In a room packed with people passionate about an item that was not acted upon, City Council did vote Monday to approve a conditional rezoning for a development by the Forsyth County line.

The rezoning request will allow Arkan Homes to build 13 single-family residences on 3.133 acres along Bethany Bend, between Spring View Drive and the Milton Montessori School. This property falls within the Highway 9 overlay district, the sewer map, and recently adopted Urban Growth Boundaries. Future Land Use maps have identified the area as appropriate for “High Density Residential”; in fact, the tracts are surrounded by townhouse developments, apartment buildings, as well as parcels permitted for schools and senior living uses.

Ultimately, no one challenged the rezoning itself. Even two individuals from a nearby townhouse neighborhood who spoke in opposition had no problem with actually constructing the residences at that location. Their issue – and what generated extensive discussion – pertained to what’s between the proposed homes and those citizens’ adjacent neighborhood.

Specifically, they objected to creating paved back alleys running behind the new buildings close to their own property lines. Such a layout would mean three “roadways” (a main road and two alleys) and make for a less robust, natural buffer between the two developments, they said.

Community Development Director Bob Buscemi explained the alley design would be more in line with the Milton aesthetic as seen in downtown Crabapple residences. He also pointed out that, if you had front entry garages, 80% of the front façade would consist of garage doors.

Taking into account these citizens’ concerns, the City Council supported decreasing the alleys’ proposed width (from 18 feet to 12 feet) and increasing the natural landscape strip buffer (from 3 to 8 feet) between those alleys and the nearby townhouse development. An attorney representing Arkan Homes at the meeting didn’t object to these measures, which were specified in the rezoning item that the City Council ultimately approved.

DOZENS OPPOSE WINERY’S ALCOHOL LICENSE

Hours earlier – before the City Council dove into the meeting’s 29 agenda items – the “general public comment” period of the meeting opened. It stayed open for well over two hours as 42 people addressed the Council in-person or had their remarks read into the record.

General public comment is the portion of a Council meeting where people can express their thoughts on items not being considered at that night’s meeting. (Per the guidelines, the Mayor and Councilmembers do not engage with public commenters nor do they take corresponding action.)

A handful of people spoke Monday about active parks and, as it so happened, a proposal to amend the City’s public comment process. Yet the vast majority of comments related to an item that was deferred on Monday – a request for an alcohol beverage license for D’Rose Vintners, a proposed farm winery on Blakmaral Lane.

The first commenter voiced support for D’Rose Vintners getting the alcohol beverage license. Later, Jim Rosenberger – the applicant – defended his request, saying he had invested significantly and offering to prohibit tastings or sales on the property in deference to neighbors’ viewpoints.

Thirty-three people, meanwhile, voiced opposition to the alcohol beverage license request. Most live in Providence Plantation, the neighborhood that you must drive through to reach Blakmaral Lane.

They expressed safety concerns including related to more congestion, fast-moving vehicles, and alcohol-impaired drivers. A few were visibly emotional while explaining their positions.

This item was deferred until the City Council’s March 4 meeting.

FEBRUARY 16 RECOGNIZED AS ARBOR DAY IN MILTON

After the general public comment period ended, the Council began its work by approving a wide-ranging Consent Agenda. This included agreements with: 

• Interactive Data for software that Milton Police will utilize to aid in criminal investigations
• Practical Design Partners to complete final designs necessary to meet GDOT requirements to improve the intersection of Green Road and State Route 140/Arnold Mill Road
• ProLogic to install emergency equipment (including materials, labor, and equipment) in eight new Milton Police patrol vehicles
• Southern Septic to put in a new drain field around Bethwell Community Center to replace the one that’s at the end of its functioning life
• Moffat & Nichol to conduct a topographic survey on Milton City Park and Preserve’s existing trail to help inform efforts to mitigate occasional flooding

The Consent Agenda also included a now-approved request for rectangular rapid flashing beacons at crosswalks across State Route 372/Crabapple Road – specifically around the roundabout at Heritage Walk and Crabapple Chase Drive. Monday’s vote will facilitate the City’s pursuit of GDOT “quick response” funding for these beacons as well as roundabout lane modifications.

Mayor Peyton Jamison then read a proclamation recognizing Friday, February 16, as Arbor Day as well as celebrating Milton once again being honored as a Tree City USA. Both reflect the City’s commitment to engage, educate, and encourage the planting of trees, as evidenced in its vibrant Plant! Milton campaign. (For more details, go to www.miltonga.gov/PlantMilton.)

All are welcome to attend Milton’s Arbor Day celebration starting at 3:30 p.m. on February 16 around City Hall. People can participate in activities, enjoy snacks and beverages, help plant a tree in the City Hall parking lot, and, of course, learn about trees.

DISCUSSION OF RESIDENTIAL SPEED ZONES

Public Works Director Sara Leaders shared a presentation, fielded questions, and got feedback on the next steps in the City’s soon-to-come Residential Speed Zone program.

The Local Road Safety Plan featured a recommendation for Residential Speed Zones as a way to reduce speeds and allow for more stringent enforcement in certain areas (and, in so doing, improve safety for drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists). The Council approved an ordinance amendment last December to make such zones possible. The next step is developing policies and procedures that are needed for the program to function.

Leaders outlined just such an approach Monday, including that residents will drive adding speed zones in their neighborhoods, meaning they’ll have to approach the City with their interest. And 67% of those in the impacted area must sign a petition indicating their support for a Residential Speed Zone to move forward.

Not everywhere is eligible to be a Residential Speed Zone. Under the current proposal, roads in these zones must be at least ¼ mile long, on the radar permit list, have a speed limit of 25 or 30 mph, and have a minimum volume of regular traffic in order for them to qualify.

Councilmember Doug Hene noted this program gives people the opportunity to do something about speeding in their own neighborhoods. After Councilmember Carol Cookerly asked if there was a back-up plan if there’s a real problem yet not enough residents approve on the petition, Leaders explained the City could implement a residential speed zone at its discretion if there is a substantial public safety concern.

EFFORTS TO IMPROVE AMBULANCE SERVICE

Immediately after Leaders’ presentation, Fire Chief Gabe Benmoussa shared information of North Fulton County Fire Chiefs ongoing collaboration aimed at improving ambulance service regionally.

Cities like Milton do not have oversight or control over ambulance response times, Benmoussa noted. On top of that, the ambulance company that does cover Milton – AMR – faces numerous challenges related to staffing, income flow issues, hospital bed availability, and more.

Milton Fire-Rescue has been doing what it can to improve outcomes for those with medical issues. For example, units have Advanced Life Support equipment that firefighters – almost always the first on scene – can use in emergency situations.  Fire CARES, the Department’s preventive health program, has contributed to a substantial reduction in some 911 calls. Plus, the City has worked to divert ambulances from non-critical calls so they will more likely be available for critical ones.

Still, Milton Fire – as well as nearby departments – recognizes the value of ambulances and need to hold providers’ accountable. Benmoussa discussed how he and other local Fire leaders have been talking amongst each other, and with AMR, about a potentially new model to bolster accountability, predictability, and response times.

This could lead to an agreement, that could have budgetary impacts, which Milton’s City Council (and Councils in other cities) could take up in the future.

SOLID WASTE, ARNOLD MILL PLANS TAKE NEXT STEPS

In other developments, the Council unanimously approved:

• A new alcohol beverage license request for Blockbuster, an Indian restaurant along Highway 9 near where it intersects with Windward Parkway
• The withdrawal – as requested by the applicant – of a rezoning related to a once-proposed mixed-use building at 12505 Broadwell Road
• A new rate structure (at $195 weekly) for Milton’s summer day camp, which is now called Camp Compass after proving tremendously successful in its 2023 debut
• Funding to start the right-of-way acquisition process related to an upcoming replacement of a bridge along Birmingham Road near the Hampton Manor subdivision
• The transfer of funding to the City’s greenspace bond fund after part of the Cooper Sandy greenspace was needed for a transportation improvement project at Providence and Bethany roads

Two important plans also took a step forward Monday.

For example, NewGen Strategies & Solutions was officially brought aboard to work with City staff as well as the soon-to-form Sustainability Advisory Committee on creating a Recycling Solid Waste Management Plan.

Milton’s only other such plan was created in 2009 and only intended to be valid for ten years. The new one – which City staff hope will be adopted by year’s end – will incorporate extensive analysis, outreach, and a game plan for how recycling and solid waste services should be provided in Milton.

Another outside expert, TSW, will work with the City in crafting what’s called a Small Area Plan for the Arnold Mill corridor in southwest Milton.

Among other things, this project team will assess existing conditions, engage with stakeholders, hold public workshops, develop concept plans laying out a vision for this area, draft policies and guidelines to help realize that vision, and ultimately adopt the plan.

This work will be done in phases. The current timeline projects Phase 2, for instance, wraps up by year’s end while the whole project could be completed in the middle of 2025.

The City Council is next scheduled to convene in a Work Session – at which members can offer feedback but do not cast votes – on Monday, February 12.