Milton Equestrian Committee previews events, land‑preservation incentives and safety work

The Milton Equestrian Committee presented its 2024 accomplishments and 2025 priorities to the Milton City Council at a work session on April 21, 2025, urging incentives to preserve large lots, new safety outreach for barns and horses, and community events to raise awareness of Milton’s equestrian heritage.

The committee’s chair, Tony Rich, told the council the group’s work “revolves around our farms” and emphasized land‑preservation as central to keeping equestrian owners in Milton. Committee member Shannon Regan Quidley said the group organized a March 8 Birmingham Park cleanup with “over 40 volunteers,” and previewed the committee’s fourth annual “Meet the Neighbors” event set for May 10; the committee said last year’s event drew about 700 attendees and this year will include 32 vendors and live music.

The update highlighted safety initiatives focused on barn fires and medical emergencies. Rich and Quidley said Fire Marshal Andrew Kennedy has offered complimentary on‑site barn assessments and delivered a barn‑fire seminar to local owners. Rich described a recent case in which an on‑site automated external defibrillator (AED) saved a rider’s life at a Florida horse show and said the committee is discussing CPR training and wider AED placement at equestrian facilities.

Carson Seville, who led the committee’s tax‑program outreach, described efforts to educate owners about CUVA enrollments through Fulton County, which he called “a 10 year period where you have a reduced property tax with the county, in exchange for not developing your land.” Seville and Rich said the committee tracks active and potential farms in Milton and is promoting incentives to keep large lots intact.

Proposals the committee asked the city to consider included a municipal manure‑compost drop‑off and phased composting program, third‑party pasture maintenance services to achieve group discounts, and relaxed variance requirements for small farm structures (run‑in sheds, chicken coops and farm sheds) while still discussing maximum square footage. Seville said the committee’s mapping work identified roughly 1,400 parcels over 3 acres, 257 parcels over 10 acres, about 94 CUVA enrollments inside city limits, and approximately 226 active parcels with large livestock (mostly horses); the committee described those counts as working estimates.

Rich also raised the idea of a community equestrian center and said the committee would be willing to produce a business plan if council gave a “green light.” Council members present noted that such a facility would likely need a third‑party operator rather than being run by city parks and recreation staff.

Council members and staff asked operational questions about the manure program (turning, storage, hauling logistics) and whether Birmingham Park might host a composting operation or an equestrian facility. The committee said it had discussed a range of facility sizes and uses and favored starting with a modest, community‑oriented facility that could introduce youth to riding.

The council did not take a formal vote on the committee’s requests at the April 21 session. Committee members said they will continue outreach and educational programs and offered to return with a business plan if council directs staff to pursue an equestrian center concept.

The committee’s presentations and subsequent council discussion combined community‑safety outreach (fire prevention, AED/CPR), event planning, and policy suggestions aimed at keeping Milton’s large‑lot equestrian character intact.