Videos: Camelot Crossing subdivision tabled for two weeks @ LCC 2022-04-12.
An updated plan that no longer has any egress onto Val Del Road arrived Friday for
6.b. REZ-2022-07 Hayden Park.
Nonetheless, the turn lanes on Val Del Road were already scheduled as a T-SPLOST project, expected to be completed in 2023.
Not clear whether there are two egress points in the current plan.
The county’s sound system is working, so the LAKE video camera was plugged into it at yesterday morning’s Lowndes County Commission Work Session.
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
Rezoning, EV, VAWA, Quit claim
Tag Archives: Transparency
Subdivisions subsidized by roads, EV charging, VAWA, Soccer complex, Courtroom AV @ LCC 2022-04-11
Update 2022-04-12: Videos.
Thanks to Joe Brownlee of Georgia Power for getting Lowndes County to agree to Electric Vehicle Charging Stations at the county palace.
REZ-2022-06 Kinderlou Forest aims to go pretty close to Spring Branch and the Withlacoochee River.
Rezonings, Val Del Road traffic, Electric Vehicle Charging
The agenda item for REZ-2022-07 Hayden Park, Camelot Crossing & Val Del Rd says “BUDGET IMPACT: N/A” for “a mixture of residential and commercial sites for development in various stages.” Yet the Lowndes County Commission board packet contains 52 pages of traffic study for the intersection of Val Del Road and North Valdosta Road. Staff notes “Plans for two left-turn lanes from Val Del to North Valdosta Road are anticipated to be complete by 2023.” The applicant’s Letter of intent says, “Lowndes County has been wise to pro-actively invest in infrastructure here, anticipating and preparing for new growth.” Continue reading
Unanimously voted down: Miller Bridge Road subdivision @ LCC 2022-02-08
The Commissioners unanimously denied the rezoning for the subdivision on Miller Bridge Road. Applicants spoke a minute over their time, yet did not present the slides they said the previous morning they were going to present; we include scans of those slides here for historical reference, for when the next subdivision like this comes up, next week or next year.
Commissioners unanimously approved the other two rezonings.
They also unanimously approved 6.a. Transportation Investment Act (TIA) Local Project – Coleman Road NW and 6.b. Transportation Investment Act (TIA) Local Project Kinderlou-Clyattville Rd. Road building and improvement projects attract subdivisions. But the opponents to the Miller Bridge Road subdivision had already left after that one item. Chairman Bill Slaughter mentioned that the crowd was gone in 6.c. Internal Network Firewalls.
Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, with a few notes, followed by a LAKE video playlist. See also the LAKE videos of the previous morning’s Work Session, the agenda and board packet and the LAKE videos of the preceding Planning Commission meeting, as well as Secrecy of Lowndes County Commission and Staff.
- 1. Call to Order 2. Pledge 3. Invocation
- Leadership Lowndes Recognitions
- 4. Minutes for Approval
- 5.a. REZ-2022-01 Hamilton Green Townhomes, Bemiss Rd., 0145D 006A, 7.32ac
- 5.b. REZ-2022-02 Justin Warren, 4128 Johnson Rd., 1.97ac, R-1 to R-21
-
5.c. REZ-2022-03 Windy Hill Subdivision, 7532 Miller Bridge Rd., E-A to R-A
Commissioner Mark Wisenbaker wanted to know if this was for private wells. County Planner JD Dillard said the application was for a community well, and while the lots were big enough for private wells, the soils had not been tested for that.
Don Powell spoke for the applicant. Jesse Bush also spoke for, listing many things they were not there to talk about, including aquifer recharge or community wells. He said the only question was six homes (which the landowner can do by right anyway) or twelve homes. Chairman Bill Slaughter cut them off saying he’d given them an extra minute, and he’d give the other side an extra minute.
Brad Folsom spoke against on behalf of a room full and a 360-signer petition of opponents. He reminded the Commissioners that the subject property was in an Agricultural and Forestry Character Area. While R-A was permissible in such an Area, it was not appropriate. He discussed nearby zonings and lots that had been brought up by staff previously. Among the many other points he brought up was flooding would be exacerbated by tree cutting and paving for a subdivision. He reminded the Commissioners that they had told him they did not want any more community well systems.
Somebody else (unnamed, but see below) speaking against said it would be spot zoning. He said he owned 320 acres and had been there for more than a hundred years. This rezoning would change the character of the community and would be a precedent for other rezonings. He said he owed this community a debt and he would like to repay it. Elton D. Redding, 7649 Webb Road, representing the Redding property, John L. Redding his brother.
Demarcus Marshall moved to deny, Mark Wisenbaker seconded, unanimous vote to deny.
- Crowd departs after
- 6.a. Transportation Investment Act (TIA) Local Project – Coleman Road NW
- 6.b. Transportation Investment Act (TIA) Local Project Kinderlou-Clyattville Rd
- 6.c. Internal Network Firewalls
-
7. CWTBH (none) 8. Reports – County Manager 9. Adjournment
- Thank you to Megan and Belinda for organizing Bird Supper
- Next Bird Supper – Feb 1, 2023
- 23M for Internet access – Windstream is the vendor that county is working with
- Enabling legislation (reapportionment) has been introduced.
- Second Harvest DCA grant kick off for new facility was earlier in the day. Relocation Second Harvest to next to Martin’s Bakery near I75.
- HR events for staff upcoming
- Mud Swamp Update – survey work is complete, drainage easements
- Carter Way will be upcoming – public safety passible but not good
- Utilities employee has son deployed actively near Ukraine
Here’s a LAKE video playlist:
Unanimously voted down: Miller Bridge Road subdivision @ LCC 2022-02-08
Lowndes County Commission Regular Session, Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE),
Applicant Slides REZ-2022-03 Miller Bridge Road
How did we get them? The County Manager handed them to LAKE’s Gretchen Quarterman at the previous morning’s Work Session.
Images below (apologies for the accidental cropping of the right side), and the whole thing as PDF.
The developer’s last point in their Justification for Zoning Request does identify a widespread problem:
7. Almost every subdivision built in Lowndes County is adjacent to some form of agriculture or timber production
However, there is no need to make it worse.
Another point in that same slide is plain wrong:
5. There will be minimal impact to County facilities or services, while increasing the taxes of the county approximately $70k per year
The Local Government Fiscal Impacts of Land Use in Lowndes County: Revenue and Expenditure Streams by Land Use Category, Jeffrey H. Dorfman, Ph.D., Dorfman Consulting, December 2007.
As Dr. Dorfman summarized in a different presentation,
Local governments must ensure balanced growth, as
sprawling residential growth is a certain ticket to fiscal ruin*
* Or at least big tax increases.
It’s interesting that the developers put Groundwater Recharge Area first in their OPPOSITION POINTS ADDRESSED:
- Groundwater Recharge Area:
- Lowndes County adheres to Local and State standards when in the Groundwater Recharge Area
- Notable Developments in Recharge Area in Lowndes County)
- Landfill
- Kinderlou Forest and Foxborough Subdivisions
- Valdosta Regional Airport
- Moody Airforce Base
- City of Dasher
- City of Lake Park and surrounding area
- Lake Park Industrial Park
While probably all these points are true (I haven’t checked each location), most of them precede current concerns about groundwater recharge, and there is no need to make the problem worse.
WINDY HILL SUBDIVISION, Lowndes County Rezoning Application, REZ-2022-03
WINDY HILL SUBDIVISION CHARACTERISTICS
Justification for Zoning Request
OPPOSITION POINTS ADDRESSED (1 of 3)
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Investigative reporting costs money, for open records requests, copying, web hosting, gasoline, and cameras, and with sufficient funds we can pay students to do further research. You can donate to LAKE today!
Ten minute Work Session @ LCC 2022-02-07
Update 2022-03-18: Unanimously voted down: Miller Bridge Road subdivision @ LCC 2022-02-08.
The developer of the proposed 5.c. REZ-2022-03 Windy Hill Subdivision, 7532 Miller Bridge Rd. plans to make a presentation this evening at the voting Regular Session, we heard at yesterday morning’s February 7, 2022, Work Session of the Lowndes County Commission.
Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, with a few notes by Gretchen, who was there, followed by a LAKE playlist. See also the agenda and board packet, and that post has links to the previous relevant meetings and materials.
Chairman and Miller Bridge Road rezoning
Board’s Pleasure should be Deny: Miller Bridge Road rezoning @ LCC 2022-02-07
Update 2022-03-08: Ten minute Work Session @ LCC 2022-02-07.
On the agenda for tomorrow morning’s Lowndes County Commission Work Session, county staff included the petition against REZ-2022-03 Windy Hill Subdivision, 7532 Miller Bridge Rd.. County staff note “RECOMMENDED ACTION: Board’s Pleasure or Deny”, unlike the other two options, where the second option is “Approve”. Those who do not want that rezoning to pass would do well to contact their Commissioners before the meetings, and then show up at the meetings, or at least the Tuesday 5:30 PM voting Regular Session.
For REZ-2022-01 Hamilton Green Townhomes, Bemiss Rd., 045D 006A, they cited a parcel that does not exist. The correct parcel number, 0145D 006A, was in the Planning Commission agenda.
Miller Bridge Road rezoning: Petition, Opposition parcels; Bemiss Road rezoning
As usual, county staff say rezonings do not cost the county anything. Nevermind that subdivisions far from county services will never pay enough in property taxes to fund sending school buses, fire trucks, and Sheriff vehicles, so all the taxpayers subsidize those costs.
Cost | What |
---|---|
$72,653.86 | Internal Network Firewalls |
$72,653.86 | Total |
Here is the agenda, and the board packet, on the LAKE website, received in response to a LAKE open records request. See also Continue reading
Secrecy of Lowndes County Commission and Staff
Update 2022-02-06: Board’s Pleasure should be Deny: Miller Bridge Road rezoning @ LCC 2022-02-07.
It’s almost enough to make you wonder why the Lowndes County Commission does not want the public to know what it is doing?
A state-funded road restriping with the list of roads not revealed to the public for three months, and no minutes for the relevant meetings on the Lowndes County website (but LAKE kept a copy from their old website).
A petition with 300 signatures the County Planner just took out of the board packet so even County Commissioners did not see it.
Two board packets (for Planning and County Commission meetings) not returned for more than the statutory three days, and then one of them only partial.
No board packets on the county’s website, even though other counties larger and smaller in Georgia and Florida have been doing that for years.
No minutes (except one) before 2014, or maybe some hidden. Not even any agendas before 2012.
Lowndes County Agenda Center for 2013
County Commission staff do take videos of the Commission meetings, but they only post videos of the Regular Session (not the Work Session), and not even those between October 2020 and October 2021. This is despite spending more than $100,000 for new audio visual equipment for the Commission Chambers, while the Valdosta City Council has livestreamed through the pandemic using an employee’s iPhone.
I could go on about the stealth reapportionment of Commission Districts and the half million dollar bailout of a developer, both at the same January 25, 2022, Lowndes County Commission meeting, both not revealed to the taxpaying public before the voting Regular Session.
But just items related to the Miller Bridge Road rezoning requests are enough to raise questions about the secrecy of Lowndes County Commission and staff.
Why don’t they want the public and the taxpayers to know?
What don’t they want us to know?
Road Striping
Continue readingNo agenda for tomorrow’s Planning Commission meeting @ GLPC 2021-10-25
Update 2021-10-25: Agenda and Hahira case.
According to its schedule on the City of Valdosta website, the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) meets as usual tomorrow, the last Monday of the month.
When: 5:30pm to 6:30pm, Monday, October 25, 2021
Where:
South Health District Administrative Office
325 West Savannah Avenue, Valdosta, GA 31601
That’s at the exact same time as the Lowndes County Commission Regular Session, which normally would be Tuesday at 5:30 PM, but that time slot is taken by the Public Hearing to Review and Transmit the 2021 Comprehensive Plan Update.
Lowndes County’s website has nothing in its calendar for this meeting, and no agenda is posted.
I have sent a request for agenda and board packet to the city and county Clerks and Planners. While the other four cities in Lowndes County may also have items on the agenda, Valdosta and Lowndes County traditionally handle the agenda.
If I get anything in time before the meeting tomorrow evening, I will post it.
-jsq
Investigative reporting costs money, for open records requests, copying, web hosting, gasoline, and cameras, and with sufficient funds we can pay students to do further research. You can donate to LAKE today!
Videos: Finance, WM absorbed ADS, Meetings by zoom, Valdosta assistant manager @ DSSWA 2020-11-18
The most interesting parts were not on the agenda at the DSSWA meeting Wednesday evening.
Richard Hardy, Elizabeth Backe, Steve Edwards, DSSWA
Steve Edwards explained that the WM acquisition of Advanced Disposal Services (ADS) Continue reading
Waste Management bought ADS, finances, officers, DSSWA 2020-11-18
The Deep South Solid Waste Authority (DSSWA) disburses grant money from landfill tipping fees to participating local governments.
This meeting will be in the new Southern Georgia Regional Commission (SGRC) office, 1937 Carlton Adams Dr., across from the Lowndes Board of Education and next to the Goo Goo Car Wash.
Agenda and WM acquisition schedule for ADS
I’m of a mind to zoom the meeting.
Here is the agenda. The entire board packet is on the LAKE website, thanks to Elizabeth Backe of SGRC.
DEEP SOUTH
REGIONAL MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT AUTHORITYMeeting of the Board of Directors
Deep South Regional Municipal Solid Waste Management AuthorityNovember 18, 2020
6:00 PM
Southern Georgia Regional Commission
Valdosta, GeorgiaAGENDA
- Welcome and Introduction
- Minutes of July 15, 2020 Meeting e Draft attached for review and motion
- Financial Report Jan-September 2020
- Financial Audit Engagement Letter
- Royalty Disbursement for Period of Jan 1 — June 30, 2020
- Grinding Reimbursement Request — City of Valdosta
- New application format for future grinding reimbursement requests
- Appointment of Nominating Committee for Election of Officers in January 2021
- Other Business e Waste Management letter for review and discussion
- Adjourn
Next regular scheduled meeting will be on January 20, 2021 at 6 p.m.
Phone: (229) 333-5277
Fax: (229) 333-5312
1937 Carlton Adams Drive
Valdosta, Georgia 31601
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Investigative reporting costs money, for open records requests, copying, web hosting, gasoline, and cameras, and with sufficient funds we can pay students to do further research. You can donate to LAKE today!
Videos: budget and wood pellet plant at Adel City Council 2020-09-21
The wood pellet plant annexation had one vote against, and two against the rezoning.
Reporters, Council, Opposition, Agenda
The budget, millage, and alcohol license passed unanimously.
There was little discussion and no public input. There was a Public Hearing two weeks before.
Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, with a very few notes, and a few more pictures. Continue reading