Criminal Defense Attorney in Bloomingdale, GA.

Bloomingdale's city council approved an eight-month moratorium on industrial and multifamily zoning applications during Thursday night's council meeting.

The moratorium, effective immediately, will bar any developers from submitting applications that fall under industrial or multifamily builds such as warehouses, apartment complexes and condominiums.

Existing applications won't be affected. City Administrator Charles Akridge said there are about 30 warehouses that have been approved and are waiting to be built. Two multifamily applications for complexes to be built south of Interstate 16 are being considered.

Bloomingdale mayor Dennis Baxter said the hold is so that the city can properly assess their infrastructure capacity and zoning needs. When first elected into office, Baxter said his main priority is making sure the city is balanced.

"That means you can't have one type of zoning ... you need a healthy city," said Baxter.

More:Bloomingdale's new mayor helped Pooler manage its early growth. Can he do the same again?

Bloomingdale is made up largely of residential-agricultural land but is experiencing more commercial growth along the U.S. 80 corridor. Most of the industrial building is located south of the Georgia Central Railway in the southern portion of the city.

Rapid growth in West Chatham has prompted Bloomingdale to take a measured approach in their own city, according to Baxter.

"We need to consider residents' needs," he said.

The city has a population of about 2,800 residents and 1,320 housing units.

More:Chatham County cities using American Rescue Plan funds for water and sewer infrastructure

Concerns also stem from water and sewer capacity. Bloomingdale currently has a water draw down rate of about 30,000 gallons per day. In 2025, when the Environmental Protection Agency reassess rates, that is most likely to go down, an issue for other Chatham County cities as well.

"We have a limited amount of water and sewer north of I-16," said Baxter.

Making sure the necessary water and sewer infrastructure is in place before homes are built is crucial, Baxter notes.

However, a representative from the Savannah Area Realtors said the pause on industrial and multifamily zoning applications is going to harm economic growth.

"Because of the economic impact of some of these multifamily developments and these industrial developments, there's a lot of money at play," said Cody Jones, government affairs director for the Savannah Area Realtors and the Savannah Multi-list Corporation.

Jones said because this was a zoning issue, more public notice should have been given before the meeting. City council members said they would be looking into the notice requirements.

"The housing market has largely been the economic engine in the state of Georgia and here in Savannah locally," said Jones, "Bloomingdale basically just said 'Where multifamily is concerned we're not open for business'."

Baxter said that the moratorium could end sooner than eight months if they're able to make the proper assessments before then.

Nancy Guan is the general assignment reporter covering Chatham County municipalities. Reach her at nguan@gannett.com or on Twitter @nancyguann.

BLOOMINGDALE, Ga. (WTOC) - For the Waller family, this time of the year is all about strawberries.

This past weekend, they hosted their annual strawberry festival for the first time since 2019.

“We enjoy what we do, that’s why we do it,” said Pete Waller, farmer.

Pete Waller is a third generation farmer who has been cultivating the land of Chatham County for over 80 years.

“We are the last farm in the county. I have managed to hold on, but it has been tough with all the expensive land we have around with all the building going on,” said Waller.

Farmers are no stranger to overcoming challenges, something Pete Waller had to do at a young age.

“My dad passed away when I was fifteen and I took over the farm, I have been farming all of my life. It’s in your blood. If you start farming when you’re young, it’s in your blood and you’ll continue on,” said Waller.

One way Waller has continued his family’s farming tradition is by hosting an annual strawberry festival, but strawberries weren’t always in the business plan for the Waller family.

“We planted a half acre of berries, in two weeks we had sold out and didn’t have any berries. That convinced me that I needed to be in the strawberry business. That’s when we started planted strawberries and that was twenty years ago,” said Waller

All these years later a Waller still enjoys welcoming people to his farm, especially school kids that he can teach a thing or two to.

“We enjoy seeing the children come on the school trips. We usually have about ten thousand children in the spring and ten thousand in the fall. I enjoy seeing those little fellers get out and see what real life is about,” said Waller.

No matter the day or time of the year, one thing has been getting Pete Waller out of bed and into his fields for over 80 years.

“I enjoy people, if I didn’t enjoy people I wouldn’t be having these festivals, rodeos and corn mazes,” said Waller.

The Waller family looks to bring people back to their farm with more events later this year.

Copyright 2022 WTOC. All rights reserved.

BLOOMINGDALE, Ga. (WTOC) - Thursday, Bloomingdale City Council made a decision on the controversial rezoning of nearly 600 acres of Ottawa Farms.

The council stood locked at three for and three against, leaving Mayor Ben Rozier to cast the deciding vote. A vote he made in favor of the rezoning.

“Growth is coming. You can either prepare for it, get run over by it, or let it pass you by. We’re trying to prepare for it,” said Mayor Rozier nearly a week later.

The mayor speaking candidly about his decision to vote to rezone Ottawa Farms as industrial, effectively allowing a developer to build eight or nine warehouses on the property.

A property the mayor once feared the city would lose.

“Mr. Waller said, ‘If Bloomingdale doesn’t support this I’m going to go elsewhere with my development.’”

Mr. Waller is the owner of Ottawa Farms

The mayor explained what Waller meant was he was going to de-annex, essentially taking his property and any money that would come from it possibly to Pooler or Chatham County.

“It was in Bloomingdale’s best interest to maintain the property in Bloomingdale and maintain some sort of control over what goes there,” said Mayor Rozier.

As for what could go there?

They don’t know for sure yet, but the Mayor has his eyes on Amazon.

A one million square foot facility to be exact, and by the mayor’s estimate a $300 million project.

“To me that’s big news," said Mayor Rozier, "I’ve been involved in politics there since 2002 and that’s the biggest thing to come down the pike ever since.”

Aside from industry growth in the city, Mayor Rozier admitting he had another motivation to get this passed.

“I want a gym out of this. If you give me a gym, I will fight for it,” he expressed to both the developer and Mr. Waller.

Something they were happy to help with, donating $1.75 million dollars to construct a gym.

As for the future of Bloomingdale, well, the mayor says this may be just the beginning.

“We’ve got developers lined up now behind them, ready to do more.”

Right now, there is no word on when construction will begin for the warehouses on the Ottawa Farms property or the future gym.

Copyright 2020 WTOC. All rights reserved.

BLOOMINGDALE, Ga. (WSAV) – Bloomingdale Mayor Ben Rozier says he plans to resign Friday at the request of the entire city council.

Earlier this week, Rozier shared a controversial post on Facebook that many have said promotes racial stereotypes.

“I reposted it without thinking about the times we’re living in right now with so much unrest,” the mayor told News 3.

“I just didn’t think and it’s cost me a job that I really love,” he added. “I love living here in Bloomingdale and I have a lot of respect for the citizens that have elected me.”

The Facebook post targets people who receive government assistance.

“Privilege is living in public subsidized housing where you don’t have a water bill,” the post states, in part, “where rising property taxes and rents and energy costs have absolutely no effect on the amount of food you can put on your table.”

“I don’t want to shed a negative light on anyone and I just want to apologize for the post to anybody that I have offended,” Rozier said.

Many viewers reached out to News 3 after it was posted in multiple Facebook groups Tuesday voicing their disappointment in the mayor’s comments.

Bloomingdale resident Hannah Minter said she’s glad local leaders are listening.

“It can’t just be the people,” Minter said. “We have to have the people in power that are taking our voices to be heard and they’re calling out someone that’s higher than them. That’s amazing.”

“The council made the call that they feel is for the best,” Rozier said.

Thursday night’s council meeting was abruptly canceled, but members issued the following statement shortly after issuing a notice about the cancellation:

The Bloomingdale City Council and Administration is aware of the Facebook post made by Mayor Ben Rozier on Tuesday, June 16, 2020 and its reaction by the general public.

The Bloomingdale City Council wishes to state collectively that this action taken by Mayor Rozier is his action and his action alone. We in no way condone or endorse any single or collective posts made by the Mayor.

It is unfortunate that Mayor Rozier’s posts on Facebook has caused this set of circumstances and ill will in our beloved community. In no way does this reflect the ideals and values of the City of Bloomingdale or the Bloomingdale City Council.

Based on the actions of Mayor Ben Rozier, the entire City Council has respectfully requested that Mayor Rozier tender his resignation immediately.

Rozier said he doesn’t want to resign but will listen to his community.

“It’s not something that I want to do,” he said. “The greatest honor of my life has been serving the people of Bloomingdale, but its time to make room for someone else.”

Spring has officially rounded the corner, bringing along sunbeams, clear skies, and an opportunity to pick your own fresh strawberries at this Georgia farm. Now is a better time than ever to update your list of things to do this spring.

Ottawa Farms is celebrating in the sweetest of ways, by hosting their annual Strawberry Festival. If you're searching for some wholesome weekend plans, look no further than their picturesque fields of berries, ready for picking.

This family-owned farm has operated for three generations in Bloomingdale, Georgia, a small town just 13 miles outside of Savannah.

Guests can spend this upcoming weekend enjoying the great outdoors and an array of entertainment for all ages.

This year's festival will be featuring craft vendors, pony rides, all-day music, food trucks, and, of course, a field where you can pick your own fresh strawberries.

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It's the perfect place for families looking for a weekend activity that is kid-friendly. Children can enjoy face painting, hayrides, friendly farm animals, crafts, and fresh strawberry ice cream. The event is free for children under the age of four.

Past strawberry festivals held at the farm have seen crowds in the hundreds, as locals are encouraged to support a family-run business and learn about the important role small agricultural operations play.

The fun doesn't have to end there. Ottawa Farms operates year-round, with many other "pick it yourself" options as the seasons change. The summer months bring fields of blackberries and blueberries, while the fall beckons a vibrant sea of beautiful sunflower blooms.

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Ottawa Farm's Strawberry Festival

Price: $5

When: April 2-3, 2022

Where: 702 Bloomingdale Rd., Bloomingdale, GA

Why You Have To Go: Activities for the whole family and fields of fresh strawberries to pick and then take home.