The Milton Equestrian Committee convenes Wednesday evening to discuss ideas to incentive people to retain their “large lot” farms, including the possibility of allowing short-term rentals on such bigger properties.

The April 16 meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. in City Hall’s Council Chambers. Anyone can attend this meeting in-person or watch it online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuA_K65Wy0E.

Consisting of seven individuals appointed by Milton’s Mayor and Councilmembers, the Milton Equestrian Committee (or MEC) considers matters of importance to the equestrian community. This board shares its expertise, insights, and opinions on such topics with City staff and leaders, including the City Council.

MEC has been an important contributor to an ongoing discussion of how the City can give large-lot landowners – many of whom have horses or other types of farms – to retain their properties’ size or  even grow them. (The City defines parcels 3 acres or bigger as “large lots.”) As happened at several recent meetings, Milton Community Development Department staff on Wednesday will share the latest on this project, which anyone can learn more about at www.miltonga.gov/LargeLots.

That webpage features relevant questions-and-answers, as well as suggestions that have been floated as potential new incentives. The Equestrian Committee is set to focus on one of them on Wednesday: allowing short-term rentals (such as through Vrbo or Airbnb) on 3-plus acre parcels. Members will discuss how such a move might affect (for better or worse) large-lot property owners.

Then, the Board will talk about its next “Meet the Neighbors.” This family-friendly celebration of all things horses – featuring products, services, and several animals – will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the City’s 21-acre greenspace at the intersection of Freemanville and Birmingham roads. The City runs this event with support from the Equestrian Committee.

The final item on Wednesday’s agenda will be a discussion of pertinent safety initiatives. One of them is the Milton Fire-Rescue Department’s Barn Safety and Evaluation Program, a proactive effort to reduce the risk of potentially devastating fires with safety evaluations by Fire Inspectors. You can get more information at www.miltonga.gov/BarnSafety. Another safety-related effort is to train more people, including farm owners, on potentially life-saving CRP and AED use.

After this week’s meeting, the Milton Equestrian Committee is next scheduled to convene on May 21.