Matildas Wins Milton City Council Approval

MILTON, GA — After several hours of questions and discussions, the Milton City Council on Monday approved a request to allow Matildas to relocate from Alpharetta to the Birmingham Crossroads.

City leaders voted after midnight Tuesday, June 19 to a petition from Curtis Mills, the property owner and applicant, to grant a use permit and variances for 6.48 acres at 850 and 875 Hickory Flat Road, the former location of Wilbur & Rudy's Coffee Cafe, to open Matildas Under the Pines in Milton. The Council voted 5-0 to approve the project, with Council member Laura Bentley recusing herself.

The property is zoned AG-1 and C-1, and the variance allows the applicant to move forward with plans to open an outdoor music festival venue that would be used for periodic concerts. Matildas plans to operate as an outdoor music venue featuring bluegrass, country, folk and blues artists during the warmer months of the year. Milton planning commissioners voted to recommend approval of the request at their May 23 meeting.

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On Tuesday, Matildas thanked its supporters who stood behind them throughout the planning and zoning process.

"I was awed to see so many of you there," the venue said on its Facebook page. "Our efforts paid off and after hours of tweaking at almost 3 a.m. it passed with conditions, so Milton, here we come to bring you some great music and fun times with your friends and family!! Thank you to so many who went above and beyond to make this happen. Thank you, Mayor Lockwood and all the city councilmen who voted yes."

As readers recall, Wilbur & Rudy's closed its operations in the old Buice Store in June 2017. Matildas, a longtime staple in near downtown Alpharetta, shuttered its facility in that city after the property owner won approval from the City Council to build townhomes at 377 South Main Street. Matildas owners kicked off their 2018 concert season June 16 at The Porch at 531 South Main Street in Alpharetta.

According to the Milton Herald, the Council approved Matilda's relocation with some stipulations, which included reducing the suggested decibel limit from 85 to 75 for the nearest properties, limiting concerts to Friday and Saturday from May 1 through October and limiting the number of attendees that can attend a concert to not exceed 200.

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