Milton moves to protect roughly 39 acres on Hopewell Road under green space bond, halts sealed-bid sale

The Milton City Council voted unanimously Monday to terminate a sealed-bid sale of roughly 39 acres on Hopewell Road and directed staff to begin steps to secure the parcel under the city's 2016 green space bond for permanent preservation.

Mayor Peyton Jamieson told council the parcel ‘‘meets all the original goals of the green space bond,’’ citing its rural character, environmental value and its direct connection to Providence Park. Jamieson said incorporating the site would approximately double the park’s area and create a protected linkage to Hopewell Road.

Council Member Carol Cookerly moved to terminate the sealed-bid disposition authorized by a prior resolution and to direct staff to begin the process of securing the property under the bond program. Council Member Doug Haney seconded the motion, which passed unanimously.

City staff and council referenced several parcel figures during the discussion: the agenda initially listed the property as 38.921 acres; speakers later used figures of 38.91 and 39.089 acres. To avoid overstating precision, council materials list the parcel at about 39 acres and the motion directs staff to proceed with preservation consistent with the bond’s purpose of land preservation and public benefit.

Mayor Jamieson said a practical reason for prompt council action was to stop the ongoing sealed-bid process quickly so prospective buyers would not spend additional resources. He described the vote as an effort to act ‘‘with some dispatch’’ to halt the sale and move toward acquisition under the green space bond.

Council voted without public comment on the item. Staff will begin the procedural steps required to allocate green space bond funds and to remove the parcel from the public sale process, subject to legal and administrative review and any public-notice requirements tied to bond expenditures.