Milton council extends moratorium on small AG‑1 subdivisions after staff presentation on lot‑coverage trends

Milton — The Milton City Council voted 6–1 on Feb. 9 to extend an emergency moratorium that halts acceptance of new minor subdivision plats in the AG‑1 zoning district that would create any lot smaller than 3 acres, giving staff time for broader public outreach and potential code changes.

City Attorney Angela Davis read the resolution's scope into the record, saying the extension could run "up to 120 days, which gets us to June 9," but that the council could terminate the moratorium earlier by subsequent vote. The measure is agenda item 26‑052 under the City of Milton Unified Development Code, Article 12 (Subdivision of Land).

The vote followed a staff presentation led by Community Development and Public Works Director Sarah Leeters and Deputy Community Development Director Tracy Wildes. Staff told the council that, based on CityView permitting data from roughly 2021–2025 limited to AG‑1 lots, recent building trends show larger house footprints and rising lot‑coverage ratios on the same or smaller parcel sizes. Leeters summarized the key procedural concern: "The minor plat process is quick and easy with limited upfront review," and that…