Tag Archives: REZ-2022-10

Agenda: Howell Road Halfway House @ LCC 2023-03-27

Update 2023-03-27: Packet: Howell Road rezoning, Trash colleciton centers, Windstream Broadband map @ LCC 2023-03-27.

Update 2023-03-27: Videos: Howell Road Halfway House @ LCC Work 2023-03-27.

The controversial halfway house on Howell Road is back for its final Public Hearing Tuesday evening, with review this morning at 8:30 AM.

Agenda, The Campus @ LCC 2023-03-27

$22 million is a lot of money, but almost all of it is incoming grant funds.

Cost	What
$21,853,779.00	A New Headquarters for Second Harvest of South Georgia
$116,286.00	PowerPhone Emergency Medical Dispatch with CAD Integration
$86,266.00	Acceptance of the FY2023 VAWA Continuation Grant Award
$500.00	Lowndes County DUI Court Technology Supplemental Grant Award
$250.00	Adult Accountability Court Technology Supplemental Grant Award
$22,057,081.00	Total

Here is the agenda. The agenda sheets from the county’s website are also on the LAKE website.

We do not have the board packet because I didn’t send the GORA request until this morning. LAKE will publish it after we get it.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, MARCH 27, 2023, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, MARCH 28, 2023, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
Continue reading →

Halfway house rezoning has Public Hearing date 2023-03-28

Update 2023-03-27: Agenda: Howell Road Halfway House @ LCC 2023-03-27.

The halfway house rezoning on Howell Road is back for its final Public Hearing, on March 28, 2023.

Second Public Re-Hearing, Zoning Location Map

Back in May 23, 2022, the Greater Lowndes Planning recommended denial by 7:2. Nonetheless, the Lowndes County Commission approved this rezoning on 2022-06-16 with the Chairman breaking a tie.

After an attorney for opponents dug in, that vote was determined invalid, because the county had not advertised the Public Hearing according to state law specific to Transitional Care Facilities. The first of two new Public Hearings was held 2022-09-13.

See also the Lowndes County Commission board packet 2022-06-16, the board packet 2022-09-12, and the GLPC board packet 2022-05-23.

In the Valdosta Daily Times, March 5, 2023:

PUBLIC NOTICE TO THE CITIZENS OF LOWNDES COUNTY

Lowndes County Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing to consider the following rezoning request. The location, date and time of the public hearing are as follows:
Tuesday, March 28, 2023 – 5:30 p.m.

Lowndes County Board of Commissioners (official public hearing) Lowndes County Judicial and Administrative Complex Commission Chambers, 2nd Floor 327 North Ashley Street, Valdosta, Georgia

The Board of Commissioners of Lowndes County will hold a public hearing pursuant to OCGA § 36-66-4(A) at 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, March 28, 2023, in the Lowndes County Judicial and Administrative Complex, Commission Chambers, 2nd Floor, 327 North Ashley Street, Valdosta, Georgia, in Case Number REZ-2022-10 regarding all or part of Tax Map 0186 Parcel 107 and Tax Map 0187 Parcel 082 on the application by Redeemed Living, c/o Charles B. Moore, Jr., on behalf of Parkerson Properties, LLC/Thomas A. Parkerson, to amend the Zoning Map of Lowndes County, Georgia, to rezone 23 acres located at 2193 Howell Road, Valdosta, Georgia, from E-A (Estate Agriculture) zoning district to PD (Planned Development) zoning district for uses to include a Transitional Care Facility. The Lowndes County Unified Land Development Code defines Transitional Care Facility to mean “A building or buildings in which is provided long-term but not permanent living accommodations for one or more persons who are in need of short term or long-term housing assistance, and in which may also be provided meals and social services including physical therapy, social therapy, emotional therapy, counseling, rehabilitation, or substance abuse recovery assistance.” The legal dictionary definition of halfway house is “A transitional housing facility designed to rehabilitate people who have recently left a prison or medical-care facility, or who otherwise need help in adjusting to unsupervised living.” The proposed zoning decision relates to or will allow the location or relocation of a halfway house, drug rehabilitation center, or other facility for the treatment of drug dependency.

Any comments may be presented at the public hearings, or filed in writing prior to the public hearings. Also, review of the above applications is available in the Office of the County Planner located at 327 North Ashley Street.

Pursuant to O.C.G.A. 36-67A-3, any opponent of this proposed rezoning who has made campaign contributions aggregating $250.00 or more to a local government official of Lowndes County Board of Commissioners, within two years immediately preceding the filing of the application, is required to file a disclosure statement, at least five days prior to the hearing, with the Zoning Administrator or County Planner, stating the name and position of the local official to whom contributions were made, the amount, description and date of each campaign contribution.

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Videos: Redo rezonings and a citizen paving request @ LCC 2022-09-13

Two weeks agao the Lowndes County Commission at its Regular Session recognized Fire Chief Lloyd Green for finishing second in his age class in a recent road race.

Then they unanimously approved the previously-rejected O’Neal James Road rezoning, after applicant’s attorney Bill Langdale pointed out the code infractions would have to get fixed regardless of the rezoning decision.

Rezonings and Citizens To Be Heard, Lowndes County Commission Regular Session 2022-09-13

On the previously-decided Campus Howell Road rezoning, they voted twice to invalidate their previous vote. because first they forgot to hold the public hearing. Twice because the Chairman first forgot to hold the Public Hearing. In the Hearing, several citizens spoke against the rezoning. The actual rezoning decision will be taken somewhere between six and nine months later, after the other Public Hearing held just after this Public Hearing.

In the other Public Hearing, they took no vote, since the vote will be sometime between March and May 2023. The rezoning may also go before the Planning Commission again before then. One citizen spoke against, asking why bother going through the Planning Commission again considering that the County Commission rejected the previous GLPC recommendation. County Chairman Bill Slaughter said GLPC will be asked if that is required for due process. Joshua Knight and Brent Moore spoke for.

All the extraterritorial water and sewer extensions passed, but both the Valdosta ones by split votes.

Commissioner Mark Wisenbaker voted against the Griner Park work, saying it is not a top priority and later they might get more than one bid. It passed anyway.

Everything else passed unanimously.

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

Videos: GA Forestry, $3 million, redoing 2 rezonings, 3 extraterritorial water and sewer @ LCC 2022-09-12

Update 2022-09-26: Videos: Redo rezonings and a citizen paving request @ LCC 2022-09-13.

Update 2022-09-21: Videos: 6 Remerton, 4 Valdosta, 1 Hahira, 1 Lowndes County cases @ GLPC 2022-08-29.

Other than the seven-minute not-on-the-agenda Georgia Forestry presentation by Lowndes County Chief Ranger Mike Williford, the highest-dollar item got the most discussion: Griner Park, at the corner of Webster and Ashley Street.

There was no discussion of the items about redoing their botched rezoning decision.

They did kvetch about each of the extraterritorial jurisdiction items for water and sewer, alleging it was all somebody else’s fault. But why did the county not catch these earlier?

That was at the Work Session yesterday morning. The Lowndes County Commission voted this evening at their Regular Session.

Videos and a picture

Some Commissioners seemed unclear on why they were spending so much on Griner Park. Here’s Gretchen’s take: Continue reading →

County rehab center vote invalid –Valdosta Daily Times 2022-09-12

Update 2022-09-13: GA Forestry, $3 million, redoing 2 rezonings, 3 extraterritorial water and sewer @ LCC 2022-09-12.

The newspaper of record reported on the unusual redo of a zoning decision by the Lowndes County Commission, noting the Commissioners did not follow the law in at least two ways.

But it did not say who discovered those infractions: the County Attorney? The County Planner? The Chairman who cast the tie-breaking vote? Somebody who sued or threatened to sue?

Want to dig into that question, VDT?

Meanwhile, the Commission will proceed with correcting its infractions in three agenda items this evening.

7.b. REZ-2022-10 The Campus Transitional Care Facility, 2193 Howell Rd
LAKE Video of the erroneous hearing and vote on June 16, 2022.

Malia Thomas, Valdosta Daily Times, September 12, 2022, County rehab center vote invalid,

VALDOSTA — The Lowndes County Commission will have to revisit a controversial rezoning decision in light of a discovery that the original vote was invalid due to a “failure to follow zoning procedures.”

On June 16, Continue reading →

Packet: redo 2 rezonings, 3 extraterritorial water & sewer, $438,537 RR crossing, $2,542,586 Griner Park @ LCC 2022-09-12

Update 2022-09-21: Videos: 6 Remerton, 4 Valdosta, 1 Hahira, 1 Lowndes County cases @ GLPC 2022-08-29.

Update 2022-09-13: Videos: GA Forestry, $3 million, redoing 2 rezonings, 3 extraterritorial water and sewer @ LCC 2022-09-12.

Update 2022-09-13: County rehab center vote invalid –Valdosta Daily Times 2022-09-12.

Update 2022-09-13: Videos: slides @ LCC Millage 2022-08-23.

Lowndes County will approve spending almost $3 million this week, on a downtown Valdosta park and a railroad crossing, but you wouldn’t know that from the agenda.

Maps

Fortunately, the board packet, received in response to a LAKE open records request, is on the LAKE website.

Maybe Lowndes County could put board packets on its own website, like other counties large and small in Georgia and Florida have been doing for many years.

Cost	What
$2,542,586.00	Griner Lot Improvements
$438,537.00	Briggston Road Paving Project Agreement with Valdosta Railway, L.P.
$2,981,123.00	Total

The county will also redo two rezoning decisions for which the the Chairman previously decided split votes.

Plus three extraterritorial jurisdiction water and sewer requests, one from Hahira for a sprayfield, and two for commercial properties by Valdosta.

And the county is accepting infrastructure for a subdivision, while as usual pretending that won’t cost the taxpayers anything.

Here is the agenda. See also: Continue reading →

Very unusual: Rehearing of a rezoning @ LCC 2022-09-13

Update 2022-09-12: Packet: redo 2 rezonings, 3 extraterritorial water & sewer, $438,537 RR crossing, $2,542,586 Griner Park @ LCC 2022-09-12.

Nobody seems to remember the Lowndes County Commission ever redoing a rezoning public hearing. Possibly this is what they’ve been holding Executive Sessions about lately.

Thanks to Jane Fleming Osborn for spotting this pair of public notices about redoing the same rezoning that appeared in the Valdosta Daily Times, apparently on August 29, 2022.

Both notices

One is to consider the validity of the previous vote. Then they previously rezoned this property on June 16, 2022, one Commissioner was absent, and the Chairman decided a split vote.

The Public Notice is about the rezoning itself, with a prominent warning tacked on the end that it’s for a halfway house for drug rehabilitation. Apparently lack of that last bit was a legal problem Continue reading →

Videos: Two controversial rezonings, Medical Council, Courts, Prisoners, Utilties @ LCC Regular 2022-06-16

Update 2022-09-12: REZ-2022-10 The Campus redo because previous decision was illegal: Packet: redo 2 rezonings, 3 extraterritorial water & sewer, $438,537 RR crossing, $2,542,586 Griner Park @ LCC 2022-09-12.

One rezoning was tabled until August 9th, then another was contentiously approved, after which a deputy escorted one opponent out of the room, at the Lowndes County Commission Regular Session, June 16, 2022.

Debra Tann Presentation, three rezonings

The third rezoning was approved with conditions, followed by another NIMBY walkout. That one had petitions both for and against, now on the LAKE website.

The fourth rezoning was Continue reading →

Videos: Request to table, another rezoning withdrawn @ LCC 2020-06-16

Update 2022-06-28: LAKE videos, Two controversial rezonings, Medical Council, Courts, Prisoners, Utilties @ LCC Regular 2022-06-16.

The applicant’s request to table 7.a. REZ-2022-09 Flannigan, James Rd. until August was met with scepticism by Commissioner Scottie Orenstein, who said it sounded like panic after the Planning Commission had unanimously recommended denial. But he said it would be OK since the stated purpose of tabling was for the applicant to talk to the opponents, who are numerous.

Rezonings, Courts, Paving, Water

There is also a petition and letters against 7.b. REZ-2022-10 The Campus Transitional Care Facility, 2193 Howell Rd., and the neighboring property owner opposes, as two Commissioners clarified.

County Planner JD Dillard said there were petitions pro and con the Dairy Queen rezoning, 7.c. REZ-2022-11 Makesh, LLC, 900 Lakes Blvd. We have not seen them, but we have sent in an open records request for them. Update 2022-06-28: for those two peitions, see, Two controversial rezonings, Medical Council, Courts, Prisoners, Utilties @ LCC Regular 2022-06-16.

The fourth rezoning, 7.d. REZ-2022-12 Pittman, Phelps, Leonard, Moss Oak Trail, was withdrawn by the applicant.

The Commissioners vote this evening at 5:30 PM in the Regular Session. Before that, Continue reading →

Packet: Petitions and letters against rezonings @ LCC 2022-06-16

Update 2022-06-16: Videos: Request to table, another rezoning withdrawn @ LCC 2022-06-16.

Many letters and petition signatures against two rezonings REZ-2022-09 Flannigan, James Rd. and REZ-2022-10 The Campus Transitional Care Facility, 2193 Howell Rd.

I hear there’s actually a petition for the Dairy Queen of REZ-2022-11 Makesh, LLC, 900 Lakes Blvd. However, that petition is not in the packet as sent by Lowndes County in response to a LAKE open records request.

The Commissioners vote this evening at 5:30 PM in the Regular Session. Before that, at 5:00 PM, is a Budget Public Hearing.

Rezonings, Courts, and Water

The packet is on the LAKE website. See also the agenda. And for the rezonings, the preceding Greater Lowndes Planning Commission meeting.