Here is the document Della Gladieux gave to the Berrien Planning Commissioners last Thursday, at the Public Hearing about subdidiving on Bradford Road in an agricultural character area.
You can see her present it in this WWALS video:
Continue readingUpdate 2025-10-21: Subdivisions in agricultural areas cause financial problems –Della Gladieux to Berrien Planning Commission 2025-10-16.
The Berrien Planning Commission unanimously recommended denial of the proposed subdividing on Bradford Road.
However, that only applies to part of what (almost) everybody thought was being considered. It turns out the three lots at the corner of Bradford Road and Old Valdosta Highway were already divided out in October 2024.
Yet there are still many issues of urban sprawl and its costs, stormwater runoff, etc.
The Chairman not only moved to recommend denial, he also said the county should stop approving subdivisions until a Comprehensive Land Use Plan can be drawn up and enforced.
Applicant Cole Livingston and his attorney Danny Studstill said that when the applicant bought the property in an online auction, he understood that all agency permits were already in order. Also, the corner tracts were subdivided before he bought them.
Zoning Administrator Teresa Willis said those corner tracts were heard in the “9-19-24” Planning Commission meeting, and that the subdividing was approved in the October 2024 County Commission meeting. For more about that, see below after the WWALS videos of this October 2025 meeting.
It all still adds up to plopping ten houses in the middle of an agriculture character area, with runoff and recharge issues that affect the neighbors, Gin Branch Creek, the Withlacoochee River, and groundwater down to the Floridan Aquifer.
Chair Parrish Akins clarified that all the previous testimony in the preceding two Public Hearings was still valid. Then he asked for further comment for or against.
Della Gladieux supplied a tome of objections. Continue reading
Many thanks to Edwin McCook, formerly of SRWMD, who invented the Suwannee River Camps, and Nic Brown, who is in charge of them at Florida Parks, as well as Shell Simmons for assisting.
Even more thanks to Lowndes County, Georgia, Chairman Bill Slaughter and Paul Batts of Valdosta-Lowndes County Parks and Recreation Authority (VLPRA) and his wife Melanie for attending.
![[Suwannee River Camps, on-land tour 2025-09-27, Dowling Park River Camp, Adams Tract River Camp]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-09-27--suwannee-river-camp-on-land-tour/fbmany.jpg)
Suwannee River Camps, on-land tour 2025-09-27, Dowling Park River Camp, Adams Tract River Camp
The visitors got to hear from the experts how Florida does it. Many topics were discussed, from access to finances. Continue reading
Update 2025-10-07: Public Hearing, Bradford Road subdivision @ Berrien Planning Commission 2025-10-16.
I handed this letter to the Berrien Planning Commissioners and the Zoning Administrator before I spoke to them at the recent Public Hearing. They tabled this item for another month, awaiting more documents from the applicant, Cole Livingston, for his proposal to subdivide for ten houses in an agricultural character area on Bradford and Strawder Roads and Old Valdosta Highway, in Berrien County, Georgia, draining to Gin Branch Creek and the Withlacoochee River.
![[Water issues, Bradford Road subdividing, WWALS 2025-09-18, to Berrien Planning Commission]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-09-18--wwals-berrien-co-bradford-road/many.jpg)
Water issues, Bradford Road subdividing, WWALS 2025-09-18, to Berrien Planning Commission
September 18, 2025
To: Teresa Willis
Berrien County Zoning Administrator
229-686-2149
twillis@berriencountyga.gov
201 N. Davis Street Room 122
Nashville GA 31639Re: Subdividing M&P 061-14-000, 061-16-002, Old Valdosta Rd. & Bradford Rd.
Dear Berrien County Zoning Administrator and Planning Commission,
Please recommend denial of the proposed subdividing, because:
- House lots would produce more runoff, which would run onto neighboring properties, as attested by several neighbors at the previous Public Hearing on August 21, 2025. See attached LIDAR map and attached wetland and flood zone map.
- Runoff would carry trash and other contamination into Gin Branch Creek that runs north across Bradford Road and west into the Withlacoochee River. See attached map of Gin Branch Creek.
- Under Bradford Road and along Gin Branch Creek is an aquifer recharge zone, into the groundwater from which we all drink. We do not need to risk more contaminants possibly getting into that. See attached aquifer recharge map.
- Increased traffic and runoff would erode Bradford and Strawder Roads, requiring more work by the county to fix them.
- The houses would not be accessory to farm operations as in the Berrien County Comprehensive Plan Strategy for an Agriculture Character Area, which says: Continue reading
Update 2025-09-22: Water issues, Bradford Road subdividing –WWALS to Berrien Planning Commission 2025-09-18.
The information Lisa Sumner presented to the Greater Berrien Planning Commission Thursday on behalf of Wayne Nash is on the WWALS website. This was in opposition to the proposed subdivision on Bradford and Strawder Roads and Old Valdosta Road in Berrien County, Georgia, draining into Gin Branch Creek to the Withlacoochee River, through an aquifer recharge zone above the Floridan Aquifer.
Images of each page are below.
I’ve also enlarged Wayne Nash’s groundwater withdrawal permit, which shows “Well Design Pumping Capacity 600 gallons per minute.” Continue reading
Update 2025-08-15: Dirty Sugar Creek & Withlacoochee River @ US 84, 2025-08-13, Clean Alapaha River & Withlacoochee River, Upstream & Downstream 2025-08-13.
Who is the Georgia sewage spill winner?
Hint, it’s the most populous city in the Suwannee River Basin in either Georgia or Florida: Valdosta.
Details are below, in which you can see that the number of spills and the amount spilled have decreased, but Valdosta has a long way to go yet. As do less populous places, especially Ashburn, as well as Tifton, Quitman, and Rochelle.
![[Seven years of sewage spills, Suwannee River Basin, GA-EPD Sewage Spills Report, by WWALS 2025-08-14]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-08-14--seven-years-sewage-spills/fbmany.jpg)
Seven years of sewage spills, Suwannee River Basin, GA-EPD Sewage Spills Report, by WWALS 2025-08-14
I hope we will all hear what Valdosta is doing this evening, when the Florida Rivers Task Force meets with Valdosta at 6 PM, at Valdosta City Hall Annex, 300 North Lee Street, Valdosta, GA 31601. https://wwals.net/?p=68173 Continue reading
Update 2025-08-31: SRWMD purchased Rayonier tract with mineral rights leased to Chemours for TiO2 mining –SRWMD to Carol Mosley 2025-07-11.
A billion dollars to run Jacksonville and JEA treated wastewater through wetlands in the Suwannee River Basin and into the Floridan Aquifer: this proposal was presented to the SRWMD Board this month.
Nevermind that sewage effluent carries PFAS forever chemicals into wetlands. After contaminating all the wetland wildlife, PFAS would continue into the Florida Aquifer, from which we all drink.
A SRWMD Board member pointed out that desalination of seawater would cost less. Another pointed out that Jacksonville would just suck the water back out of the aquifer. More on board comments below.
Instead, how about Jacksonville and JEA treat their effluent to drinking water standards and reuse it for themselves? The money they save from pumping it to any of those recharge areas would be enormous. That would use less groundwater, so there would be less need for recharge.
The excuse for this project is increasing population needing more water. Continue reading
Wednesday I joined conservation groups from across Georgia to lobby the state legislature, in Capitol Conservation Day 2019, helping move along some bills.
![[CCD]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2019-02-20--ccd/IMG_8333-Enhanced-Logo-Social-Media.jpg){kind=logo}
CCD on the Georgia Capitol Steps 2019-02-20
Photo: Erik Voss for Georgia Water Coalition
This photograph can be freely shared, without limitations.
I’m in the hat on the right. Most of the other eight Riverkeepers of Georgia are also in this picture.
At the Bird Supper the previous Wednesday, I discussed two of the same topics and their bills with legislators: trust funds and coal ash.
Jay Powell’s Trust Fund bill passed the Georgia House this same Wednesday, by Continue reading
![[Subdivisions in agricultural areas cause financial problems --Della Gladieux to Berrien Planning Commission 2025-10-16]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-10-16--della-gladieux-argument-bradford-road/fbmany.jpg)
![[Videos: Public Hearing, Berrien Planning Commission, Bradford Road subdividing, Part already subdivided in 2024, Rest recommended denial 2025-10-16]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-10-16--bradford-road-subdivision-berrien-planning-commission-videos/many.jpg)
![[Road costs, well risks, taxpayers should decide --Lisa Sumner for Wayne Nash 2025-09-18 @ Berrien Planning Commission]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-09-18--lisa-sumner-bradford-road/fbmany.jpg)
![[SRWMD & SJRWMD aquifer recharge project update @ SRWMD 2025-07-08, What about PFAS? and limits on water withdrawals?]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-07-08--srwmd-aquifer-recharge-project-update/fbmany.jpg)