We all spent an hour at a Berrien County Planning Commission meeting that should not have been held, because the applicant had not submitted a Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Control Plan as required by county ordinances. There are many other objections to plopping a subdivision onto agricultural land on a dirt road.

WTXL TV: Berrien County subdivision tabled a month, Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Control Plan 2025-08-21

Malia Thomas, WTXL TV, August 21, 2025, Berrien County subdivision delayed as soil permit question stalls planning commission: Neighbors say a new subdivision threatens farmland as well as increases risks of floods after rain,

VALDOSTA, GA. (WTXL) — Neighbors in Berrien County say a proposed subdivision could forever change the farmland and heritage they’ve built over generations.

• The planning commission tabled its recommendation after uncertainty over permits and county bylaws.
• Neighbors argue the Bradford Road project would harm farmland, heritage, and community ties.
• Watch the video below for more details on the project and the next steps.

BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:

The Berrien County Planning Commission spent more than an hour hearing from neighbors opposed to the Bradford Road subdivision—a plan that would turn a piece of farmland into ten homes on two-acre lots.

One Public Hearing, for Bradford Rezone subdivision, 2025-08-21 Agenda, Berrien County Planning Commission

But during public comments, one neighbor questioned whether the project could legally move forward without proper soil permits.

Lisa Sumner: If plan not submitted, we shouldn’t be here considering this 2025-08-21 –jsq for WWALS

County bylaws require a permit and soil samples to determine if land is suitable for residential development before any land-disturbing activity begins, though exceptions can be made depending on the scope of the project.

Close enough. County ordinances require an Erosion and Sediment Control Plan:

Sec. 22-35. Application/permit process

2. Application requirements.
   1. No person shall conduct any land-disturbing activity with the jurisdictional boundaries of Berrien County without first obtaining a permit from Berrien County to perform such activity.
   2. The application for a permit shall be submitted to the Berrien County Board of Commissioners and must include the applicant’s erosion and sedimentation control plan with supporting data, as necessary. Said plans shall include, as a minimum, the data specified in section 22-35 (c) of this article. Soil erosion and sedimentation control plans shall conform to the provisions of section 22-34 (b) and (c) of this article. Applications for a permit will not be accepted unless accompanied by four copies of the applicant’s soil erosion and sedimentation control plans. All applications shall contain a certification stating that the plan preparer or the designee thereof visited the site prior to creation of the plan or that such a visit was not required in accordance with rules and regulations established by the board.

Application Requirements: Sec. 22-35 (b)(2) Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Control Plan, 2025-08-21, The Code of Berrien County Georgia

Back to Malia’s story.

As you can see on screen, Teresa Willis, Berrien County zoning administrator and developer Cole Livingston’s attorney briefly looked over the paperwork, and after being unable to come to an immediate conclusion, the board commissioners agreed they weren’t sure how the bylaw applied here—so they tabled their recommendation to first consult the county’s attorney, much to longtime Berrien County neighbor John Beville’s chagrin.

“I think as you saw in the meeting tonight. Very unprepared. They didn’t expect this so much opposition, so they weren’t really prepared to provide a lot of the things that many other areas that are already experiencing development required.”

Malia Thomas interviewing John Beville for WTXL 2025-08-21 –jsq for WWALS

For many lifelong residents like Della Gladieux, the land is more than just property—it’s part of their family story.

Della Gladieux: will we get to speak at the Public Hearing next month? 2025-08-21 –jsq for WWALS

“When I found out that a subdivider had bought it at auction and had planned on subdividing it out, my heart sank. It’s this root. It’s heritage. It’s a bloodline that runs through here. And we love our community and we love our heritage and we try to protect our lands.”

And while the commission pressed pause for now, neighbors like Beville say they won’t stop pressing back.

“We’ve been told by people in the upper level that we can’t stop it, but we’re not going to stop trying.”

The date for the next public hearing will be announced at a later time. In Valdosta, I’m Malia Thomas, reporting for ABC27.

Probably September 18, 2025, since the Berrien County Planning Commission seems to meet on the third Thursday of the month.

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

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