Tag Archives: transportation

Water issues, Bradford Road subdividing –WWALS to Berrien Planning Commission 2025-09-18

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

September 18, 2025
To: Teresa Willis
Berrien County Zoning Administrator
229-686-2149
twillis@berriencountyga.gov
201 N. Davis Street Room 122
Nashville GA 31639
Re: 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 →

Road costs, well risks, taxpayers should decide –Lisa Sumner for Wayne Nash 2025-09-18

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.

Road costs, well risks, taxpayers should decide –Lisa Sumner for Wayne Nash 2025-09-18 @ Berrien Planning Commission

I’ve also enlarged Wayne Nash’s groundwater withdrawal permit, which shows “Well Design Pumping Capacity 600 gallons per minute.” Continue reading →

Videos: Bradford Road subdividing @ Berrien Planning Commission 2025-09-18

Update 2025-10-07: Public Hearing, Bradford Road subdivision @ Berrien Planning Commission 2025-10-16.

Update 2025-09-22: Water issues, Bradford Road subdividing –WWALS to Berrien Planning Commission 2025-09-18.

Update 2025-09-20: Road costs, well risks, taxpayers should decide –Lisa Sumner for Wayne Nash 2025-09-18.

Once again, the Greater Berrien Planning Commission tabled the proposed Cole Livingston subdividing on Bradford and Strawder Roads and Old Valdosta Highway. Once again, it was because of missing materials from the applicant. They did not, however, mention the missing Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Control Plan that caused the previous tabling.

Tabled again, Bradford Road subdividing, @ Berrien Planning Commission, 2025-09-17

They did allow quite a few people to speak, even though they tabled this item.

Before all that, they tabled the minutes from the August 21 meeting due to transcription errors.

And they unanimously recommended approval for another item, a McCorvey duplex on Dawn Street, rezoning from R15 to R6.

If they stick to the third Thursday of the month, the next Public Hearing on the Livingston item will be Thursday, October 16, 2025.

Below are videos of each agenda item or speaker, followed by a WWALS video playlist.

WTXL TV: Berrien County subdivision delayed as soil permit question stalls planning commission 2025-08-21

Update 2025-08-26: Videos: Bradford Road @ Berrien County Planning Commission 2025-08-21.

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.
Continue reading →

Borrow pits proposed within 5 miles of Suncoast Parkway Extension, upstream from Crystal River @ Citrus County Commission 2025-05-27

Update 2025-09-28: Southworth sold Citrus County sand mine site to state of Florida 2025-08-06.

We’ve helped stop the Suncoast Parkway from expanding north across the Suwannee River, all the way to Georgia. But if this Phase 3A Extension happens in Citrus County, northwards becomes likely again. So even if you don’t live there, you may want to help oppose FDEP’s request for the county to allow borrow pits within 5 miles of the parkway path for the duration of the project.

If you do live in Citrus County, such mining could affect your water or air quality, plus noise, traffic, and more development.

Borrow pits proposed within 5 miles of Suncoast PKWY Ext., upstream from Crystal River @ Citrus BOCC 2025-05-27

Most everything you need is here:
https://stopthesandminecc.wixsite.com/stopthesandmine

That site has email addresses for the County Commissioners and the Land Development Office, ideas on what to write, and how to get more involved.

See also the Stop the Sand Mine change.org petition:
https://www.change.org/p/stop-the-sand-mine

Developers talk to your elected officials all the time. If you want something else, you need to talk to them, too.

Tomorrow at 1:20 PM, the Citrus County Commissioners will consider tossing out their land development code within 5 miles of the Suncoast Parkway Extension for the duration of its construction.

If the Commissioners seriously entertain abdicating their local zoning power because the state of Florida asked them to, presumably they will have to schedule a vote at some later meeting.

Depending on how that goes, there may be a Special Master Hearing on Friday, June 27, 2025 about a Southworth Mine.

If you don’t want disturbance of water flow to Crystal River, noise, dust, unknown particulates, and rampant development, you may want to show up tomorrow, or write or call your County Commissioner, or help organize the opposition.

Citrus BOCC Agenda

Continue reading →

Malia Thomas of WTXL TV at closed Gornto Road bridge over Sugar Creek 2024-12-20

Update 2024-12-21: Clean Alapaha River, OK Withlacoochee River, Filthy Sugar Creek 2024-12-19.

Malia Thomas tried to cram two or three stories into her WTXL TV report about Valdosta closing the Gornto Road bridge over Sugar Creek. She asked me about all of the effects of the bridge closure, contamination of Sugar Creek, sewage spills, Valdosta municipal bonds for water and sewer projects, how those are all related, and what caused them. A for effort to Malia.

Malia Thomas, WTXL TV, Gornto Road closed @ Sugar Creek 2024-12-20, Valdosta $67 M water & sewer bonds, Report sewage sights or smells

Among other things I said on-camera: to help find the source of the ongoing contamination in Sugar Creek, if anyone sees or smells sewage near Sugar Creek, One Mile Branch, or Hightower Creek, please let us know:
https://wwals.net/report/

And contact Valdosta Utilities:
https://www.valdostacity.com/utilities

After excerpts from the WTXL story, I’ve included the Valdosta press releases about the bridge closure and businesses remaining open.

Malia Thomas, WTXL TV, December 20, 2024, Recent flood damage prompts repairs to Gornto Road bridge in Valdosta:
Valdosta works to repair Gornto Road after flood erosion compromises Earl Wetherington Bridge.

…

Heavy flooding from Hurricane Helene caused erosion under the Earl Wetherington Bridge on Gornto Road in Valdosta.
Continue reading →

Trash cans and chain link fence, Flying J Travel Center, I-75 Exit 2, Lake Park, GA 2024-04-16

Lake Octahatchee near Jennings, Florida, benefits from this cleaner detention pond near Lake Park, Georgia.

It took about three years from when a WWALS member reported it in August 2019 until Dennys and the Flying J at I-75 Exit 2 put in a chain link fence and trash cans in July 2022 to keep trash out of a detention pond.

Thanks again to Lowndes County Code Enforcement, its Director Mindy Bates, the Flying J, Dennys, Dynamis, and Deep South Sanitation for this cleanup and apparently permanent solution.

Also, thanks to all for never complaining that this site got reported and Suwannee Riverkeeper kept following up on it, and for never suggesting that we go do the cleanup work or pay for it.

Trash cans & chain link fence, Flying J, I-75 Exit 2, In watershed of Lake Octahatchee

When I checked it again this April, it’s still pretty clean, with almost no trash in the detention pond.

I was mistaken about where that water goes, when I last reported on it, saying it went down Deese Tract Creek into the Withlacoochee River upstream from Sullivan Launch.

According to the USGS The National Map, that detention pond is actually in the watershed of Lake Octahatchee, southeast of Belleville Road (Hamilton County NW CR 145). Most of Lake Octahatchee is owned by the private Octahatchee Club, whose members have houses and fish there.

Lake Octahatchee itself is an endorheic lake, also known as a sink lake or a terminal lake. It does not drain to the Withlacooochee River, nor any other river. It just gradually evaporates.

Which means any trash and accompanying food residue that got there from the Flying J would not even wash on downstream. Continue reading →

LNG by Rail on FECR through Martin County, according to FRA –Cecile Scofield to Martin County, FL BOCC 2024-06-18

Cecile Scofield told the Martin County, Florida, Board of County Commissioners that Brightline passenger rail is owned and financed by the same New York hedge fund as the liquid natural gas (LNG) liquefication plants that are sending LNG by rail over Florida East Coast Railway (FECR), and the LNG export and passenger rail projects are mutually dependent, presenting “unique risks”, according to the Federal Railroad Administration.

FRA: FECR LNG export by rail & Brightline, Cecile Scofield @ Martin BOCC 2024-06-18, Fortress Energy Partners (FEP), Hialeah, Port Miami, Port Everglades, JAX

Here is Cecile’s presentation, extracted from Martin County’s own video:
https://youtu.be/KjjdDdb1HI8 Continue reading →

Federal Railroad Administration 281-page FOIA response on FECR LNG by Rail request 2024-06-07

Update 2024-07-01: LNG by Rail on FECR through Martin County, according to FRA –Cecile Scofield to Martin County, FL BOCC 2024-06-18.

For years we’ve been trying to FOIA information from FRA about FECR’s project to ship liquid natural gas (LNG) by rail through densely-populated areas. After four months, two FOIAs, and further correspondence, we finally got quite a bit.

It confirms in detail much of what Cecile Scofield has been saying for years. LNG liquefaction plants and the railroad are owned by the same company, and there are safety concerns about their plan to ship LNG by rail up and down Florida to export to the world and by land across the U.S.

Yet many important safety details were redacted.

Fortress Investment Group (FIG) affiliates exporting LNG to the world: Florida East Coast Railway (FECR) and New Fortress Energy (NFE)

FECR’s plan is to ship LNG up and down Florida, out through ports from Miami to Jacksonville, and to ship it all over the U.S. Continue reading →

Ockolocoochee, Little River 1889-01-29

Who knows the Ockolocoochee River? No, not the Ochlockonee River; that’s a bit to the west.

Withlacoochee River labeled Suwanee R. in 1823 Irwin and 1834 Lowndes County maps; current WWALS Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail map

You do know the Ockolocoochee River as the Little River, of the Withlacoochee, of the Suwannee.

Here is news from 1889 that also includes the boat that didn’t survive from Troupville to Ellaville, which was apparently not a paddlewheel steamer. Continue reading →

WWALS Watershed Coalition (WWALS) is Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

A healthy watershed with clean, swimmable, fishable, drinkable water.