Tag Archives: Education

Opposes Sabal Trail pipeline in any portion of Lowndes County –Lowndes County Commission

Escalating from the Chairman’s letter of 11 April 2014, perhaps after listening to requests from citizens, the Lowndes County Commission passed a resolution wanting no part of Sabal Trail in the county or in the state of Georgia.

Update 2014-11-25: Well, according to Joe Adgie in the Valdosta Daily Times today, “Even though the missive has already been mailed [to FERC], the resolution will not be formally voted on until the county commission’s next meeting in December [9th].”

Filed with FERC in docket CP15-17 on 21 November 2014 as Accession Number: 20141121-5242, but that was a Friday and FERC doesn’t work on weekends, so it actually appeared Monday 24 November 2014.

300x52 Commissioners, in Lowndes County Commission Work Session, by John S. Quarterman, 10 November 2014 RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Spectra Energy of Houston, Texas has proposed to build a $3.7 Billion, 460mile natural gas line known as Sabal Trail, and;

WHEREAS, The Lowndes County Board of Commissioners has concerns regarding personal property rights Continue reading →

Valdosta’s Penn Station to be torn down –Alfred Willis @ VCC 2014-10-23

Received as a response to Outside corporation trumps Valdosta citizens about historical Nichols house? –Jim Parker @ VCC 2014-10-23. -jsq

The City Council’s deliberations on the 23rd had nothing to do with any construction project, but rather focused on the sale of a parcel — as Councilman Carroll’s message of the 25th accurately conveys. The Council’s vote was historic because it signified openly the supremacy of certain private property interests (specifically, those entailed in selling as a form of enjoyment) over civic cultural interests, at least within the municipality of Valdosta. In doing so it gave Valdosta’s citizens a peek behind a curtain that had remained drawn over historic preservation here since 1980. The construction of buildings, the demolition of buildings, the remodeling or moving of buildings, the maintenance and preservation of buildings, their sale and their purchase, their adaptive reuse — all of those processes are historical processes that turn on the resolution of conflicts among interests. Thus they all reveal structures of power and the machinations of powerful individuals and groups. How could they not?

The construction of the Nichols house in the early 1950s showed with a degree of clarity that probably no other Valdosta building of that time did, the identity, values, attitudes, and mode of operation of Valdosta’s leadership. Its demolition will Continue reading →

Videos: Church, brokerage, signage, substation, agriculture @ GLPC 2014-10-27

Last seen at ZBOA 2013-03-05 about a sign, Macedonia First Baptist Church now wants to expand in a residential neighborhood. One applicant wants to rezone from R-10 to Estate Agriculture. All that and more two weeks ago at the Planning Commission.

Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC)

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, October 27, 2014* 5:30 P.M. * Public Hearing

Continue reading →

Videos: Bailey Gung Scintilla Land @ GLPC 2014-09-29

Here’s the agenda, and below are the videos as events transpired, of the 29 September 2014 Regular Session of the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC). Continue reading →

Outside corporation trumps Valdosta citizens about historical Nichols house? –Jim Parker @ VCC 2014-10-23

Received 27 October 2014 about Whose rights come first? –Tim Carroll. -jsq

So because the owner of the property, which appeared to be a national property owning corporation for the fraternity’s local chapters, couldn’t, or more likely, didn’t want to see the cultural and architectural significance of the Nichols’ House, and merely wanted to unload the property as quick as possible, their property rights trump all other citizens of Valdosta in regards to our historical/cultural history and what we may wish to preserve? Do private entities, which may not even live here, have carte blanche to run roughshod and do whatever they please in our city irregardless of the interests of the citizens that do?

If you think I have a “lack of true understanding Continue reading →

Whose rights come first? –Tim Carroll @ VCC 2014-10-23

Received 25 October 2014 on Too bad about the Nichols House –Jim Parker @ VCC 2014-10-23. -jsq

I realize many may think none on council heard what Dr. Willis had to say, but that was not the case. What I think was missed by many in the audience was the fact that the owner of this property was not the applicant of this request, but was adamantly opposed to it. Not only did they have an offer on the table to sell, but it was pending the outcome of the vote regarding historic designation. To take away the rights of a property owner at the request of another is a very tricky thing. Whose rights come first? This was a tough decision in and unto itself. To suggest that only the monetary value of the property for taxation purposes drove the decision demonstrates a lack of true understanding of the all the pertinent facts of this case.

-Tim Carroll

I think the applicant’s frat alumnus attorney speaking for 15 minutes against probably tipped off most people about that first point. -jsq

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 →