VALDOSTA – After several residents spoke in favor of a request, the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission voted to recommend a light manufacturing facility in a somewhat residential area.

The commission approved a conditional use permit requested by South Georgia Plastics for a light manufacturing facility in heavy commercial zoning at 418 Dale Drive. The facility will produce small plastic balls. 

Staff found the proposal inconsistent with the land use pattern and recommended denial for the request, said Matt Martin, planning and zoning administrator. 

Martin described the facility as manufacturing, he said. Staff had concerns about the use of semi-trucks and the facilities intention to operate 24 hours a day. 

Omar McGlamery, a resident who lives on a property adjacent to the facility, spoke in favor of the request. He has lived near the property for several years and said the use should be the least invasive that has been in the building for years.

“My bedroom window is 35 feet from their facility,” McGlamery said. “It would be a shame if you did not let these guys move in. … They are perfect neighbors.”

No one opposed the request. 

Chip Wildes made the motion to recommend approval for the request with no conditions after hearing from McGlamery and the owner of the business. 

“I don’t see a need to have any conditions if they run the business the way they have spoken,” Wildes said. 

Ed Hightower was the only dissenting vote to Wildes’ motion. 

The commission approved a conditional use permit requested by New Hope Baptist Church for an expansion of an existing church building at 709 W. Gordon St. 

The permit was approved with a few conditions including that lighting for the parking lot be pointed away from the church’s residential neighbor. 

Staff recommended approval of the permit. 

These cases will have a final hearing 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 6, by Valdosta City Council. 

The commission unanimously approved a request by Califf to rezone 4.05 acres from estate agriculture to low density residential on Carter Lane, Lake Park. 

The parcel, as it is zoned, does not meet the acreage for estate agriculture, and the applicant is wanting to split the acreage into several properties, said Molly Stevenson with planning and engineering for Lowndes County. 

There is a precedent for low density in the area, and staff recommended approval, she said.

The commission unanimously approved a zoning request by Stovall to rezone 5.84 acres from general commercial with conditions to general commercial with conditions at 6002 N. Oak St. Ext.

The property currently has two conditions. The applicant is requesting the second condition, that no personal care homes be built, be removed. The applicant is wanting to build a personal care home on the land.

The cases will have a final hearing 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 11, in the Lowndes County Commission chambers. 

Orvis McNeal Real Estate requested to rezone about 64 acres from R-21 and R-15 to a combination of R-6, R-10 and R-15 and to have about 36 acres be annexed into the City of Hahira. 

The request is for a potential single-family subdivision with varying population densities. 

Staff recommended the annexation, but did not recommend the split zonings, Martin said. Instead, staff recommended the entire tract of land be rezoned to R-10. The change to R-10 would shift the design of the proposed subdivision, but the number of lots would stay relatively the same, Martin said. 

The commission unanimously approved the request, but with the staff recommendation of blanketing the property with R-10 as opposed to using three different zonings. 

The commission unanimously voted to approve recommendation of the annexation.

The case will have a final hearing, 6 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 6, at Hahira City Hall.

The Planning Commission is a recommending body only. It meets the last Monday of every month. The meetings are open to the public. 

Jason Smith is a reporter at The Valdosta Daily Times. He can be contacted at 229-244-3400 ext.1257.