On July 8 the City of Milton Board of Adjustments approved a variance allowing up to 85% impervious surface coverage on two vacant parcels in the 5900 block of Dogwood Drive, provided the project’s engineered stormwater system is built as presented and retains 100% of runoff with no off‑site discharge.

The parcels lie in the C‑1 (neighborhood commercial) zoning district, where the Unified Development Code limits impervious coverage to 60%. Planning staff said the applicant, ABC Investments, applied June 17 and requested a variance because the proposed development would otherwise exceed the ordinance. Staff and the applicant told the board the stormwater system—shown on site plans with a retention pond in the northeast corner—was sized to capture all runoff from the parcels.

Planning staff reported that the city mailed 57 certified notices to nearby property owners; 50 were delivered and 7 were returned undelivered. At the time of the hearing staff said it had received no written public comments. The staff presentation noted the variance request concerns only impervious‑surface coverage and does not waive other UDC requirements, including landscaping, buffering or façade standards.

Nearby property owner Dennis Pate said he was concerned about added runoff reaching his property and asked that the developer add a drain or trench at the shared property line. Pate said, “This is going to cause overflow onto our property,” and asked for a small trench to be added between the properties to protect his buildings.

John Wood, one of the developers on the application, responded that surface drainage from the parcels would be collected in engineered basins and piped to the proposed pond. “All of the property up front is gonna go into drain bases and that will be piped directly into the pond,” Wood said, describing pipe sizes and an existing easement used for the utility connection.

Staff emphasized that the variance approval should be conditioned on the stormwater system being built exactly as described in the applicant’s engineering letter and plans. A board member moved to approve the application for 85% impervious coverage with the condition that the stormwater system capture and retain 100% of runoff and discharge no water off‑site; a second followed and the motion passed by the board.

The board did not specify additional waivers. The approval is conditional on the engineering design described at the hearing; permitting, final plan review and construction inspections remain required before any site disturbance or building permits are issued.