Tag Archives: zoning

Developer didn’t get his way: change the zoning code! @ GLPC 2012-11-26

A developer didn’t get his way at the Lowndes County Commission last month, so now the county is proposing to change the zoning code for him! To change zoning right next to Moody Air Force Base, the largest employer in this area. A change opposed by Moody because of flight safety and safety of property, and “the longterm viability of Moody Air Force Base.” A change that would set a precedent for further sprawl, as Moody indicated indirectly when the related rezoning first came before the Planning Commission. Apparently a developer can get whatever he wants around here, no matter how much it threatens the livelihoods or well-being of the rest of the citizens. Does that seem right to you? To their credit, the Planning Commission at its 26 November 2012 meeting unanimously voted against this TEX-2012-02 just as they did the rezoning case REZ-2012-17 last month. Both will be decided by the Lowndes County Commission at its 11 December 2012 meeting.

4. TEX-2012-02

Lowndes County Board of Commissioners
A proposed text amendment to the Unified Land Development Code as it pertains to Single Family residential Density and Minimum Lot Area within the MAZ (Moody Activity Zone)

County Planner Jason Davenport introduced this item.

TEX-2012-02 ULDC changes Ultimately at the end of the day this text amendment is a request to change the minimum lot sizes allowed and the minimum residential densities allowed in a MAZ-3 zoning district. We have those changes highlighted on the screen but they have also been highlighted in the packet…. At the end of the day that is what has happened.

Well, yes, at the end of that day. At the end of many future days this zoning code amendment if approved will be used as a precedent for more sprawl right next to Moody Air Force Base, which is by far the biggest employer in this area. The packet he referred to is not available to the public. The changes he mentioned are not on his Unified Land Development Code (ULDC) web page. A view of them as seen from the back of the room is shown on the right here. Can you read them?

Moody insert in ULDC Map The ULDC map linked on that page includes the Moody Area insert map shown here on the right.

Davenport added that he had received one open records request and a response from Moody. Plus state law requires 30 days for Moody to respond and it had been 31 days. Then he walked through some history using pages in Commissioners’ packets that we the taxpayers, voters, and residents of Lowndes County can’t see.

Davenport specifically tied this text amendment to a tabled zoning case:

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Planning Commission recommends nineteenth Dollar General @ GLPC 2012-11-26

The Planning Commission 26 November 2012 ignored a Naylor citizen’s questions about a market survey, traffic, trees, peace and quiet, rural living, and sprawl and unanimously recommended a rezoning request for the eighteenth Dollar General in the area. They did this for a developer who doesn’t live in Lowndes County, and who didn’t even have her name revealed by the Planning Commission, even though anyone who spoke against had to show up in person and state name and address. All this for a location that wasn’t specified in the agenda. Does this seem right to you?

Dr. Bobbie Robinson 3. REZ-2012-19 Robinson Milltown Properties, LLC

US Highway 84 East, Naylor, Georgia
Request to rezone 2 acres from E-A (Estate Agriculture) to C-G (General Commercial)

It’s for a Dollar General. County Planner Jason Davenport said nobody had called in. The agenda doesn’t say which parcel is the subject, and the County Planner didn’t specify. Robinson Miltown Properties map Judging by the map displayed on the screen, it’s the southeast corner of parcel number 0250 003, 101.91 acres owned by Robinson Milltown Properties LLC of 2605 Hall Ave., Tifton, GA 31794. Dr. Bobbie Robinson of ABAC According to the Georgia Secretary of State, that LLC’s agent is Bobbie Ann Robinson of 2605 Hall Avenue, Tifton, GA 31794. I’m told she is the Dr. Bobbie Robinson Professor of English and Dean, School of Liberal Arts at ABAC in Tifton. It’s curious how anybody speaking in opposition had to show up in person and state their name and address, but she the developer didn’t have to do any of those things.

Clayton Milligan of Lovell Engineering Clayton Milligan of Lovell Engineering spoke for, merely saying he offered to answer questions. Commissioners asked him no questions.

Matthew Richard of 5569 Upper Grand Bay Road spoke against.

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Agenda @ GLPC 2012-11-26

GLPC Agenda 2012-11-26

The Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) meets next Monday, 26 November 2012. Here’s the agenda.

The agenda was emailed by Valdosta City Planner Matt Martin to Gretchen Quarterman who provided it to LAKE. GLPC itself still doesn’t have agendas online, sixteen months after SGRC stopped posting them.

Here’s a summary table of the cases.

-jsq

Lowndes County,
Final action
Tuesday
11 Dec 2012 		2. REZ-2012-18 Roger Budd
1006 Lakes Boulevard, Lake Park, Georgia
Request to rezone 0.87 acres from C-C (Crossroads Commercial)
to C-H (Highway Commercial)
3. REZ-2012-19 Robinson Milltown Properties, LLC
US Highway 84 East, Naylor, Georgia
Request to rezone 2 acres from E-A (Estate Agriculture)
to C-G (General Commercial)
4. TEX-2012-02
Lowndes County Board of Commissioners
A proposed text amendment to the Unified Land Development Code as it pertains to Single Family residential Density and Minimum Lot Area within the MAZ (Moody Activity Zone)
Valdosta,
Final action
Thursday
6 Dec 2012 		5. VA-2012-15 John McCranie
1404 Gornto Road, Valdosta, Georgia
Request to rezone 0.68 acres from Neighborhood Commercial (C-N)
to Community Commercial (C-C)
6. VA-2012-16 Tombrooks, LLC
316 Eager Road, Valdosta, Georgia
Request to rezone 1.80 acres from Single-family Residential (R-15)
to Single-family Residential (R-10)
7. VA-2012-17 El Toreo, Inc.
225 Norman Drive, Valdosta, Georgia
Request to rezone 15.04 acres from Single-family Residential (R-6)
to Highway Commercial (C-H)
8. VA-2012-18
City of Valdosta
Proposed text amendments to the City of Valdosta Land Development Regulations (LDR)

Car wash, parking, alcohol, and night flights: Videos @ GLPC 2012-10-29

The Greater Lowndes Planning Commission made recommendations on cases involving buffering a car wash, sizing parking spaces, alcohol at a corner store, and a development inside the Moody exclusion zone, all at its 29 October 2012 Regular Session.

Here’s the agenda, and here’s a video playlist, followed by a summary of the cases.

Regular Session, Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC),
Video by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 29 October 2012.

Valdosta, Final action Thursday 8 Nov 2012

2. CU-2012-07 Stafford Properties

1609 Norman Drive, Valdosta
Request for a Conditional Use Permit (CUP for a Car Wash in a Community Commercial C-C zoning district.

Developer from Columbus spoke for.

Continue reading →

Alcohol at the corner store? @ GLPC 2012-10-29

The old store at the corner of GA 122 and Cat Creek Road was the subject of debate over alcohol at the Planning Commission’s 29 October 2012 Regular Session. Here’s a playlist.

This was the rezoning item:

4. REZ-2012-16 Cook County Land Ventures
SW corner of Georgia Highway 122 East and Cat Creek Road, Hahira
Request to rezone ~2 acres from E-A (Estate Agriculture) to C-C (Crossroads Commercial)

County Planner Jason Davenport said the owner wants commercial zoning for a store, since previous conditional use had expired, and there was concern about prohibiting alcohol, especially if Continue reading →

Changes to Lowndes County’s Unified Land Development Code (ULDC) @ GLPC 2012-08-27

Did you know last night’s Planning Commission meeting included a public hearing about changes to the county’s Unified Land Development Code (ULDC) related to land disturbances and water quality? You wouldn’t have found out about that in the agenda, because it wasn’t posted anywhere you’d be likely to see it. (Where does GLPC post the one physical copy of the agenda required by law, anyway?) Supposedly it was advertised in the Valdosta Daily Times, but a search of Public Notices in Statewide Database of Public Notices from Georgia’s Legal Organ Newspapers for 1 June 2012 through 27 August 2012 finds nothing.

Here’s what the agenda item for the 27 August 2012 GLPC meeting (that we only know about because Gretchen went to that GLPC meeting and asked County Planner Jason Davenport) says:

From a procedural standpoint the amendment has been advertised in the Valdosta Daily Times to fulfill legal requirements. Beyond legal requirements staff has plans to post this agenda item and draft ULDC on the Lowndes County Website at http://www.lowndescounty.com/content.asp?pid=23&id=224. Regarding staff review of the amendments, the TRC recommended for their approval at their 08/16 regular meeting.

If you’d happened to look several levels deep on the Lowndes County website you would have found that undated announcement:

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Planning Commission meets tonight: no agenda @ GLPC 2012-08-27

This month LAKE didn’t get an agenda from GLPC, but they are meeting tonight at 5:30 PM. According to the City of Valdosta’s calendar,

Greater Lowndes Planning Commission

Date: 7/30/2012 5:30 PM
Location: Lowndes County South Health District Administrative Office
325 W. Savannah Avenue
Valdosta, Georgia 31601

The Lowndes County Commission’s calendar does not list this meeting; it doesn’t list any Planning Commission meetings. The county website also has no description of GLPC that I can find. It does get a mention three levels deep, under Planning.

Valdosta’s description page for GLPC has the information appended below.

Greater Lowndes Planning Commission

Purpose:
The mission of the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) is to look beyond short-term solutions in planning for the future of the Greater Lowndes community; to improve the public health, safety, convenience and welfare; and to provide for the social, economic and physical development of communities on a sound and orderly basis, within a governmental framework and economic environment which fosters constructive growth and efficient administration.

Members:

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Agenda, Regular Meeting, Greater Lowndes Planning Commission @ GLPC 2012-07-30

Three City of Valdosta cases (two conditional use and one rezoning) and five Lowndes County rezoning cases at the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) Regular Session Monday 30 July 2012. The agenda was faxed to Gretchen Quarterman of LAKE by GLPC Chairman Bill Slaughter at her request.

The cases are listed below, as nearly as I can transcribe them. You may wonder, as I do, why anyone should need to transcribe them, since they were composed in electronic form in the first place before they were printed and faxed. The answer is: because both the Valdosta City Council and the Lowndes County Commission refuse to make them available online. Gretchen Quarterman and Bill Slaughter are the two candidates running for County Commission Chair, by the way.

-jsq

City of Valdosta Cases

FINAL ACTION by the City of Valdosta Mayor-Council
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Valdosta City Hall, 216 E. Central Avenue, Valdosta, Georgia
Council Chambers (2nd Floor)
5:30 p.m.

2. CU-2012-04 Jonathan Kendall
Property Location: 2209 Pineview Drive, Valdosta, GA
Conditional Use Permit (CUP) request for an existing hospital facility in a Residential Professional (R-P) zoning district
3. CU-2012-05 Ombudsman Educational Services
Property Location: 1200 North Ashley Street, Valdosta, GA
Conditional Use Permit (CUP) request for a specialized school facility in a Highway Commercial (C-H) zoning district.
4. VA-2012-09 Jim Sineath
Property Location: 2516 & 2518 Jerry Jones Drive, Valdosta, GA
Request to rezone 1.37 acres from Single-Family Residential (R-15) to Multi-Family Residential (R-M)

Lowndes County Cases

FINAL ACTION by the Lowndes County Board of Commissioners
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Lowndes County Judicial and Administrative Complex
Commission Chambers, 2nd Floor
327 North Ashley Street, Valdosta, Georgia
5:30 p.m.

5. REX-2012-08 Barrington
Property Location: Bemiss Road, Sara Road, and Mac Road, Valdosta, GA
Request to rezone 12.11 acres from R-A (Residential Agriculture), R-21 (Medium Density Residential), and C-G (General Commercial) to Planned Development (P-D)
6. REZ-2012-10 Cain
Property Location: U.S. Highway 41 North, Hahira, GA
Request to rezone ~22 acres from R-A (Residential Agriculture), R-21 (Medium Density Residential), R-1 (Low Density Residential), and E-A (Estate Agriculture) to Rural Planned Development (PD-R)
7. REZ-2012-11 Stone
Property Location: Old U.S. Highway 41 North, Valdosta, GA
Request to rezone 40 acres from R-1 (Low Density Residential), to R-10 (Suburban Density Residential)
8. REZ-2012-12 Patten
Property Location: Parker Place Road, Hahira, GA
Request to rezone 3.4 acres from E-A (Estate Agriculture) to R-1 (Low Density Residential),
9. REZ-2012-13 Bailey
Property Location: Mulligan Road, Valdosta, GA
Request to rezone 2.88 acres from C-H (Highway Commercial) and C-G (General Commercial) to P-D (Planned Development)

Agenda Page 1:

Page 1

Page 1

Agenda Page 2:

Page 2

Page 2

TIF of fax:

-jsq

Copeland rezoning REZ-2012-09 @ GLPC 2012-05-21

This difficult and complicated rezoning case went to all three of the Planning Commission, the Zoning Board of Appeals, and the Lowndes County Commission. First, here are videos of REZ-2012-09 Copeland at the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC), 21 May 2012.

Presenting the Rezoning Application

This is case REZ-2012-09 Copeland, 3258 & 3264 Loch Laurel Rd, R-A & R-1 to C-C, well & septic, ~5 acres.

  • County Planner Jason Davenport presented the case.

    The request is to rezone about 5 acres of the subject property to from Residentidal Agriculture (R-A) and R-1 to Crossroads Commercial Zoning (CC). He noted that Mr. Copeland was not proposing a new use of the property, but:

    It’s just he’s had a history of not operating with current zoning.

    Davenport said part of that was the fault of the county for not keeping up with what was going on, and part of it was to the credit of the applicant for operating in such a way he hadn’t disturbed his neighbors. And the case itself was very difficult.

    It was so challenging it split the staff.

    The staff meet as the Technical Review Committee (TRC) about cases before they get to the GLPC. New material before the GLPC, he said, included a new survey.

  • Ted Raker (GLPC for City of Hahira) had a question:
    This survey has changed from what the original packet indicated, and the differences of opinion among the staff was prior to this change?

    Davenport said when staff voted they had no survey, but he didn’t think the survey changed their opinions, since what they thought applicant was proposing was pretty much what the survey indicated.

  • Ryan Warren (GLPC for City of Dasher) wanted to know the entrance road frontage width.

    Jason Davenport’s answer was he believed the survey indicated 60 feet width.

Speaking For

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Conservation at Lake Alapaha: REZ-2012-02 Dinkins @ GLPC 2012-02-27

How did conservation zoning get put on part of Robert Dinkins’ property at Lake Alapaha? County records conflict on that point. Was it important to keep that conservation zoning? Staff thought so, but the Planning Commission thought otherwise, and the Lowndes County Commission decided to agree.

The second county case in the 27 February 2012 Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) meeting was REZ-2012-02 Dinkins, Southern Shore, 0264 007 A&B, ~97 ac., R-21 & CON to R-A, well/septic. They spent 8 1/2 minutes on it, mainly listening to the requester, Robert Dinkins, wonder how any part of the subject property was zoned for conservation. Staff recommended the conservation zoning remain. GLPC voted to recommend removing it.

REZ-2012-02 got 2:37 12 March 2012 Work Session of the Lowndes County Commission and 6:49 in its 13 March 2012 Regular Session. The County Commission voted to remove the conservation zoning. Here’s a previous post with more detail about that.

Here’s a video playlist of this rezoning item in all three meetings (GLPC, LCC Work Session, and LCC Regular Session):

Conservation at Lake Alapaha: REZ-2012-02 Dinkins
Regular Session, Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC), Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 27 February 2012.
Work Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC), Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 12 March 2012.
Regular Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC), Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 13 March 2012.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE).

-jsq