City Council on Monday will hear about – and potentially offer direction on – possible incentives for large lots, an effort aimed at helping preserve and enhance Milton’s rural character.

This presentation is one of several items on the agenda for the October 21 meeting, which will begin at 6 p.m. in City Hall’s Council Chambers. People can attend in-person or watch online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmfslrdUyuo.

Like other Regular Meetings, the agenda for this one is divided into sections that have distinct ground rules. They are:

• The CONSENT AGENDA, which is for routine items that the Council votes on collectively – so a single vote covering all items
• REPORTS AND PRESENTATIONS, which are home to proclamations and presentations during which the Council may offer direction but doesn’t take any conclusive votes
• NEW BUSINESS, which is where you’ll find items appearing on an agenda for the first time that can be discussed and decisively voted upon

Below are summaries of every item on Monday’s agenda.

• Approval of the October 7, 2024, Regular City Council Meeting Minutes.

  The City Council will vote on approving the “minutes,” or official written record, from its last Regular Meeting on October 7. At this meeting, the Council approved requested variances and a use permit – with conditions – to allow a barn to remain as is on the outside while serving as home to a bookbinding business within. Proclamations were also issued related to outgoing Milton Greenspace Advisory Committee members, cybersecurity awareness, fire prevention, and community planning. For a recap, visit this link: https://www.miltonga.gov/Home/Components/News/News/2637/1351/.

   

• Approval of a Goods and Services Purchase Contract with Galls, LLC for the Provision of Fire Uniforms and Related Accessories.

With approval of this item, the Milton Fire-Rescue Department will buy needed uniforms and related accessories for its firefighters. These purchases will help identify Milton firefighters, meet various state regulations, and ensure employees’ safety.

• Approval of Task Order #3 with KCI Technologies, Inc. for Final Design Plan Revisions for the Freemanville Road at Redd Road Intersection Project.

  This “task order” calls for professionals from KCI Technologies to do additional design work to reduce the scope of the Freemanville-Redd roads intersection project. Once this TSPLOST-funded project is completed based on this revised design, the construction cost should be less than what was once expected. You can learn more about this project at https://cleargov.com/georgia/fulton/city/milton/projects/1208/freemanville-road-at-redd-road-tsplost.

   

• Approval of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, Dawson County Sheriff’s Office, City of Johns Creek, and the City of Milton to create the Lanier Regional Drug Task Force.

  The City’s recently approved Fiscal Year 2025 budget included a new, fulltime Milton Police Detective to serve on a regional task force with fellow law enforcement professionals in the northern metro Atlanta area. This Memorandum of Understanding officially would allow the Milton Police Department to participate in this task force that will have responsibilities such as criminal investigations, vice and surveillance operations, and narcotics investigations.

   

• Approval of Subdivision Plats & Revisions.

This item, if approved, would make official these minor plat revisions:

+ Dividing a 5.03-acre tract at 2175 Mountain Road, which is northern Milton near Freemanville Road and the Cherokee County line, into two separate parcels – one of them 2.95 acres and the other 2.08 acres

+ Creating two parcels  – one of them 10.2737 acres and the other 7 acres that allow “active” uses (such as the City tennis courts, pool, and Community Center) – out of a 17.2737-acre tract within the City-owned Milton City Park and Preserve

+ Changing the location of a 30-foot driveway and utility easement on a plat for 16500 Hopewell Road, 4.972 acres in northeast Milton (north of Mountain Road)

• Proclamation Recognizing October as Down Syndrome Awareness Month.

  About 1 in every 775 babies born annually in the United States – including many who live in Milton – has the chromosomal condition known as Down syndrome. While those with Down syndrome experience cognitive delays, these are typically mild-to-moderate and not indicative of a person’s outstanding character, strengths, and positive impacts on those around them.

  This proclamation is being given during National Down Syndrome Awareness Month, an annual effort to bolster people’s knowledge, enhance inclusivity, and celebrate individuals with this condition. The City of Milton has a proud tradition of supporting those with Down syndrome and other special needs, including through Camp Joyful Soles. It’s also home to Nora Michaelis, a Milton resident who started a program nurturing friendships among neurotypical and Down syndrome teenagers.

   

   

• Priority Projects Update: Large Lot Incentives

  The City has been exploring potential new incentives to encourage large lots – both new ones and maintaining existing ones, including those with farms – as part of efforts to preserve and enhance Milton’s rural character. Generally, any property of 3 acres or more is considered to be a large lot though some measures could be considered to promote even bigger parcels.

  On Monday, Community Development staff will outline and seek Council’s feedback (though no final decisions will be made) on seven incentive opportunities along these lines. These possibilities include allowing accessory buildings in front yards, stormwater credits, short-term rentals, or home-based businesses (the latter two being with administrative approval) on 3-plus acre properties. Other suggestions could help foster those in the equestrian community, like allowing covered riding arenas by right on parcels greater than 10 acres in size.

   

   

• Arnold Mill Small Area Plan Status Update.

  The City’s project team has been working to develop an Arnold Mill Small Area Plan that lays out a tailored, long-term vision for this area that incorporates citizens’ feedback, recommends fitting uses and designs, and accentuates what makes it special already. This effort has consisted of extensive research, targeted engagement, public input opportunities, and more to craft a plan for this part of southwest Milton that stretches from the Roswell/Alpharetta line to Cherokee County.

  Monday’s presentation is an opportunity for project team members to update the Council on this initiative as well as to invite their feedback. The aim is for a draft Arnold Mill Small Area Plan to be completed – and, once it is, to be brought before Council – in the coming months. You can learn more about this plan and process at www.miltonga.gov/ArnoldMill.

   

   

• Strategic Plan Update - Public Works

  City staff have been regularly sharing updates with the City Council about their progress on key initiatives, particularly those outlined in Milton’s Strategic Plan. Public Works Department members will present on their team’s efforts on Monday, including a large number of objectives and outcome measures that either have been completed or are in-progress.

  This update will touch on a range of priorities and projects, such as those pertaining to alleviating traffic congestion, environmental and sustainability initiatives, improving conditions for walking and driving, installing educational signage, and more.

    

  NEW BUSINESS

• Consideration of Final Plat

The Council will vote on approving a final plat for a new neighborhood in central Milton called Claxton at 15070 Hopewell Road, which is just south (and across the street from Bell Memorial Park). The plat includes 12 single-family residential lots spread across 17.279 acres.