Milton committee votes to remove three school-owned trail segments from blueprint, staff to process change

Members of Milton’s Emtek committee voted to remove three proposed trail segments that cross Fulton County Schools property and directed city staff to process the change, committee members said during the meeting.

Rob, a city staff member, told the committee that the city’s consultant is conducting parcel feasibility and environmental work for multiple potential trail sites and that the contractor’s work must finish before the city advances design. "Our consultant is underway and, basically, the look at the parcel kind of feasibility… the stream bank and the environmental work that we had talked about before, that's currently underway," Rob said.

The committee discussed three specific segments flagged on the blueprint map: a southern segment behind Crabapple Crossing Elementary and Northwestern Middle that would connect near city hall toward Freemanville; a central segment near Cowart and the rear of Summit Hill Elementary; and a northern segment through a more than 100-acre undeveloped parcel south of White Columns in Freemanville, a property owned by Fulton County Schools that was once considered as a potential Cambridge High site.

Why it matters: the segments appear on the adopted blueprint map (originally adopted by the council in 02/2007) but, Rob said, Fulton County Schools informed staff it does not support pedestrian trails crossing its properties. Without district support the city cannot proceed, staff and committee members said. "They absolutely want to encourage kids walking to school and using buses, but trails like this directly through their property, they would appreciate not being on a map like this," Rob said, reporting the district’s position.

The committee agreed by motion and second to remove the three Fulton County Schools segments from the blueprint map and to process that removal simultaneously with proposed additions (the "pink lines" staff presented). Committee members later confirmed the vote was taken and staff will begin the administrative process to remove the segments from the map.

Funding and next steps: city staff told the committee there is a dedicated bucket of TSPLOST money available for sidewalks and trails, which staff described as approximately $3.9 million remaining for projects originally identified in the 2017 referendum list. Rob also said about $1 million remains earmarked for Birmingham Park from earlier allocations. Staff said TSPLOST funds carry restrictions that generally require trails funded from that bucket to be within or adjacent to road rights-of-way.

Committee discussion also covered construction and surface choices, maintenance, and other active projects. Staff said construction is underway or planned on Morris and Webb, and on Coburn; Georgia DOT work on McGinnis Ferry will include concrete trails. Committee members and staff noted trade-offs among concrete, asphalt and gravel—concrete often costs more but performs differently over time, while asphalt price varies with oil markets and gravel can require higher maintenance.

Consultant scope and related work: staff said the consultant’s field work covers a series of parks identified for potential preservation or feasibility for a stream/wetland bank (sites mentioned included Lackey, Greenspace, Cooper/Sandy at Bethany, Providence, MCPP, Hamby and an added property on Hopewell). Rob described two main goals for the consultant’s work: to verify staff recommendations on ecology or cultural preservation with an environmental professional, and to assess whether sites could be used in a stream or wetland bank program that could generate credits for mitigation.

Engagement and outreach: staff said they will reach out to school and athletic contacts (including cross-country teams) for input on trail connections that might support safe walking or training needs. The committee asked communications and Parks & Rec staff to contact Cambridge and Milton high school athletic groups; committee members named Greg (communications) and Tom (Parks & Rec director) as contacts staff would involve.

Process and approvals: staff cautioned that changing the blueprint map and advancing projects will require additional city approvals. Rob noted a code/ordinance modification process that requires two readings at council and additional administrative steps before construction can begin. He also said some trail actions (e.g., easement purchases, right-of-way negotiations) can add months to design and delivery.

Administrative items: the committee scheduled a follow-up meeting and discussed meeting timing; staff proposed meeting July 31 to maintain momentum for outreach and follow-up work.

Committee members and staff emphasized that if Fulton County Schools does not support trails across their property, the city will shift focus to segments it owns and to other high-priority connections on the map.

Ending: Staff will proceed to process the map change to remove the three Fulton County Schools segments and to advance outreach and design work for prioritized sidewalk and trail segments funded from the TSPLOST allocation, subject to further council approvals and any required easement or right-of-way negotiations.