Commissioners table Howell Road revote
Mar. 31—VALDOSTA — The county pushed back a controversial rezoning revote concerning a potential transitional care facility coming to Howell Road.
Redeemed Living is a nonprofit faith-based recovery residency for men to live sober after addiction.
Brent Moore, founder, wants to rezone 23 acres at 2193 Howell Road from estate agricultural to nonresidential plan development for the development of the transitional care facility.
The Lowndes County Commission was originally set to redo the vote at its latest meeting but decided to table it due to "the sensitivity" of the issue necessitating the presence of all board members, as Commissioner Clay Griner was absent from the meeting.
Last June, commissioners approved the facility in a 3-2 vote, with Commissioners Mark Wisenbaker and Griner approving the petition and Commissioners Demarcus Marshall and Joyce Evans voting against. Commission Chairman Bill Slaughter broke the tie in support of the campus.
The decision came with much pushback, as more than 200 residents signed a petition to stop the development regarding issues of safety and property management.
Blake Howell praised Evans for her initial denial of the petition as it is in her district and said he hopes commissioners can be swayed to listen to the community.
"We are asking the commissioners to follow the planning board's recommendation to deny this rezoning. They found it does not meet the character of our area. It is only miles from Moulton Branch Elementary and J.L. Lomax (schools). We want to preserve the sense of safety we have. It is a safe area right now. The facility will be owned by Brent Moore of Outdoor Living. Mr. Moore has plenty of options to build elsewhere and we hope the commission will agree this time. We are all invested in our community and cannot simply leave," he said.
Jane Osborn said it's not a matter of fear but protecting potential residents of the transitional care facility.
"They want to open a non-professionally supervised facility. The issue is not the neighbors who are afraid. The commissioners should vote against it to protect people in recovery from being in a program with no professional employees," she said.
The backlash culminated in the county rescinding its original vote just three months later after a lawsuit by local business owner Jesse Bush uncovered the county did not observe the requirements laid out in Official Code of Georgia Annotated § 36-66-4(f), which stipulates that when a transitional care facility such as Redeemed Living is proposed, a public hearing must be held at least six months and not more than nine months prior to the date of final action on the zoning decision.
The county was also in violation of Unified Land Development Code and Georgia statute by not allowing either side to speak for more than seven minutes when the statute allows both opposition and support to speak for 10 minutes at the public hearing.
The Planning Commission originally recommended denial in a 7-3 vote, citing the request is "inconsistent with the Character Area, but consistent with the goals and policies of the Comprehensive Plan."
According to Moore's letter of intent to the commission, individuals would come to the facility after finishing an intense alcohol and drug recovery program. Residents of the facility must work full-time, attend weekly recovery meetings and become active members of a church.
Based on the proposed site plan, the overall occupancy can reach 52 persons before extra life safety code measures are implemented. The applicant intends to develop the land in stages, with a maximum occupancy of five people per house and one person per cabin.
J.D. Dillard, director of planning, noted in his report that the potential facility is not currently licensed for substance abuse recovery assistance.
Beyond a support group or outside visit from a licensed counselor, clients with substance abuse needs will be referred to other facilities, organizations or counselors licensed for such care.
Commissioners are set to review it again during the next regular session in April.
