Alpharetta Considers Two New Developments

The requests to rezoning two Broadwell Road tracts for low density residential are scheduled to be heard during City Council's meeting tonight.

Alpharetta City Council will consider two residential rezoning requests to allow for-sale single family homes on two Broadwell Road properties. Both zoning hearing are scheduled for tonight's meeting, which begins at 7:30 at City Hall. The first request will be to rezone approximately 8 acres from agricultural to R-15 to allow homes on lots with a minimum size of 15,000 square feet. The property is on the west side of Broadwell Road. Brooks Chadwell Capital wants to develop 15 homes on the property, keeing the existing Dodd residence. This property is just north of the Beragio development. The second request is to rezone an 11.5-acre tract to R-15 from agricultural. Ashton Woods would build 19 homes on the property. Crabapple Chase …

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Alpharetta Residents, Business Owners Asked to Plan Main Street

Envision Main Street Alpharetta will gather ideas from residents and other stakeholder to design the road.

What should Alpharetta's Main Street look like? How should it function? The city will once again ask what stakeholders and other residents think in its Envision Main Street Alpharetta project. Main Street, which is also known as GA 9, has changed little in recent years while the city has continued to grow. "Main Street must be redesigned in a way that reflects and respects both its local and regional transportation roles," the city's Envision Main Street Alpharetta website says. "Designing Main Street in a manner that meets the needs of the myriad groups that it serves: residents, business owners, local employees, shoppers, diners, visitors, and regional commuters, is no simple task. In fact, the effort can only be successful when …

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Milton Wants Residents' Vision of Growth Along Ga. 9

An open meeting will have residents taking part in an interactive exercise to create their own vision for the corridor from Bethany Bend north.

Interested in how Ga. 9 North will grow and develop over the next decade? Then make sure you're a part of the visioning study of the popular business and residential corridor Wednesday, Feb. 13 at Crooked Creek's clubhouse. This open public meeting, hosted by the City of Milton Community Development Department, kicks off at 6 p.m. at 14250 Creek Club Drive in Milton. It will be an interactive exercise during which residents will discuss their vision for Ga. 9 from Bethany Bend to the Forsyth County line. Milton Principal Planner Michele McIntosh-Ross said Milton recently completed a visioning study and development master plan for Ga. 9 from Mayfield Road to Bethany Bend (More information can be found on the city's website). Alpharetta did …

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Milton Plans Arnold Mill Corridor Study at 'Discount' Price

Community Development Director Kathleen Field convinced the ARC to help her staff prepare the study and master plan at a fraction of the cost consultants might charge.

Milton Community Development Director Kathleen Field has found a way to get professional help in creating a master plan for the Arnold Mill Corridor for approximately $5,000 instead of the $125,000 or so it would cost to hire a consulting company. City Council members were happy to hear of the potential savings and the planning when Field introduced her proposal at Wednesday night's meeting at Milton City Hall. With Veterans Day observed on Monday, city offices were closed, which moved the meeting to Wednesday. Field has convinced the Atlanta Regional Commission to help the city run mini-charettes with stakeholders in the Arnold Mill Road area. The ARC will provide staff to run the week of meetings with stakeholders. The city will provide …

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Alpharetta Hire Forces Woodstock To Begin Search For New Director

Richard McLeod accepted a position with the city of Alpharetta, which will leave Woodstock without a Community Development director.

Woodstock is in the market for a new Community Development director. Richard McLeod earlier this announced he's resigning from the post in Woodstock to take the same position with the city of Alpharetta. McLeod will start with Alpharetta on Nov. 5. McLeod replaces Diana Wheeler, who resigned from the post earlier this year. City Manager Jeff Moon said he's also sad to see McLeod leave the city. "I am happy for Richard for the opportunity that this gives him both personally and professionally," he added. "I am sad for us from the standpoint that anytime you lose an employee of Richard’s ability, experience and tenure with the city, it is hard to replace them." Moon added the city has an "excellent" relationship with the city of Alpharetta…

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Milton Property Owners Want Exotic Animals

The Community Development Department has requests to allow AG-1 property owners to have more than just domestic animals on their property.

Did you know that Milton is considering a use permit requirement for exotic animals? That sounds as if it is intended to restrict residents to only having the traditional domestic animals, such as horses, cows, sheep and pets like dogs and cats. However, it's intended to have the exact opposite effect, as the following email Q&A with Kathleen Field, Milton's director of Community Development, will reveal. Alpharetta-Milton Patch: What prompted the idea to propose creating this use permit? Kathleen Field: The Community Development Department has had requests from landowners in the AG-1 District to house animals other than those defined as “domestic” (which are the only types of animals currently allowed). Patch: Why does Milton need this? …

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Diana Wheeler Takes Job with Peachtree Corners

Alpharetta's former Community Development director will start in a similar position with the new Gwinnett County city on Aug. 27.

Five weeks after resigning from a position as Alpharetta's Community Development director, Diana Wheeler has taken a similar position with Peachtree Corners. Gwinnett County's newest city named Wheeler as its Community Development director, effective Aug. 27, according to a news release from the city. She will oversee planning, zoning, economic development, code enforcement, and building development functions for the newly incorporated Peachtree Corners, Gwinnett County’s largest city. “Diana Wheeler is one of the most respected community development professionals in the southeast,” said Peachtree Corners Mayor Mike Mason. “Her intelligence, skills and experience in the Metro Atlanta area will be a great benefit to our residents and …

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Letter to the Editor

Alpharetta Resident Doesn't See Guarantees from Avalon

In her letter to City Council, Elizabeth Hooper says she doesn't see any guarantees that the developer will commit to what's needed for the "Wow" factor.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Elizabeth Hooper sent this letter to Alpharetta City Council, and prepared her own comparison of what she knows about Avalon to Americana at Brand and Santana Row. Dear City Council Members, I am urging you to heed the recommendations made by the Planning Commission at their April 5th meeting regarding the Avalon proposal. I am specifically referring to the requirement that NAP purchase developer rental zoning rights to cover their planned 250 rental units. My concerns are as follows; 1) The Planning Commissioners feel that it is their responsibility to uphold the 2030 Comprehensive Plan goal of an 85% “for sale” to 15% “for rent” housing ratio. The majority of citizens in our city want to maintain the lower density housing …

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Mark Toro

11:47 am on Monday, April 23, 2012

Thank you. I look forward to meeting you.   more ›

Milton Hires Community Development Director With Deep Ties to North Fulton

Kathleen Field formerly headed Roswell's department and serves on several local boards.

Kathleen Field, a familiar face in North Fulton government and the community, returns to work here, this time as Milton's Community Development director. Field starts her new job on Wednesday, Sept. 7, said City Manager Chris Lagerbloom, who made the announcement in a release on Friday, Sept. 2. Field comes to Milton from McDonough, and will replace interim Director Tom Wilson, who has served since Lynn Tully's departure in August. "Kathy Field is a trusted and proven professional, and a big win for Milton," said Lagerbloom. "She has the tools and background to hit the ground running and address our issues head-on. "Her years of varied and valuable experience will surely take this vital department to new heights," he added. Field began her…

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Milton Losing Community Development Director to Tennessee City

Lynn Tully is taking the opportunity to head the Development Services department in Kingsport where she once was a staff member.

Milton now needs to fill two department head positions, as the Community Development director's post will be vacant as of July 22 and the Parks and Recreation director's last day was Tuesday. Lynn Tully is going back to her career roots to head the Development Services department in Kingsport, Tenn., in what she called a once in a lifetime opportunity. "I wish her all the best, all the best in the world,. It seems as though it's the right place for her family," said City Manager Chris Lagerbloom. The city already has 10 applicants for her position, and expects more. The city is farther along on the Parks and Recreation director search, he said. The nice thing about that position is that Milton has Cyndee Bonacci on board part time while …

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