Consultants present next steps for Mayfield District

Milton makes headway on municipal elections

By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com

MILTON, Ga. — After months of public workshops to create a defined character area for the District at Mayfield, the project’s consultants submitted recommendations to the Milton City Council March 20 based on final design plans.

The district covers about 18 acres in Crabapple and includes 22 parcels with properties off Broadwell Road, Charlotte Drive, Mayfield Road and Mid Broadwell Road. The District at Mayfield will have more strict development regulations intended to keep the area’s unique identity intact. Elements of the overlay district would fall under Crabapple form-based code.

Residents have stated their preference to connect any new construction to historic buildings in the area.

“We knew the plan wasn’t going to reflect a strong preservation aspect, but it had to be acknowledged,” said Ryan Snodgrass, a planner with TSW, the design firm heading the project.

The Milton Historical Society has been involved in the process, providing insight into the area’s historic side and holding educational sessions with the public on some of the properties at risk.

Jeff Dufresne, Milton Historical Society president, is also a member of the project’s steering committee.

Final plans

The Preferred Master Plan presented at the March 2 public workshop and open house has been adjusted in a few key ways to accommodate further input. However, a density of 5 units per acre in each of the plan’s four areas, broken up by a majority property owner, remains intact.

One of the biggest changes from the previous plan, Snodgrass said, is the removal of the roundabout and reorganization of buildings to create a more “village feel.”

Snodgrass presented some familyoriented and more quiet open spaces sprinkled throughout the final concept plan in addition to commercial building styles. The preferred style is low scale, Snodgrass said, and commercial structures designed to look like residential, or cottage-commercial buildings.

Snodgrass also highlighted a closure to a portion of Mid Broadwell Road for a pedestrian corridor, beginning near the corner of Broadwell and Mayfield roads.

City Councilman Jan Jacobus said he was surprised at the limited number of residential structures on the final plan. Snodgrass said that while previous plans included more housing, the community didn’t want single-family detached homes or townhouses.

There are only four purely residential dwellings in the plan, all located off Mid Broadwell Road, a detail discussed with the property owner.

Snodgrass couldn’t confirm how many of the district’s 11 property owners participated in the public workshops, but all were invited.

During public comment, one property owner in the District at Mayfield said he had never been consulted about plans.

“Until we have been at least consulted with or involved in the process, we strongly oppose any moratorium or motions to develop our property without permission,” Jeff Pedowitz, the property owner said.

A moratorium has been in place since last summer to stall development in the district. It is set to end June 20.

TSW’s Caleb Rocicot proposed updates to the Crabapple form-based code to support the project’s vision, but he emphasized that there would be no change in density.

“We’ve made a very deliberate effort to recognize that the vision and the code work hand-in-hand,” Rocicot said.

Changes fall under two categories, which are the regulating plan, or the zoning map, and the standards, Rocicot said,

Elections progress

Milton has checked some boxes in its drive to conduct its own municipal election this year.

The city fixed and published qualifying fees and approved some “housekeeping” measures, updating city code. City staff, including City Manager Steve Krokoff, Deputy City Manager Stacey Inglis and City Clerk Tammy Lowit, also attended election training and obtained the Municipal Election Official Certification.

Krokoff told the City Council an elections superintendent needs to be named by April 10. While no official vote was taken on the matter, councilmembers agreed Krokoff should take on the role. They also said the city should hire an experienced consultant to assist.

“Considering it’s our first time through, it’s like going to medical school but never doing surgery,” Krokoff said. “I think every aspect of the process would be nice to have somebody that’s ‘been there, done that.’”

Also at the meeting, Lowit displayed maps offering options for city polling locations.

The Municipal Elections Feasibility Committee, which has investigated selfrun municipal elections, recommended the city have two polling locations. Historically, Lowit said Milton has had eight Fulton County polling locations on election day.

Lowit proposed the layout of two locations but maps options that contain three polling locations. All maps mimicked the county’s precinct lines but were colored differently to tend to the lower number of locations.

Inglis provided estimated costs for two, three and eight polling locations. In the first year, staff estimated that two polling locations would cost the city $98,382. A third polling location would add about $11,000 in cost.

If the city were to keep eight polling locations, it would spend $166,522 for the first year.

Krokoff said he thinks Milton is the only North Fulton city running its own municipal elections this year. Johns Creek and Roswell officials have already said they will continue their contract with Fulton County to operate polling, although they plan to study the issue further by the time 2025 municipal elections roll around.

Alpharetta is still in the process of making its decision. And, Sandy Springs does not have a municipal election this year.

“I don’t think it’s a bad idea for us to have a chance to do this alone so we can ensure, without any distraction — not that I’m disparaging any of our sister cities that are all wonderful places,” Moore said. “But we need to ensure our own success because this is going to be under such scrutiny...”