Milton’s City Council signaled openness Monday to measures aimed at incentivizing property owners to maintain their large lots, even as the Mayor and Councilmembers sought details and public vetting before making definitive judgments.  

The City has been exploring ways to keep more large lots – which are parcels 3 acres or bigger – as part of efforts to preserve Milton’s rural viewshed and heritage.  On Monday night, Principal Planner Shubha Jangam outlined in broad terms and sought Council’s input on eight alternatives aimed at owners of existing farms and/or large lots.

The Mayor and Councilmembers seemed generally inclined to support several of these options contingent on still-to-be-worked-out details such as requirements, limits, and other regulations.

And before any of these proposals move forward, the City Council plans to reexamine them during an upcoming Work Session.

PROCLAMATION FOR DOWN SYNDROME AWARENESS MONTH

Rabbi Hirshy Minkowicz from Chabad North Fulton gave the invocation ahead of Monday night’s meeting, mentioning that he and fellow Jewish people are celebrating Sukkot. This is an seven-day holiday in which people eat outdoors in a temporary structure (a small hut called a sukkah) to celebrate the fall harvest and commemorate the 40 years Jews spent in the desert after escaping Egypt.

Minkowicz was followed by two general public commenters, then the passage of the meeting’s Consent Agenda.

This featured an agreement with Galls to buy needed uniforms and related accessories for Milton firefighters and another with KCI Technologies to revise the design for a TSPLOST-funded project to improve the intersection of Freemanville Road and Redd Road. Another Consent Agenda item was a Memorandum of Understanding for Milton Police to join three law enforcement agencies as part of a regional task force.

The City then recognized October as Down Syndrome Awareness Month – an opportunity to boost people’s understanding, enhance inclusivity, and celebrate individuals with this chromosomal condition. While people with Down syndrome experience cognitive delays, they also can exhibit many strengths and outstanding character while having fulfilling lives.

Members of the BEquals program at GiGi’s Playhouse, which nurtures friendships between neurotypical teenagers and those with Down syndrome, accepted the proclamation. Among them was Nora Michaelis, the program’s teenage founder who hails from Milton.

ARNOLD MILL SMALL AREA PLAN TAKING SHAPE

Last March, the City publicly kicked off its Arnold Mill Small Area Plan project. This document will be a community-driven, long-term guiding vision for a character area in southwest Milton consisting of approximately 520 acres, bordering Roswell to the east and the Little River/Cherokee County to the west.

On Monday, Nick Johnson – a member of the project team from TSW – explained the plan has been created as a draft, with an aim for a final approval by year’s end. He walked the Council through the process that led to this milestone, including an online survey and three community engagement sessions.

Johnson then laid out proposed recommendations that are part of the plan, such as:

• Identifying what a widened Arnold Mill Road/State Route 140 might look like. The Georgia Department of Transportation controls that road and has indicated it intends to widen it, though no timeline has been announced.
• Creating new roadway connections (to alleviate congestion) that connect to Arnold Mill Road
• Adding a multimodal trail alongside this road for walkers, bicyclists, and others
• Introducing two possible concepts for an “Activity Node” opposite the Cox Road intersection that includes new homes, commercial space, and park/greenspace
• Sharing a concept for another “Activity Node” on the western end of Arnold Mill Road, including a potential country inn with cottages and community garden near the historic McConnell-Chadwick House
• Presenting design guidelines featuring five favored architectural styles thought to be good fits for the area

Except for possible modifications related to commercial in the Cox Road activity node, nothing in the draft plan proposes any zoning changes for the area.

Among other questions and comments, elected officials acknowledged that GDOT’s State Route 140/Arnold Mill Road widening project could be a long time away. Yet Mayor Peyton Jamison noted, “To have this in writing now – what our vision is and what the community wants – might set us up for success.”

PROGRESS IN PUBLIC WORKS

Public Works Director Sara Leaders became the latest City leader to share what her department has been working on related to Milton’s Strategic Plan.

She began by specifying numerous completed objectives ranging from increasing environmental signage on City properties, completing the Local Road Safety Plan and Comprehensive Transportation Plan, drafting a Bike Priority Network of common bicycle routes, creating a standing Milton Trails Advisory Committee, and improving walkability. Some accomplishments were based on more positive opinions among citizens on things like satisfaction with passive parks.

Leaders noted that several Public Works initiatives are in progress. These include the ongoing effort to create a Recycling and Solid Waste Management Plan (which could be finished in the next few months), adding interactive maps and trailhead signage, and implementing the Big Creek Greenway Connection project (with construction bidding planned for spring 2025).

Her presentation concluded by touching on initiatives that have experienced minor disruptions, like identifying appropriate usage for greenspaces and future Birmingham Park-related improvements.

The night’s final item was the approval of the final plat, featuring 12 single-family lots spread across 17.3 acres, of the new Claxton subdivision off Hopewell Road.

The City Council is next scheduled to convene for a Regular Meeting on November 4.