Milton Updating City's Trail Plan, Seeks Public Input

MILTON, GA — The City of Milton is kicking off a community planning process to update the City's Master Trail Plan. Over the next two months, planning staff and consultants from Kimley-Horn will be conducting a series of dedicated trails stakeholder and community discussions.

The Trail Plan Kick-Off Meeting & Open House will be held Monday, July 22, from 5-6 p.m., in City Hall Council Chambers. All meetings are open to the public, but the facilitated discussion for each meeting will typically focus on a specific target area or trail plan element.

The Milton Trail Plan is the Bike and Pedestrian Master Plan for the City of Milton. The first draft was completed by a Citizens Committee with Georgia Tech and city staff support in 2007.

It was updated in the Parks and Recreation Master Plan, passed Nov. 5, 2012.

The plan calls for horse, bike, and pedestrian friendly multi-use paths that follow the public roadways (i.e., in the front yard). The trail will be accessible from school locations. Americans with Disabilities Act accommodations will be made in cooperation with disability groups, with routine accommodation where possible.

Milton has been charged with a unique task: provide a parks and recreation Master Plan for their community. The City of Milton, City staff, and the consultant team working together with community leaders and the public prepared this Comprehensive Parks and Recreation Master Plan to serve as the strategic planning tool for making parks, open space, facility and program decisions over the next twenty years. The Master Plan identifies the actions that the City will be required to implement in satisfying the expectations of the community. It includes recommendations that give guidance for improving programs, creating a financially responsible organization, identifying potential land acquisitions, protecting natural open space, integrating existing and ongoing City of Milton planning efforts, improving and establishing new facilities and instituting continuous parks and recreation improvement processes.

The City of Milton is experiencing unprecedented growth. With this development come new issues, expectations and demands for expansion and protection of the unique rural and equestrian character of the city. The anticipation of these changes has led to the research and design of this Master Plan in the hopes that every one of these demands are met, and that the City of Milton will find itself among the best communities in the Atlanta metro region.

• Provide social benefits within the community regardless of income, background and ability
• Provide economic benefits by improving the quality of life in the community and helping to attract businesses and residents to the city
• Provide protection of the environment by establishing greenways, natural areas and open spaces managed by the city
• Provide health benefits too individuals and the community by promoting physical fitness and self-improvement

A citywide discussion is planned for mid-September. Check the City's website calendar for all meeting dates and location details.