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Milton council approves $4.9 million green-space reimbursement to preserve Hopewell Road properties
Summary
Milton City Council voted unanimously July 21 to reimburse the Capital Projects Fund $4.9 million from the city—s green space bond to permanently preserve two Hopewell Road parcels acquired in 2023.
Milton City Council voted unanimously Monday to reimburse $4,900,000 from the city—s green-space bond to the Capital Projects Fund to permanently preserve two properties on Hopewell Road.
The reimbursement covers two acquisitions the city made in 2023: the Bates property, about 34 acres purchased in February 2023 for $3,500,000, and the Hudson property, about 5 acres purchased in April 2023 for $1,400,000. The motion to approve the resolution was made by Councilor Carol Cookerly and seconded by Councilor Doug Haney; voting was unanimous.
The measure formalizes a prior decision to stop a proposed sale of roughly 39 acres on Hopewell Road and instead preserve the land with proceeds from the 2016 green-space bond referendum. Sarah Lueders, the city—s public works director, told council the resolution "authorizes the reimbursement of $4,900,000 to the city's Capital Projects Fund from the unallocated balance of the green space bond," aligning the acquisitions with the bond—s intent.
Resident Cindy Hester, who lives adjacent to the properties, spoke in favor of the reimbursement during the public-comment period. "This is exactly the kind of investment these funds were designed for, preserving open space, protecting our rural character," Hester said. She told council the land will serve as an extension of Providence Park and help preserve farmland, equestrian uses and wildlife habitat.
Councilors and staff said the choice reflects earlier community input and a shift in direction after canceling the sale bid. City staff said funding will now be reflected as green-space bond expenditures rather than Capital Projects Fund acquisitions.
No formal implementation timeline was adopted as part of the resolution; staff will integrate the change into accounting and project plans. The council discussion did not include any vote limits, contingencies, or litigation matters tied to the acquisitions.
The reimbursement and transfer of funding complete the council—s action to preserve the Hopewell parcels under the 2016 bond program. The decision followed multiple meetings and public engagement on the properties over the past two years.
