In addition to courtesy reviews for variance requests involving new subdivisions, Milton’s Design Review Board on Tuesday will consider a remodeling company’s plans to turn a building along Highway 9 into its new home office.

Those items will be among those considered at the April 1 meeting, which will start 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=Ma8Ld7yuKUQ.

Also known as DRB, the Design Review Board is part of Milton’s public hearing process – meaning other committees consider some of the same items (like those for variance requests). The seven-member appointed committee also reviews and makes recommendations to Milton’s Community Development Director on new construction, new site development, and certain significant changes to existing structures. It’s also the sole committee to vote on demolition requests, though none are on Tuesday’s agenda.

Rather, the Board will begin its April 1 meeting with a “Courtesy Review” for a multi-part variance request for 315 North Court, a property in the Arbor North subdivision in Crabapple. The applicant is seeking variances to the City’s Unified Development Code to:

• Reduce the 7-foot minimum side yard to 4.47 feet adjacent to the north property line for a proposed garage and shop addition
• Reduce the 7-foot minimum side yard to 1 foot adjacent to the south property line for what remains of an existing shed accessory structure after its partially removed
• Reduce the 50-foot minimum rear yard to 0.5-foot adjacent to the east property line for what remains of an existing shed accessory structure after its partially removed
• Reduce the 50-foot minimum rear yard to 12.7 feet adjacent to the east property line for an existing covered grill and wet bar accessory structure
• Reduce the 50-foot minimum rear yard to 11.1 feet adjacent to the east property line for an existing covered patio accessory structure

The Board of Zoning Appeals will consider the 315 North Court variance request at its April 15 meeting. 

The next two “Courtesy Reviews” – both of which pertain to new subdivisions, specifically Blakely Manor and Crescent Ridge – are set to be taken up by the City Council at its May 5 meeting.

The first such review relates to an in-the-works, 50-acre subdivision off Freemanville Road called Blakely Manor. The applicant is requesting that the 60-foot minimum front yard setback requirement be reduced to a 50-foot minimum for all 36 lots in this new neighborhood south of Birmingham Road.

The DRB’s last “Courtesy Review” relates to another new subdivision, Crescent Ridge, off Hopewell Road just north of Milton Place. The applicant is seeking variances to:

• Reduce the 50-foot minimum front yard requirement to 35 feet for all 11 parcels in the new neighborhood
• Reduce the 100-foot minimum lot width to 88.98 feet for lot 5
• Reduce the 100-foot minimum lot width to 85.44 feet for lot 6
• Reduce the 100-foot minimum lot width to 93.19 feet for lot 7

The committee then will conduct a pair of “Final Reviews” starting with a building plan with exterior alterations to an office building at 12930 Highway 9 (just west of Safelite Auto Glass). The applicant plans to turn this ranch-style structure, which once housed an insurance office, into the home of the Michael James Remodeling Company. The general scale of the building would remain the same, though the exterior would look noticeably different.

The Design Review Board will wrap up Tuesday’s meeting by reviewing plans for what’s around a proposed Northside medical office building at 15755 Birmingham Highway, which is southeast of Birmingham Crossroads. The committee already reviewed the building plan and recommended approval (to the Community Development Director) at its March 4, 2025, meeting. On Tuesday, the board will conduct a final review of the corresponding site and landscape plan (including parking) for the 0.3-acre parcel that will contain this medical office.

After this meeting, the Design Review Board is next set to convene on May 6.