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Thursday, October 04, 2007

Protect Milton Letter To The Editor.


NOTE:

Accessmilton.com encourages open engagement with both residents and businesses who are active in the city of Milton. Should you or your business wish to share an opinion, please email us direct at magnoliamedia@yahoo.com today!

- Tim Enloe
Accessmilton.com.

To: The City of Milton Community and Residents and City Council
Re: Restaurant on Corner of Freemanville Road and Providence Road in Milton
From: Protect Milton Group

This letter comes to the community to bring much needed attention to the restaurant which is being built right now on Freemanville Road and Providence Road.

There is overwhelming concern from residents regarding this restaurant/bar that is planned for the location stated above by the owner Chris Sedgewick of Pure Tacqueria and Vinny’s, in Alpharetta, GA.

The concern is the liquor license that will be applied for by the owner for this restaurant. To place this restaurant in a completely residential area, offering alcohol is beyond inappropriate. There are no other establishments of the like in residential areas of Milton and we are highly opposed to this establishment serving alcohol given its residential location. This restaurant/bar will bring unwanted additional traffic and crowds to this corner of Providence Road and Freemanville Road in Milton. This corner could mimic the “hang out” atmosphere associated with their other restaurant, Pure Tacqueria. Anyone who has driven by Pure in Alpharetta, especially on the weekends, knows exactly what we are referring to.

A Church, “The River” has purchased the property across the street on the opposing corner and it is our understanding that the close proximity to this Church alone, within 300 feet, should keep the restaurant from obtaining a liquor license. In addition to this the new neighborhood, The Hayfield, is also next to this property and will have a school bus stop there as well which warrants the denial of any liquor license. The Church is not built yet, and the bus stop is not there at this very moment but they will be there. There is also another Baptist Church with in .3 miles of this establishment as well and the restaurant can be seen from the Church property. Our Community, our City Council and Planning Commission should be seriously taking this into consideration and acting against approving this restaurant owner a liquor license.

Milton currently has one High School on Freemanville Road, and another major High School and Middle school are going to be built on Freemanville Road within 2.8 miles of each other on this already dangerous 2 lane road. Now this restaurant/bar wants to open for business on this corner between the two High Schools, serving alcohol. On Friday and Saturday nights when there are events and football games at both schools, the thought of some of the patrons at this establishment indulging themselves, then getting on the roads and driving while our young children are coming home from football games and high school events is not resting well with the community. The placement of a restaurant that serves alcohol is a mistake for our community in this location and could prove to be a deadly mistake for some family or families in the future.

This restaurant is less then 309 feet from both culdesac’s in Holcombe Farms on the opposing corners of this establishment in addition to the two churches and new neighborhood, the Hayfield. The City is going around removing signs from the community that are in the right of way, however, has granted this owner the ability to place his restaurant on top of Providence Road. The parking situation is limited and they will have to valet park or self-park at the business establishment next to it, an Architect firm, to accommodate this restaurant.

If you live in Holcombe Farms, are you okay with having a restaurant/bar less then 309 feet from your back door? Is the community going to accept a restaurant in this location that offers beer/wine/liquor between two major high schools less then 2.8 miles on the same road? This letter is coming to the community out of concern for the safety of our children and our roads.

Please become involved to oppose this restaurant being granted a liquor license by contacting your Milton City Council, and Planning Commission insisting they deny any liquor license for this restaurant. The restaurant was able to build due to the previous use on this site, but no liquor was served prior and it doesn't belong here in this residential area in Milton. The opportunity is now to stop situations like this from coming in and ruining our City, jeopardizing the safety of our children and our roads, and all who travel them.

Their may be a select few that may want this restaurant, but its placement is inappropriate for our community and does not belong on this corner in Milton.

Please contact your City Council and let your voices be heard. This letter was written by request of mothers and families in Milton who are concerned about the safety of our children and residents in Milton on behalf of the Protect Milton Group.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Do I believe this is the best location for this type of business-

Absolutely not.

But this is a classic example of what "Restraint of trade" does in the locations where this type of business would have been better suited.

But no, we have an idiotic master plan that demands that residential housing be built on what should or could have been a commercial corner [SE corner of Birmingham Rd and Birmingham Hwy.] Mrs Zahner Bailey's plan wanted residential housing next to a Ga Power sub station no less. Now that makes sense. Today it sits idle as the ex-home of a grading company.

There are only so many options left for a business to locate.

Residents in the area, next time you fight againist commercial planning that is reasonable and don't except controlled commercial zoning. Please remember, the next time, it could come back to haunt you, literally, "In your back Yard"

I sincerely hope it doesn't happen to the residence of the Freemanville/Providence Rd.
area.

But, I won't say it suprises me.

It's really quite simple.

"Everything that goes around, comes around."

Anonymous said...

Nobody would have complained about a restaurant at that spot before all the people moved here...

Folks are going to drink and drive regardless...

Don't get me wrong, I definately don't like the idea, but I do think there is some sort of compromise, like maybe not issuing a liquor license, but only a beer and wine license...

I think the idea of a little restaurant there would be neat, but I hope it doesn't attract the same "trendy" atmosphere that Pure does...

As for the traffic issue that most are complaining about in that area, that won't be fixed until the State DOT get's the Providence / B'Ham Hwy intersection all straightend out.

Anonymous said...

No one complained about an establishment serving food there before, but they didn't serve alcohol, thus no complaints. It use to be a place where you could just stop and grab a quick bite, sandwich or fried chicken, et. Not a full blown restaurant. Plus this restaurant is on top of the road. This type of establishment is inappropriate for this location and since they managed to get it past the Design Review Committee, then so be it, but run the business with out liquor of any kind.

I am a resident and don't live near this site and think it is completely wrong and out of line for this residential area. Go put it where it is properly zoned instead of trying to sneak it past the community.

Anonymous said...

I haven’t traveled past the “under construction” restaurant in some time. I drove past it this AM and I have to say - I feel sorry for the developer of the Hayfield. The restaurant is so close to the Million dollar+ home entrance. What’s more the only commercial building I see is also located at the entrance of the Hayfield neighborhood. I am not sure what it is, but the parking lot was full this morning, so I don’t see how the restaurant could use it for Valet during lunch etc. In time, I would imagine that the owners of the commercial property will catch enough heat from Hayfield that they will have to stop using it for Valet. I wonder if the restaurant owner has ever traveled that road after 5:00pm? Traffic can back-up to Freemanville- so valet will have a hard time maneuvering in and out of the commercial property.

I don’t think the restaurant will get away with customers drinking outside. Now that we have 20+ police cars (and let me say the Milton police are more than strict these days) driving around, I am positive that the Milton police would be intolerant of those actions.

Kim Swiacki

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

Kim-

No offense, but you're not gonna get most of us to feel the least bit sorry for $1 Million homeowners...

Anonymous said...

ouch you sound jealous.

Anonymous said...

Hope the developer of Hayfield has taken into consideration when pricing the homes in there the discount he's going to have to give the purchasers due to the fact they are going to have to drive by this restaurant right next to their new million dollar homes, and the crowd it might imitate like at PURE on Friday/Saturday nights as they are trying to get in their entrance to their neighborhood. Good selling feature. If you could afford a million dollar home, why would you buy in there next to a soon to be restaurant/bar when you could live somewhere else, anywhere else.

Anonymous said...

You have got to be kidding. I own a million dollar home (in Roswell), and it would be great to have a restaurant and pub close by instead of having to drive miles. I like the beer and wine idea someone suggested, though. Of course, I like Pure, too! :)

Anonymous said...

Union has proven to be a terrific addition to the area and has not created a hazard.

If I were a homeowner in Hayfield I would be more comfortable with this well designed structure than the previous Sheila's dump.

Milton's restaurant is much closer to Milton high school than Union. I am sure many of the negative commenters can be see at brunch there after church on Sunday.

Anonymous said...

Union has proven to be a terrific addition to the area and has not created a hazard.

If I were a homeowner in Hayfield I would be more comfortable with this well designed structure than the previous Sheila's dump.

Milton's restaurant is much closer to Milton high school than Union. I am sure many of the negative commenters can be see at brunch there after church on Sunday.