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City Council discusses possible setback requirement changes
Post Date:12/03/2025 12:51 PM
No vote was taken on this matter, though one is expected to occur early next year. Monday night’s presentation gave the Mayor and Councilmembers the opportunity before then to learn and think about the possibilities, as well as how the entire process might work.
This potential RZ25-08 text amendment to Milton’s Unified Development Code would apply only to new AG-1 subdivisions with lots of between one and three acres. These developments would also need to be confined, meaning they cannot include pass-throughs connecting one major road to another.
Interim Community Development Director Diana Wheeler explained that current AG-1 regulations require 60-foot front yard setbacks and 50-foot rear yard setbacks. She noted that shifting the front setback forward from its current 60-foot requirement would allow for more designated area in the rear to preserve existing tree canopy and better buffer neighbors from one another. The new setbacks would also establish a more defined tree save area in the rear. Wheeler presented several options that could shift the building envelope forward anywhere from zero to 20 feet.
Councilmembers discussed the matter, asking questions and making various points. Councilmember Carol Cookerly, for instance, expressed openness to greater setback flexibility to align with people’s building preferences. Others, like Councilmember Doug Hene, questioned the need for a sweeping AG-1 zoning change, noting that the current process still allows developers to apply for variances.
After what Mayor Peyton Jamison referred to as a “great back-and-forth,” Wheeler concluded her Council presentation and pledged to come back in January 2026 with additional requested information for the next one ahead of a potential vote.
CUB SCOUTS LEAD PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
This occurred well into a meeting that began with an invocation by Senior Pastor Billy Lowe of City Church, followed by a special Pledge of 
Allegiance led by members of Cub Scout Pack 841. The Cub Scouts posed for a picture afterwards with Mayor Peyton Jamison and Councilmembers.
Six citizens —three in favor, three opposed– offered comments during the Public Comment period on the RZ25-08 text amendment proposal before the Council unanimously approved a Consent Agenda that featured an agreement with Polco to conduct the City’s next iteration of the National Community Survey (NSC).
The same Consent Agenda also included four related agreements to allow the City of Milton to garner federal funds for transportation projects. Such funding is coordinated through the Georgia Department of Transportation, which is why this State agency was mentioned in each of these agenda items. This certification had been required every three years, but recently that changed to every five years (meaning the next one would be in 2030).
CELEBRATION OF NATIONAL ‘TRUST IN GOVERNMENT’ HONOR
Next, the City celebrated some of its diligent public servants as well as the government’s strong, award-winning relationship with our community.
Every December, the City gives pins to staff members who marked milestone anniversaries in the preceding year. Mayor Jamison opened this portion of this meeting by calling it “an absolute privilege to recognize … remarkable individuals who keep this city running every day.”
One-by-one, City Manager Steve Krokoff called out the recognized employees:
- FIVE YEARS: Greg Botelho (Communications), Gerald Oberholtzer (Community Development), Kelly Boughner (Police), Sarah Moore (Police), Tracie Wildes (Community Development), Lisa Farr (Finance), Roberto Sanchez (Fire), Timothy Brown (Fire), Josh Rogers (Public Works), David Bergmaier (Public Works), Gabriel Benmoussa (Fire)
- TEN YEARS: Luke Hayduk (Police), Logan Pacheco (Police), Chris Williams (Community Development), Tom McKlveen (Parks and Recreation)
- FIFTEEN YEARS: Chris Ward (Police), Terry Temples (Public Works), David Frizzell (IT), Christopher Thorne (Fire)
This was followed by a presentation about the City having been a National Champion for Transformation in Trust in Government. Measured against hundreds of fellow local U.S. governments, Milton was among five finalists (or “top performers”) in categories such as Safety, Community Design, and Economy, as well as the only locality nominated in the two Trust divisions (Excellence and Transformation).
The City bested contenders from Virginia, Illinois, New Mexico, and Pennsylvania for the Trust in Government transformation honor for making “the most significant gains in earning residents’ trust and confidence.” You can learn more about this award at https://www.miltonga.gov/Home/Components/News/News/3221/1351.
Communications Director Greg Botelho explained why and how Milton earned this honor, as well as its positive reflection of how the City’s long-term approach to governance, policies, transparency, and engagement have been received by those we serve. He emphasized that the City remains fully committed to providing strong, meaningful, informative, and effective public engagement that continues to strengthen our partnership with the community.
Krokoff characterized trust as any government’s “most valuable commodity” that is “one of the hardest earned and (most) easily lost.”
“We follow the leaders, and that’s in our Mayor and Council,” the City Manager said. “You lead by example and insist that all the work we do is in full transparency and the interest of gaining and of keeping the trust of our citizens. And I truly believe that’s why we won this award.”
OPENNESS TO ARNOLD MILL SIGN REGULATIONS, CERTAIN FOOD TRUCKS
Also at Monday night’s Council meeting, City Engineer Scott Tkach gave his annual required presentation on the City’s MS4 (Municipal 
Separate Storm Sewer System) permit.
Tkach detailed requirements stemming from the 1972 Clear Water Act, including that regulated municipalities must have an MS4 permit. The City of Milton is currently in the middle of its 5-year permit cycle, which expires in 2028. Tkach cited examples of best management practices evident in Milton like stormwater markers by drains, an Adopt-a-Road program, and pet waste stations.
The City also typically undertakes one sizable stormwater project every year, with the next being the Providence Lake culvert replacement along with several smaller projects.
Later, the Council signaled openness to a text amendment defining the allowable signage in parts of the Arnold Mill character area in southwest Milton. These changes came out of the Arnold Mill Small Area Plan and Arnold Mill Hamlet Overlay District, both of which the Council approved last May.
The new signage regulations impact the Chadwick and Cox Road activity nodes, largely mirroring the standards for the Birmingham Crossroads area. One difference is that they allow a business to have internally illuminated signs to indicate if it is open or closed, just like in Crabapple and Deerfield form-based code areas.
No votes were taken Monday on this matter, or another text amendment – this one related to food trucks – that the Council seemed favorable of. If approved, a food truck can be on the same property of an active, existing restaurant that supports its presence.
The City Council’s next meeting is a work session scheduled for December 8, which will be held jointly with the Milton Trails Advisory Committee to focus on the City’s Trail Plan.