The Milton Planning Commission on Jan. 14 voted unanimously to recommend that the City Council approve a use permit (U-25-03) and a concurrent parking variance (VC25-01) for a 24.92-acre mixed‑use redevelopment in the Deerfield area at 13010 Morris Road.

Zoning manager Robin McDonald told commissioners the proposal by Deerfield CC Delaware LLC would convert underutilized office acreage into a mixed‑use center with 140 multifamily apartments, 20 townhomes, 10 loft apartments above retail and 24,840 square feet of new retail. McDonald said staff’s analysis shows the project meets Deerfield form‑based code standards and the 2040 comprehensive plan and recommended approval with conditions, including requirements that nonresidential functions be identified and built concurrent with multifamily uses.

McDonald also outlined the concurrent variance request to reduce the site parking requirement. Using the Urban Land Institute shared‑parking model, staff said the ULI methodology produces a required 1,194 spaces (compared with 1,309 under traditional minimums) and the site as proposed would provide 955 spaces. McDonald noted 23 on‑street spaces offered by the developer along Morris Road cannot technically be counted against the site total, meaning an approved reduction should reflect 932 spaces if council excludes those streetscape stalls. “Based upon the office trends of the past 5 years … mixed‑use developments benefit from the shared use of spaces,” McDonald said, and recommended approval of the concurrent variance subject to conditions.

Applicant representatives framed the project as a reactivation of a largely vacant office complex. Ethan Underwood of Underwood Scoggins said the development would “give it a shot in the arm and to reactivate this” area in line with the Deerfield destination plan. Owner‑developer Guido Barbagallo said the multifamily units would be market‑rate rentals and the townhomes fee‑simple; he added the team intends to renovate the existing office buildings to align with the new mixed‑use environment.

Developers and their consultant team provided program and design details: 84 one‑bedroom and 56 two‑bedroom multifamily units (average sizes stated in the staff conditions), a 6,000‑square‑foot amenity building, pool, coworking space, bike storage and a planned public dog park. Staff presented an impact‑fee estimate of about $1.9 million tied to the build‑out, with parks and recreation receiving the largest share (roughly $1.1 million under the staff breakdown).

Commission questions centered on traffic, school impacts, parking adequacy and how incentives change allowed residential mixes. The traffic study, staff said, accounts for roadway improvements including the planned McGinnis Ferry/GA‑400 interchange widening; staff also said Fulton County Schools has not yet specified how school bus staging would be handled at the site. Commissioners and staff discussed incentives in the Deerfield form‑based code that allow a shift from a by‑right 50/50 residential/nonresidential split toward higher residential ratios when developers provide public amenities; in this case, staff said the applicant’s incentives produced a development mix of roughly 56.8% residential and 43.2% commercial.

One Deerfield Villages resident, Liliana Medina, urged the commission to prioritize safety for students and preserve existing tree lines. “My concern as a parent is the roundabout … I would prefer safety first, traffic signal to make everybody stop,” Medina said, expressing worry about children crossing near athletic traffic. City staff responded that the Deerfield & Webb intersection will remain a signalized crossing and clarified that the Morris/Webb roundabout referenced in materials already exists and may be modified as part of roadway improvements.

Staff’s recommended conditions include requiring a development phasing plan, ensuring nonresidential functions are built concurrent with multifamily, a publicly accessible multiuse trail along the Morris Road frontage constructed with the first phase unless otherwise approved, provision of 24% civic/open space, and negotiation of a nominal ($1) lease for a civic building with at least a 20‑year term to make a civic facility available for city use. McDonald told the panel that these conditions are included in the revised materials distributed for the Jan. 14 presentation.

After questions and public comment, Commissioner Brian McNeese moved and Commissioner Stephanie Butler seconded a motion to recommend approval of use permit U‑25‑03 and concurrent variance VC‑25‑01 with the updated recommended conditions. The commission approved the recommendation unanimously and Chair Judy Burrows said staff will forward its findings to the mayor and city council for final disposition. The city council is scheduled to consider the application at its Feb. 2, 2026 meeting, per staff notice.

The commission also flagged follow‑up work for staff and the applicant during the land disturbance permit and design‑review phases, including final trailhead design and pedestrian crossing details; staff said those items will be refined in later permit reviews.