Milton Moves Forward With Country Club Purchase

MILTON, GA -- The city of Milton completed its due diligence as part of its plans to purchase the Milton Country Club. This process included two phases of an environmental assessment, surveys and appraisals and preliminary inspections of the equipment and facilities of the amenity.

According to the city, the actual acreage of the land is 139.793 rather than the 137.09 it previously mentioned. The appraised value of the property was $6 million, which is more than the $5 million the City Council voted to authorize spending to buy the property.

The first phase of the city's environmental assessment, however, did identify two areas of concerns: the fuel storage area and the fertilizer storage area. Following this discovery, the city conducted another assessment on the areas and that final report "indicated that any environmental issues were below reportable quantities and could either be left in place or removed and disposed of if the area were redeveloped."

With all this information in hand, the city will move forward with its purchase and expects a closing date for sometime in mid-January. The Milton Finance Department is working with the city's attorneys and other professionals to determine best way to maximize the greenspace bond funds and account for the active portion of the $5 million purchase price by using other city funds.

"We are excited about this greenspace purchase and we look forward to working with adjacent neighbors and the entire community on how best to proceed with the property," the city added.

Here are a few items Milton staff members are working on ahead of the purchase:

• "Park Temporarily Closed" signs are being ordered and will be placed at each entry point to the golf course to discourage anyone from walking the trails or course.
• City staff are exploring the feasibility and possible short-term options for the upcoming tennis and swim seasons. Any long-term facility and programming decisions would be addressed during the community planning process for this property. However, it said it is seeking possible stop-gap measures for the impending seasons.
• City staff are exploring both short-term and long-term gating solutions to ensure that the parking lot can be secured at night.
• This property was already being patrolled by the Milton Police Department as part of our routine public safety services; however, the department will step up patrols during the time in which the facilities are temporarily closed to the public.
• The Milton Fire Department will begin assessing the property and trails for any short-term safety needs. The final emergency plan for the facility will be driven by the results of the park's master plan developed with the community's input.

The city notes anyone with questions should reach out at info@cityofmiltonga.us.

Image via city of Milton