Tag Archives: Jason Wisenbaker

Recommend deny 8:3, Miller Bridge Road Subdivision @ GLPC 2022-01-31

Update 2022-02-06: Board’s Pleasure should be Deny: Miller Bridge Road rezoning @ LCC 2022-02-07.

Everything else sailed through, but the Miller Bridge Road rezoning took half an hour.

Nick Clark from Quitman spoke for the rezoning. As Brad Folsom remarked on behalf of the opponents, the only significant difference between this and the previous request is the lot size, with the newly requested R-A zoning for 6. REZ-2022-03 Windy Hill Subdivision 7532 Miller Bridge Rd., E-A to R-A.

[6. REZ-2022-03 Windy Hill Subdivision, 7532 Miller Bridge Rd., 0010 022, ~34 ac., E-A to R-A.]
6. REZ-2022-03 Windy Hill Subdivision, 7532 Miller Bridge Rd., 0010 022, ~34 ac., E-A to R-A.

Some new arguments were heard against. Gretchen Quarterman said the taxpayers don’t need any more community wells that the county has to assume and pay for if there are problems with it. Chase Gregory said the current zoning is working well. People do buy larger size parcels (4-80 acres); he gave several examples.

Tommy Kenny, spoke against as immediate neighbor to north and active local farmer.

The Planning Commissioners voted to recommend denial, 8 for, and 3 against.

The Lowndes County Commission decides next Tuesday at 5:30 PM.

Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, with some notes, followed by a LAKE video playlist. See also the agenda, the Lowndes County board packet items, returned late by Lowndes County in response to a LAKE open records request, the Dasher packet item, returned in less than ten minutes by SGRC.

Dasher packet item: 10 minutes from SGRC vs. too many days from Lowndes County @ GLPC 2022-01-31

Update 2022-02-01: LAKE videos: Recommend deny 8:3, Miller Bridge Road Subdivision @ GLPC 2022-01-31.

Minutes from SGRC vs. too many days from Lowndes County.

In the previous post I detailed how Lowndes County had referred me to the Southern Georgia Regional Commission (SGRC) to get the board packet item for the Dasher item on the agenda for tonight’s Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) meeting, Monday, January 31, 2022.

So I sent email to Loretta Hylton at the SGRC. She returned a PDF of the document within less than ten minutes. No need for an open records request.

[Land Use and Rezoning maps, DA-21-01, GLPC 2022-01-31]
Land Use and Rezoning maps, DA-21-01, GLPC 2022-01-31

That contrasts with more than three days and only after I quoted the open records law Lowndes County was probably violating.

So that Dasher packet item is on the LAKE website along with the others.

You may ask, why did it take me four days to put this packet item online?

Fair question, but I ask: why doesn’t Lowndes County put the entire GLPC board packet online where everyone can see it, like many counties larger and smaller in Georgia and Florida have been doing for years? Continue reading →

Packet: Staff says growth over agriculture and forestry for Miller Bridge R-A Rezoning @ GLPC 2022-01-31

Update 2022-01-31: Dasher packet item: 10 minutes from SGRC vs. too many days from Lowndes County @ GLPC 2022-01-31.

Lowndes County staff says “existing development pattern and growth of the community” is more important than agriculture and forestry for 6. REZ-2022-03 Windy Hill Subdivision, 7532 Miller Bridge Rd., 0010 022, ~34 ac., E-A to R-A on the agenda for the Monday, January 31, 2022, meeting of the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission. Nevermind the surrounding community overwhelmingly opposes this rezoning and it is the Lowndes County Commission (and the Chamber and others) causing this “pattern and growth” heading north into places it should not go and that the county will never be able to collect enough property taxes to support school buses, fire trucks, and Sheriff calls.

Also, they’ve found one R-1 lot nearby and apparently the Rural Residential Character Area on Morven Road counts heavily as “proximity to the Rural Residential Character Area”. And they’ve ignored numerous requirements of the Comprehensive Plan for for the Agriculture/Forestry/Conservation Character Area, as well as what used to be a hard-no county road safety requirement.

In case you had any doubt, this rezoning is not just about this case, it is about the “precedent set by this case for other similarly sized and located properties in Lowndes County.”

[REZ-2022-03: Miller Bridge Road, E-A to -RA]
REZ-2022-03: Miller Bridge Road, E-A to -RA

Here is the main text of the agenda sheet for this rezoning. I have boldfaced certain phrases and interleaved the relevant maps from the board packet.

HISTORY, FACTS AND ISSUES: Continue reading →

Miller Bridge Rezoning back as R-A @ GLPC 2022-01-31

Update 2022-01-27: Packet: Staff says growth over agriculture and forestry for Miller Bridge R-A Rezoning @ GLPC 2022-01-31.

As expected, it’s back, on the agenda for the January 31st Planning Commission meeting, this time for R-A, as in probably 2.5-acre instead of 1-acre lots: 6. REZ-2022-03 Windy Hill Subdivision, 7532 Miller Bridge Rd., 0010 022, ~34 ac., E-A to R-A.

I would tell you more, but Lowndes County has not returned the board packet despite having more than the three days the Georgia Open Records Act (GORA) permits for returning such documents. So I’ve included some information provided by the opposition.

[Agenda, Opposition to Miller Bridge Road rezoning]
Agenda, Opposition to Miller Bridge Road rezoning

That’s one of four subdivision rezonings, one in Dasher, the other three in unincorporated Lowndes County. The Miller Bridge Road one is different because it’s still in an aquifer recharge zone, still far outside any appropriate Character Area in the Comprehensive Pland, and it has overwhelming opposition. See this map that opponents tell me was a house-to-house team effort to get people to sign a petition against the rezoning. It shows the parcels owned by the opponents. They’ve got the subject parcel surrounded for miles around. Continue reading →

Videos: Appointments to Hospital Authority and Parks and Rec + well pump @ LCC 2017-07-11

Two Regular Sessions back, they started with a moment of silence for Mike Everett, recently deceased employee of the Public Works department. The obituary in the VDT, 14 July 2014,

Michael Thomas Everett, a senior heavy equipment operator with Lowndes county and long time resident of Berrien County, GA, died unexpectedly on July 9, 2017 at the age of 58 at his home. Mike was born in Miami, Florida on December 29, 1958 to Hermon J. Everett and Mary C. Everett both deceased and is survived by his loving Step-Mother Nora N. Everett. Mike also known as Mr. Mike to many of his close friends and co-workers was an avid race car fan, loved cooking, enjoyed tending to his many gardens. He also loved music and often played guitar with family and friends. He was a magnet for all dogs taking great care of any that showed up on his doorstep. Mike was a very kind and generous man who will be deeply missed by his family, close neighbors, friends, co-workers and all who knew him. There is no service scheduled at this time.

No surprise on the pump or for the Hospital Authority, but news about Ashley Paulk and VLPRA. They approved everything else unanimously, as they usually do.

Below are links to each LAKE video, with a few notes, followed by a LAKE video playlist. See also the agenda. There are no LAKE videos of the previous morning’s Work Session, because, they moved it half an hour early and didn’t send a notification. But there is a blog post about one Commissioner’s response to that. The county apparently does video its work sessions, but not that one, and not this Regular Session, either.

Continue reading →

Videos: Appointments to Hospital Authority and Parks and Rec + well pump @ LCC 2017-07-10

Nope, there are no LAKE videos of yesterday morning’s Work Session, because, remember, they moved the meeting half an hour earlier so when Gretchen showed up it was already over. The county does not video its Work Sessions, so there is no county video, either. Since the Valdosta Daily Times apparently did not run a story (I don’t even know if they had a reporter there), this means you won’t know what the Commissioners discussed nor who else was there Monday morning before they vote this evening at 5:30 PM.

Valdosta City Manager Larry Hanson welcomes new 23d Wing Commander Col. Jennifer Short at the July 10 Change of Command ceremony.
City of Valdosta PR 2017-07-10: Valdosta City Manager Larry Hanson welcomes new 23d Wing Commander Col. Jennifer Short at the July 10 Change of Command ceremony.

Commissioner Scottie Orenstein asked, on facebook, in response to yesterday’s LAKE blog post about the moved meeting: Continue reading →