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Sunday, September 20, 2009


Monday, Sept. 21st Zoning Agenda, Budget, Library Update and More

Dear Milton Residents, Friends and Citizens,This email is intended to inform you about a variety of items and issues including:

Zoning Agenda for the Monday, September 21, 2009 at 6:00 p.m. This link includes the packet for the zoning items:

Zoning modification requests for multiple variances by John Weiland in Crabapple,
Historic Preservation Ordinance that currently includes language that would allow a prior use to circumvent current zoning requirements,
Landscaping Business seeking Special Use Permit on Arnold Mill (140) on 1.74 acres including multiple variances.

Special Called Work Session also on Monday, September 21 at 5:00 p.m. re:Variances and the basis upon which they should be considered or not, link for more information.
Budget update - another public meeting re: the 2010 City Budget also is on the agenda for Monday, September 21st. Use this
link for the current budget proposal.
Upcoming meetings and events including the Crabapple Antique Fair, Rivers Alive, the Milton Round-up, the First Mayor's Race and more (see right margin for specifics including links regarding the events).
Updates on Fulton County's Library selection process including the site selection for a Milton Library (scroll down for details),

November 3rd Election including how to register to vote if you have not already. Use this City of Milton link, the link from the Secretary of State or scroll down for more information.
Invitation to participate in this year's Rivers Alive event, Saturday, October 10th from 8:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Citizens, school groups, scouts and volunteers of all ages are encouraged to participate in this annual environmentally focused event whereby folks of all ages come together to help clean-up the waterways of our Milton community. The event will begin at Bailey Farm & Gardens, Inc. at 8:00 a.m. whereby groups will gather for directions and go from there to various waterways and parkland around Milton for specific clean-up at pre-determined sites. You can contact Bailey Farm & Gardens at baileyfarmandgardens@mindspring.com and Milton Grows Green at MiltonGrowsGreen@earthlink.net.
I hope this information is helpful and encourages you to participate in all aspects of our local community including the future of Milton. Your personal commitment to contribute in some way to our collective community can and does make all the difference. In large part, it is what makes Milton so unique and special. As always, I want to thank you for the opportunity and privilege to represent you and the best interests of your families. I love this community and all that it represents and work hard everyday to protect and preserve those things we hold dear. Please let me know if you have questions or comments about any issue facing Milton. I will do my very best to get back to you in a timely manner. All my best -

Julie Zahner Bailey
Milton City Council
770-664-5529 (home)
404-310-6344 (cell)
_________________________
Monday, September 21st - Regular Council Meeting - 6:00 p.m.
Several Zoning Cases:

Crabapple Variance Requests for John Weiland Development,
Historic Preservation Ordinance that includes language that would allow prior use to trump current zoning requirements.
Landscaping Business on Arnold Mill (140) with multiple variances.Crabapple Zoning Modification Requests - Applicant - John Weiland ZM09-02 - West Side of Birmingham Highway (SR 372) Land Lots 1096, 1096, 1098, 1135 of the Second District/Second Section - Braeburn Subdivision - By John Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods, Inc. represented by William Woodson Galloway, Dillard & Galloway, LLC. A request to modify the following conditions:
To modify condition 1.d, which currently allows up to 54 townhomes at a maximum density of 0.86 dwelling units per acre, to allow up to 38 townhomes at a maximum density of 0.61 dwelling units per acre based on total acreage zoned.
To modify 1.e, which currently allows up to 45 single-family residential units at a maximum density of 0.72 dwelling units per acre, to allow up to 61 single-family residential units at a maximum density of 0.98 dwelling units per acre based on total acreage zoned.
To modify the required minimum lot size in condition 1.f from 18,900 square feet such that no more than 15 lots shall have a minimum lot size of 10,890 square feet (approximately ¼ acre) or above, at least three (3) lots (Lots 11-13) shall have a minimum lot size of one (1) acre or above, and the remaining lots shall have a minimum lot size of 14,500 square feet (approximately 1/3 of an acre) or above.
To modify condition 2.a to replace the revised site plan received by the Fulton County Department of Environment and Community Development on June 7, 2006 with the revised site plan received by the Milton Department of Community Development on July 7, 2009.
To modify condition 3.e to reduce the 15-foot building separation to a 10-foot building separation with a 5-foot side yard setback for lots less than one (1) acre.This case originally was zoned by Fulton County. The above variances including the request for higher density lots and buffer reductions are considered a "zoning modification" to the original rezoning. As such, this case did not go to the Planning Commission. While staff is recommending a deferral until October, given this case has been advertised and has gone through First Presentation, a final vote could be taken Monday night by the Mayor and Council.
Historic Preservation Ordinance - Agenda Item No. 09-926: RZ09-04 An Ordinance to create Article 13 of the Milton Zoning Ordinance; to establish a historic preservation commission in the City of Milton to provide for the designation of historic properties or historic districts; to provide for issuance of Certificates of Appropriateness; to provide for an appeals procedure; to repeal conflictingordinances; and for other purposes.The current draft of this ordinance includes language that effectively would circumvent the zoning process for certain properties. Use this
link to review the current draft ordinance. Please note, both the Design Review Board and the Planning Commission have noted concerns with this specific language and have recommended that it be removed. The Planning Commission requested a deferral as well as they wanted to provide more specific input into the current draft including the deletion of this section of the proposed ordinance. Because this item has been advertised, Council could either defer the case as requested by the Planning Commission, approve the ordinance as currently proposed, or modify the current draft and approve it with modifications. While I strongly support historic preservation for Milton and have been a long time advocate for historic preservation, I do not support the current draft given it would circumvent the zoning process for certain properties. In particular this language could be applied to the Thompson/Hopewell land that has been a zoning matter before us in the past. The property in question is currently zoned AG-1/residential and the applicant was requesting that the property be rezoned to Commercial. Citizens were very vocal about their concern over this rezoning and ultimately it was withdrawn. The current proposed language for the Historic Preservation Ordinance would allow that same property to be considered for "prior use" thereby allowing the property to be used for a commercial use potentially without having to be rezoned. I believe such a process circumvents necessary zoning processes and is in direct conflict with the expectations of the majority of citizens in Milton. Other properties would be affected by this proposed language as well.
Landscaping Business - Special Use Permit - Arnold Mill (140) on 1.74 acres including Variance Requests(This case was previously deferred several times)U09-01 / VC09-01, 13120 Arnold Mill Road, by Frank Schaffer, The Landscape Group,Inc. - To obtain a use permit for a landscaping business on 1.74 acres at a density of3,908.04 square feet per acre (Article 19.4.27). Applicant is also requesting 3-part concurrent variance:
To delete the 50' buffer and 10' improvement setback along the west property line from the right-of-way for a distance of 140' (12H.3.1 Section C.1).
To delete the 50' buffer and 10' improvement setback along the east property line from the right-of-way for a distance of 140' (12H.3.1 Section C.1).
To allow a sign located less than 10' from the right-of-way (Article 33 Section 21.C) Use this
link to view the analysis of staff.

New Library Site Selection - Citizen Input Still Requested

The Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System continues to request citizen input on sites for the Milton Library.The Facility Master Plan, approved in the November 4, 2008 general election, will significantly enhance Fulton County's public libraries with 8 new libraries, 2 expanded libraries and 23 renovated libraries. Of the 8 new libraries, 5 have not yet been sited. One of the new libraries is going to be in the City of Milton and another in the City of Alpharetta. Your direct input is requested specifically as it relates to a library in the City of Milton. Several different sites have been suggested ranging from Webb Road and Windward Parkway to Crabapple. Please note, the Library Board is the entity that will make a recommendation to the Fulton County Board of Commissioners and they want to hear directly from citizens.Community engagement has been the cornerstone of the Library Facility Master Plan, and Fulton County is asking for additional specific recommendations and citizen input for the Milton Library location. Director of Library Services, John Szabo recently addressed the City of Milton Council thanks to an invitation from Councilmember Tina D'Aversa. Mr. Szabo urged citizens to continue to provide specific input regarding where citizens feel the library should be located including the criteria the Library board has set forth including such things as access to public transportation, proximity to schools, access by all Milton residents, etc.We have been asked again to help let people know about this opportunity for input. Citizens should submit library site recommendations to the Library Staff and to John Szabo as well via:
Online:
www.afpls.org, click on Input on Library Sites
Email John Szabo directly using this
link or by phoning his office at 404-612-1700.
Also, Email:
librarycomments@fultoncountyga.gov
Fax: 404-335-5291
Mail: Branch Services, Central Library, One Margaret Mitchell Square, Atlanta, GA 30303 Please feel free to contact Anne Haimes, Group Branch Manager at 404-730-1881 or
anne.haimes@fultoncountyga.gov if you have any questions about this process.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Better beat down on that landscape request. If not, how will WZB pay his alimony? Help a brother out!

Anonymous said...

Maybe she should join L.A.

Hi, my name is Julie, and I'm a liar.

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

grow up access milton! adults should be able to post any words that appear on primetime tv and its hard to censor someone for calling her a female dog because that is exactly what she is

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

Hey Julie: I read the Historical Preservation Ordinance and it says that the City Council only has the authority to approved properties for the designation. The Council has the power to do what it wants. Your post is misleading.

Anonymous said...

Put your name to your blog so others can give you a taste of your own medicine and point the finger at you and call you names and attack your family and what you do for a living. Even Senator Joe Wilson had the guts to call Obama a liar while he was on live TV, unlike you cowards on this blog. If you want to call someone a liar then stand up and do it with your face exposed. IF you think anyone reading these blogs actually give any credibilty to you all that attack others, you are so out of it, all you do is discredit yourself. You all don't know what to do, continue attacking Julie or go for the throats of Bill, Karen and Tina. How come you all haven't been blasting Joe, Alan and Burt lately?? If you are going to attack one, you might as well attack all of them. What have you all been doing for your community other then tearing down others on this blog? what, no comment on your service to others?

Anonymous said...

Julie's statements on the Historic Preservation Ordinance are inaccurate and misleading.

Before making further comments, please take the time to read the ordinance for yourselves rather than making comments about something you haven't worked on.

Julie was ill prepared for the first presentation of this ordinance at a city council work session and as such immediately went on the defensive.

It was she that wanted it to go before the Design Review Board because "that's how Fulton County handled it" yet this was not required.

Some have an issue with the "Prior Use Clause" but to clarify, the process would be as follows:

1. Property submitted for Historic review to HP Commission.
2. Property declared historic by commission
3. Historic Declaration approved by City Council
4. Property owner submits application for prior use clause.
5. Property owner has burden of proving prior use.
6. HP Commission approves
7. City Council comes to agreement with use of property by Owner and approves.

This shows that she is incorrectly stating that the property at Hopewell and Thompson could be considered for commercial use in the near future. The property hasn't even been declared historic, and would not be eligible for this clause until so declared. How nice of Julie to go ahead and declare this structure as eligible without due process.

So this isn't some easy way to "circumvent the zoning process" as Julie states.

This would enable a potential historic structure such as a store to be used in what is now a residential area. There are many restrictions to this clause so it would not be a walk in the park to anyone to think they could just open up a store in the middle of a neighborhood.

I believe that Julie has completely missed the point of "HISTORIC PRESERVATION" as this may very well be the only recourse to save some potentially historic structures.

-Travis Allen

Anonymous said...

JZBs OCD behavior about the Chatham store is getting on my last nerve.

Anonymous said...

Ownership by David Chatham does not make it the "Chatham Store"

This has already created problems, as a member of the Planning Commission apparently has something personal against Mr. Chatham.

This representative made such feelings clear at the Planning Commission meeting and I for one feel that such personal bias should not be tolerated.

Prior to receiving an apology from the said individual for his outburst, I was very near asking for them to recuse themselves from the Planning Commission's vote.

-TA

Anonymous said...

What is your preference for identifying this particular store?

Anonymous said...

JZB has a long history of just this type of conduct. In the olden days,she did it out of everyone's sight down at the annex and told her posse the sanitized JZB-heroic version the next day. From such are legends born, if only in their own mind.
She targets anyone who crosses her, staff, petitioners, voters or colleagues she is supposed to work with. She hates Chatham because, because, because...he is awful! In other words, he is successful but doesn't worship JZB or even bow down at her alter. Word is, she has so intimidated the staff WE pay dearly for, that they are afraid to give honest, correct answers to the City in accord with their professional training. What good is a $100,000/yr staffer if they are so in fear of her wrath we get zero out of them?
We need to get rid of her or we may be unincorporated again.

Anonymous said...

Julie is a virulent cancer that you only suffer, but never die from. Her crazy acolytes are the metastatic vestiges that keep the disease alive.
Milton needs a municipal oncologist.

Anonymous said...

I could be persuaded either way on the building at Thompson and Hopewell.

From the informatin I currently have, which isn't much other than estimated date built, I'd say no.

BUT...I believe there is much more information out there on this particular building be it documented or oral, and I believe that I could vote for this building to be considered historic.

-TA

Anonymous said...

This is the problem TA, it doesn't matter what you think. if JZB doesn't want it, it ain't happening in Milton. Other than sewer. That is a legal fight she can't win forever.