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Staff grants tree‑canopy waiver for 7 Brew Coffee outparcel on Highway 9
Summary
City arborist reported a tree‑canopy waiver was issued for a 0.77‑acre outparcel at Highway 9 and Windward Parkway (7 Brew Coffee) because limited existing canopy and engineering constraints prevented meeting the ordinance’s "one‑third existing canopy" requirement; staff found the proposed new plantings would produce a 50% replacement canopy.
City arborist Sandra DeWitt told the Milton Planning Commission on Oct. 22 that staff issued one tree‑canopy waiver during the last quarter for a new 7 Brew Coffee outparcel at 12875 Highway 9 near Windward Parkway.
DeWitt said the site is about 0.77 acres and had only sparse volunteer pioneer trees (small pines, sweetgums and yellow poplars) after prior right‑of‑way disturbance for the Highway 9 widening. The waiver sought an exception to the UDC requirement that at least one‑third of the required canopy be provided by existing trees that remain on site (Article 11.1.0.3.d.2).
DeWitt explained the site’s small size, the need to meet stormwater requirements and the applicant’s preferred drive‑through configuration left little room to preserve existing trees. The Development Review Board recommended new plantings in the remaining landscape strips. Staff determined the waiver was justified because the proposed replacement plantings along Highway 9, in the parking lot and in the landscape strip would result in a proposed replacement canopy of about 50% overall — exceeding the minimum canopy coverage required in the site’s Deerfield form‑based T5 zone (10% canopy requirement for T5).
No formal commission action was taken; DeWitt presented the waiver as an informational item and accepted questions from commissioners.
