Tag Archives: GA 122

Packet: River Gauges, Roads, Alcohol, and Fire @ LCC 2019-10-21

Lowndes County is adding funding for the Skipper Bridge Road Withlacoochee River gauge to its traditional since 2009 funding of the Folsom Bridge GA 122 Little River gauge. That’s $8,300 and $14,200, respectively, with another $5,900 for the Skipper Bridge Gauge from the Suwannee River Water Management District. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) puts in $900 towards each gauge, or $1800 total. Valdosta still funds the North Valdosta Road US 41 Withlacoochee River Valdosta gauge, and USGS completely funds the US 84 Quitman Withlacoochee River gauge.

[OPTIONS: 1. Approve the FY 2020 Funding Agreement]
OPTIONS: 1. Approve the FY 2020 Funding Agreement
PDF

Details are in the Board Packet now on the LAKE website, received Friday, October 18, 2019, in response to an open records request.

The rest of the Lowndes County Commission agenda for Monday and Tuesday is dominated by roads: a resolution on criteria for taking private roads into the county public road system, and resolutions taking in roads within several subdivisions: Continue reading →

Videos: Outdoor sports more contentious than Tower @ GLPC 2019-05-28

More than 3/4 of an hour on Knudson & Son Outdoor Activities, 28 minutes on one of the Hahira GA overlay variance requests, and 22 minutes on the Valdosta personal care home request (before the Valdosta City Council tonight), plus a bunch of shorter items, added up to a two-hour Planning Commission meeting.

Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, followed by a LAKE video playlist. See also Continue reading →

Tower, Water, Sewer, Personal Care Home, Hahira Gateway Corridor Overlay District @ GLPC 2019-05-28

The tabled tower on US 84E is back. The Lowndes County Commission meets at the same time. Since the Planning Commission usually spends more than five minutes on Call to Order, Pledge, and reading the boilerplate about what GLPC does, and the County Commission brags about having 5 minute meetings, the County Commission could make a decision before the Planning Commission even gets that far in its agenda.

There’s also a Lowndes County request for water and sewer on Bemiss Knights Academy Road.

Valdosta has a request for conditional use for a Personal Care Home.

And two requests for Variances from the Hahira Gateway Corridor Overlay District, which is presumably the coral-colored area around W. Main St. on both sides of I-75.

Hahira overlay map, VALORGIS
VALORGIS.

Here is the agenda.

Greater Lowndes Planning Commission
Lowndes County City of Valdosta City of Dasher City of Hahira City of Lake Park
REGULAR MONTHLY MEETING
AGENDA
Monday, May 28, 2019 * 5:30 P.M. * Public Hearing
Lowndes County South Health District Administrative Office
325 West Savannah Avenue

Continue reading →

Neighbors oppose Val Del rezoning @ LCC 2018-10-09

If not consistent with the Comprehensive Plan, nor with the water and sewer growth plan, fire and rescue doesn’t want it, and the Planning Commission recommended rejecting it, what does it take for the Lowndes County Commission to reject a zoning, in this case for REZ-2018-17 for The Settlement North, 5999 Val Del Road?

Five hands go up, REZ-2018-17

Only three people were allowed to speak against, of the five whose hands went up.

The developer promised restrictive covenants enforced by nobody but the homeowners. County-imposed conditions on the Nelson Hill development, also on Val Del, were largely waived by county staff without public hearings. What promises should we believe?

Will the developer’s demand to ignore the Comprehensive Plan because of “market conditions, supply and demand” prevail? Do property values of neighbors not matter? How about saddling the county school system with houses priced too low for property taxes on them to cover expenses of sending school buses? Or is profit for a few all that matters?

See the Continue reading →

Force Main, appointments * 3, Val Del rezoning @ LCC 2018-10-08

A Val-Tech Road 16" Force Main Emergency Repair with recommendation:

The 16” force main between Coleman Road lift station and James Road has experienced repeated issues with pipe failure. Several repairs have been made on one section near 3624 Val-Tech Road. After detecting another pipe failure along this section staff recommends we replace a 400′ section of the 16” force main. This is an emergency and needs to happen ASAP to prevent a sewage spill. Staff received a quote from RPI for $99,935.00. Staff recommends the emergency repair be approved for $99,935.00 from RPI.

I think everyone would be in favor of fixing that recurring leak, near the green dot at the top of this map.

VALORGIS Lowndes County Sewer Line, Val Tech Road
VALORGIS Map → Streams Waterbodies plus Utilities Service Areas and Lowndes County Sewer Line.

Plus the annual USGS Funding Agreement for Hwy 122 Stream Gauge, on the agenda for this morning. Also appointments to three boards, as usual with no previous public invitation to apply: Linda Most reappointment to the Lowndes County Library Board, Clay Griner reappointment to the Lowndes County Public Facilities Authority, and Jim Scruggs reappointment to the Valdosta-Lowndes County Construction Board of Adjustments and Appeals.

A a subdivision rezoning: The Settlement North, 5999 Val Del Road. GLPC voted 5-2-1 against and of TRC only Engineering wanted approval, with the rest saying:

Overall Planning and Zoning found this request inconsistent with with the Comprehensive Plan. Utilities found that development in that area is not supported by the County Water System Growth Plan.

And road abandonment, and quit claims for another road.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2018, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2018, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

Continue reading →

GDOT construction on I-75 Exit 29 2017-08-28

This is the entrance to I-75 from GA 122 that often is backed up all the way to the traffic light in Hahira in the morning, that I use all the time. It did change quite a bit way back in 2006. More concerns were raised by citizens in 2013, but “No major changes made as a result of comments received.” One archaeological site was found in a survey. The winning bid for each of the utilities relocation and the main contract was Reames.

GDOT PR, 2017-08-25, Lowndes County: Reconstruction of I-75 Exit 29 Starts Monday,

GDOT aerial of I-75 exit 29 at Hahira, GA

VALDOSTA — Changes that will impact traffic are coming to Interstate 75 at Exit 29 next week as Continue reading →

Videos: West Mims Fire, Water Trails, Transportation, Construction Board, 3 tax lighting districts, mosquitoes, no-bid contract @ LCC 2017-08-08

“There’s nobody that can tackle something like that alone,” said Emergency Management Director Ashley Tye in a West Mims Fire Special Presentation with firefighters from all over Lowndes County and its cities, including a resolution from the Charlton County Commission.

Citizen Gretchen Quarterman spoke about WWALS and trash and cameras at the Naylor Boat Ramp site, and about Boy Scouts at the GA 133 Boat Ramp. Citizen Jim Parker poked them about public transportation and renewable energy.

They’re settling on “Wiregrass Georgia Technical College Road to Success”, but when did Commissioners decide on that between the previous morning’s open meeting and this one? But wait: Continue reading →

Videos: Construction Board, 3 tax lighting districtcs, mosquitoes, radios, roads, and truck @ LCC 2017-08-07

Emergency Management Director Ashley Tye gave a preview of the West Mims Fire Special Presentation that will be tonight at 5:30 PM by someone from the Charlton County Commission.

Looks like another no-bid special contract award, this time to Lovell Engineering, without even the excuse of an emergency.

They have signs made for Wiregrass Technical College Highway. Two out of three (not Creekside) Special Tax Lighting Districts may be ready to vote on tonight.

If you have any other plumber to propose for the Valdosta-Lowndes County Construction Board of Adjustments and Appeals, get that name to them before tonight; they’ve already got one name.

A month ago there was Continue reading →

West Mims Fire, Construction Board, 3 tax lighting districtcs, mosquitoes, radios, roads, and truck @ LCC 2017-08-07

The most interesting item this morning at 8:30 AM at the Lowndes County Commission Work Session is the Special Presentation by someone unnamed about the West Mims Fire in the Okefenokee Swamp. Apparently they sent some assistance.

The agenda sheet for the appointment to the Valdosta-Lowndes County Construction Board of Adjustments and Appeals says:

Mr. Mike Vickery’s term on the Valdosta-Lowndes County Construction Board of Adjustments and Appeals expired on June 30, 2017, leaving a vacant seat. Mr. Tripp Howell has expressed interest in being appointed to the board.

Here is the agenda: Continue reading →

Videos: Runner Ernie Andrus, Brookwood again, 3 board appointments, 2 road abandoments, Comp Plan Update, Budget Adoption @ LCC 2016-06-28

For an authority that gets 1.25 mil of your property tax dollars, the Commissioners didn’t even know who was wanting to be reappointed, none of them asked what happened during a year when one of them was apparently serving on that board without a formal appointment, not all of the Commissioners were present even voted, and none of the candidates for any of the board appointments even shhowed up, much less spoke. The Lowndes County Commission at its June 28th 2016 Regular Session also unanimously adopted the budget for what the Chairman repeatedly called “the physical year”, despite only perfunctory public hearings in advance, and no draft budget available on their website for the public to see. After they approved the budget to spend the money (and according to County Manager Joe Pritchard after earlier that same morning the Tourism Authority approved their budget), the Lowndes County Commissioners unanimously approved a hotel/motel tax rate increase. Odd order, eh?

About the 1.25 mil property tax Parks and Rec Authority, the Chairman finally got around to saying Continue reading →