Prior to its joint meeting with the Planning Commission, Milton’s Design Review Board will conduct courtesy reviews involving five separate properties when it convenes on Tuesday.

The  February 4 meeting will begin at 6 p.m. in City Hall’s Council Chambers. People can watch it online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mr70sE5iVx4, or they can attend in-person.

Commonly referred to as the DRB, this committee reviews and makes recommendations to the City’s Community Development Director on new construction, new site development, and certain alterations to existing structures. This seven-member, Council-appointed board is the sole City committee to vote on demolition requests. And they are the first of several committees to review some variance requests from City Code as part of Milton’s public hearing process.

The latter is what they are set to do Tuesday night after selecting the DRB chair and vice chair for the coming year. Members will start with a request related to 15055 BIRMINGHAM HIGHWAY and two other Birmingham Highway parcels (for a total of three lots) that cover about 8.84 acres not far north of Glenover Drive and Birmingham Falls Elementary School. The applicant is seeking four variances tied to a pair of existing horse barns to:

• Reduce the distance requirement for a barn housing animals from 100 feet to 16.82 feet of the west property line  (which is part of the same overall property)
• Reduce the distance requirement for a barn housing animals from 150 feet to 100.95-feet of a (human) occupied structure
• Reduce the distance requirement for a different barn housing animals from 100 feet to 95.58 feet of the west property line (which is part of the same overall property)
• Reduce the distance requirement for this same, second barn housing animals from 150 feet to 148.13-feet of a (human) occupied structure

The next request, for a three-part variance, pertains to 13165 FREEMANVILLE ROAD, which is near and on the opposite side of the street as the back Milton High School entrance. The applicant is seeking variances to:

• Reduce the 15-foot minimum side yard for an existing shed to 7.1 feet adjacent to the south property line
• Allow this existing shed and a pergola to remain in front of a single-family home
• Allow an existing walking trail and fire pit to remain inside the 75-foot impervious setback. 

This will be followed by a discussion of a request further north at 15060 FREEMANVILLE ROAD near Deerhaven Lane. The applicant is seeking a single variance to allow a proposed detached garage to be built in front of an existing single-family home.

Another applicant, meanwhile, is seeking a pair of variances for 1235 HOPEWELL CREST in the Hopewell Plantation subdivision. One is to reduce the minimum rear yard setback (from 50 feet to 19.2 feet) for an existing gazebo. The other is a request to increase the maximum lot coverage (from 20 percent to 30.24 percent) for new proposed pool and decking on this AG-1 zoned property that fronts a public street.

The final item exclusively on the DRB agenda relates to 3236 BALLEY FORREST DRIVE, a 2.39-acre property in northeast Milton, as well as its immediate neighbor at 3196 Balley Forest Drive. The applicant is asking for variances for existing structures – a playground (asking for the minimum rear-yard setback be reduced from 50- to 38.8 feet) and a basketball court (asking for the minimum rear-yard setback to be reduced from 50- to 2.4 feet).

After these matters are concluded, the Design Review Board will officially adjourn its meeting and, very soon after, reconvene for a joint meeting with the Planning Commission focused on Deerfield.