08

What are these complicated Moody Activity Zoning Districts amendments to the land development code that involve many maps and tables that county staff are not showing the public, even though one of the stated reasons is residential dwellings and family ties land divisions?

What has Lowndes Middle School done for water and sewer until now, when it’s finally asking to connect to Valdosta utilities because Lowndes County utilities are too far away? Plus two water well and septic rezonings on Mt. Zion Rd and Touchton Rd, and water and sewer for 24 acres of The Orchard at Stone Creek, Tillman Crossing Rd. And Utility Relocation for the Replacement of Franks Creek Bridge on Morven Road.

Many bids, including for Paving on Coppage Road; staff recommends the Scruggs bid.

Here’s the agenda, which this time (unlike last) at least does have the one- or two-page agenda item sheets, but is still lacking the rest of the board packet.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, JUNE 8,2015, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2015, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
Continue reading →

Remember the troops by enlisting solar power to prevent wars

This Memorial Day let’s honor those who have served and those who have fallen by getting on with removing one of the major causes of war: fossil fuels. The U.S. military is putting its money where its mouth is in buying solar power. Especially now that HB 57 is law and enables solar financing, the rest of us can do the same. And that will prevent casualties and prevent wars.

WTOC Staff, 15 May 2015, Ft. Stewart breaks ground on renewable energy solar project,

There will be nearly 140,000 solar panels covering about 200 acres. Georgia Power owns and operates the solar panels, and all of the energy generated will go to Georgia Power to be equally distributed to people across the region who use Georgia Power, including MidCoast Regional Airport, Fort Stewart, and any other residential customers.

“Let me put a little bit into perspective; so the Army is the largest utility consumer in the United States, we buy more utility services than anyone else, even WalMart,” Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army Richard Kidd said.

Why is the U.S. military doing this? Continue reading →

Doublewide, Commercial, Professional, Residential, Landscape, Stormwater, Suburban, Agriculture, Schools, and Moody @ GLPC 2015-05-26

The busiest Planning Commission agenda I can recall, is scheduled at exactly the same time as the Lowndes County Commission Regular Session because of the Memorial Day holiday. The biggest item is REZ-2015-11 The Orchard at Stone Creek, yet another subdivision on Old US 41 N, this one due west of Nelson Hill on Val Del.

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
Tuesday, May 26, 2015 * 5:30 P.M. * Public Hearing
Continue reading →

Groundbreaking for solar at Fort Benning

First of three 30 MW military solar projects in Georgia, the other two ag Fort Gordon near Augusta and Fort Stewart near Savannah, plus a fourth one at Kings Bay Submarine Base. The U.S. military has long recognized fossil fuels are vulnerable supply chains that risk national security, and U.S. DoD is doing something about it.

Brennan Reh, wrbl.com, 17 April 2105, Ft. Benning solar power project groundbreaking

Fort Benning held a groundbreaking ceremony for the U.S. Army’s renewable energy solar project. Georgia Power is building solar panels that will cover 200 acres on the post.

The solar project on Fort Benning will be the army’s largest power project in Georgia.

The panels will generate Continue reading →

On the LAKE front

Citizen dialog for transparent process by the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange