"ProtectMilton" Petitions Against Birmingham High Site

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Local Citizens Group Questions Freemanville Site; Pushes for Placement at Old Milton High.

Dear Milton Neighbors:

Protect Milton is a grass roots group of residents of the City of Milton who have come together in effort to gain massive community support in opposition to the new proposed Birmingham High School and Middle School on the 116 acre tract of land which borders Rolling Links Drive in White Columns Golf and Country Club, Freemanville Road, and Wood Road. Our intentions are to strictly oppose any school being built on this particular site location. We are not in any way or manner opposed to the building of new schools for our community needs.

For those citizens and residents not familiar with this property, this was the original site location for Kings Ridge Christian School. Residents and neighbors in our community fought a 3 year legal battle to prevent Kings Ridge from building a school on this exact same piece of property. Having this knowledge, the Fulton County Board of Education’s actions in purchasing this very same property to build a High School campus and possible Middle School, are in disregard to the wants and needs of the residents of the City of Milton. This will in turn have a more negative impact overall if the BOE proceeds with their plans.

Placement of another High School in the middle of rural Milton less then 3 miles on the same road from our existing Milton High School is not the answer to the needs for another high school for our City.

We are committed to our stance that this 116 acre site is not environmentally suited for any school and the building of such a structure on this particular site will be gravely destructive to the creeks, streams, 2.5 acre lake and the neighboring residents and the City of Milton’s Comprehensive Land Use Plan in the long run. As a new city we should evolve through the wants and needs of our citizens and elected Council, and not have to amend our Comprehensive Land Use Plan on the basis of what the Fulton County Board of Education deems best for our city.

In addition to environmental reasons, this site will decrease property values, create unending noise disruption to immediate residential properties and neighborhoods from athletic activities, increase traffic volume and put additional stress on Freemanville Road, Phillips Circle, Wood Road, Birmingham Road, Birmingham Hwy., Redd Road, Providence Road, Hopewell Road, Bethany Road as they will be utilized by the school buses, carpooling parents, teenage drivers, faculty, staff and weekend event traffic. This school placement will be the catalyst for increased pressure for future development in the heart of Milton.

A community should not depend entirely on elected officials to stand up for their beliefs and rights as a community and a city. Our voices need to be heard or the Fulton County Board of Education and every other governmental entity will continue to control every aspect of our lives if allowed. Only through massive community involvement will this school site be changed and other sites considered which are more suited for such an establishment.

If you wish to become more involved please feel free to email your opinions and concerns to cmschoolpetition@aol.com and someone will contact you in response as soon as possible. To sign the petition opposing this school site, go to ->

http://www.gopetition.com/online/12570.html.

Regards,

Lisa Cauley, Chairperson