Milton’s Planning Commission on Thursday evening will consider four potential text amendments to the City’s zoning ordinances, two of them related to a recently created “Arnold Mill Hamlet Overlay District.” 

The November 20 meeting will begin at 6 p.m. in City Hall’s Council Chambers (2006 Heritage Walk). People can watch online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ouv_hRE7Ydw or attend the meeting in-person.

The Planning Commission evaluates and recommends potential changes to zoning ordinances, subdivision regulations, zoning maps, and overall planning processes. Its seven members (who are appointed by Milton’s Mayor and Councilmembers) also weigh in on variance requests and items that go through the City’s public hearing process, meaning other City boards discuss and share their thoughts on some of the same agenda items. 

Thursday’s meeting will start with the Commission’s consideration of the following potential text amendments:

• RZ25-08 - Text Amendment to Sec. 3.1.4 Building Placement with respect to setbacks in the AG-1 district and Sec. 8.8.19.B.2. and Article 13 Definitions in order to add setbacks for qualified subdivisions and pools to the Unified Development Code for the City of Milton, Georgia.

This amendment would modify front and rear setback requirements for qualified, limited access subdivisions. The cumulative area required for such setbacks wouldn’t change, but they would be flipped – so the front-yard setback could be a minimum of 50 feet (rather than the current 60 feet) and the rear-yard setback would have to be at least 60 feet (rather than the current 50 feet). This text amendment would also increase the minimum setback for pools, pool decks, and equipment from 10 to 20 feet. 

These changes aim to preserve more tree canopy. They’d apply to qualified neighborhoods of 30 or fewer lots, with each parcel being less than three acres with a single access point in and out.

• RZ25-09 – Text amendment to Sec. 9.2.5.E to create sign standards for the Arnold Mill Road Hamlet Overlay District. 

Earlier this year, the City Council adopted the Arnold Mill Small Area Plan outlining a unique, community-guided vision for this section of southwestern Milton. You can learn more about that project at www.miltonga.gov/ArnoldMill. At the same May meeting at which the plan was adopted, the Council approved the “Arnold Mill Road Hamlet Overlay District” that did not change allowed density or zoning in two planned “activity nodes” but did make certain strategic modifications and generally allowed for greater flexibility.

The item on this Planning Commission agenda, if ultimately approved, would create new sign standards within the Arnold Mill Road Hamlet Overlay District. The standards would mirror, for the most part, those now in the Birmingham Crossroads Overlay District.

• RZ25-10 - Text Amendment to Arnold Mill Road Hamlet Overlay, Sec. 6.5.3.B. to modify AG-1 Standards to the Unified Development Code for the City of Milton, Georgia.

This agenda item relates to the same Arnold Mill Road Hamlet Overlay District described above. If approved, it would enhance flexibility regarding lot widths for newly developed parcels adjacent to State Route 140/Arnold Mill Road. A 100-foot undisturbed buffer adjacent to Arnold Mill Road would (still) be required after approval of this text amendment.

• RZ25-11 - Text amendment to Sec. 8.2 Use Tables and create new Sec. 8.8.20 for accessory food trucks in limited situations to the Unified Development Code for the City of Milton, Georgia.

This would allow food trucks to operate in Milton on a very limited basis – specifically on the same property of an active restaurant with a current occupational tax certificate (aka business license). The proposed language includes standards for parking, setbacks, licensing, signage, and hours of operation for such self-contained food trucks, which would be classified as accessory structures. (Currently, food trucks can only operate within city limits if associated with a City-sponsored event.)

After these discussions, the Planning Commission will review an overview of proposed incentives to encourage people to maintain or even grow their properties of 3 acres or bigger (defined as “large lots” by the City. This has been a months-long initiative involving community members and numerous committees, as well as City Council. You can learn more about this project at www.miltonga.gov/LargeLots. 

Thursday’s proceedings will conclude with an eye toward next year – specifically setting the Planning Commission’s 2026 meeting schedule. A possible Special Called Planning Commission meeting on January 14, 2026, also will be discussed.

Before then, the Planning Commission is scheduled to close out 2025 with a meeting on December 18.