As you look around your community and this newsletter, I hope you see some changes you like. No, I'm not talking about the hot button development issues - trust me, we know there are a lot of valid and varied points of view there!

Instead, I'm talking about the progress we've made on things like road projects. As I'm sure you've noticed, the Ga. 140/New Providence intersection work is done, and the Francis/Hopewell/Cogburn roundabout is very nearly complete. After some serious trepidation from residents and passing motorists, we've received a lot of compliments on both projects -- so I'm glad you like where we're going. 

You've also likely noticed the tremendous work going into building the roundabout at Birmingham Highway and Providence and New Providence Roads, and you've probably heard about the groundbreakings for the Hopewell House senior and event center and the Bell Memorial Park expansion project.

     Read the entire message.

Senior Center Groundbreaking

The City of Milton held its first official groundbreaking ceremony Tuesday, July 15 at noon to celebrate the renovation of the Hopewell House, a Civil War-era home planned as a senior and event center.   

For more information, contact Communications Manager Jason Wright at jason.wright@cityofmiltonga.us or 678-242-2523.

The film, The Princess Bride (click here for more information), is free to the public, and Happy Belly and Tex's Tacos foodtrucks will be on hand to complete the evening. Just come by, kick back and have a great time!

The events start at 7 p.m., and the films will be shown at dusk (approximately 9 p.m.).

For more information on this, or any of the City of Milton's other special events, contact Angela Thompson, special events and projects manager, at 678-242-2530 or angela.thompson@cityofmiltonga.us. 

Flicks and Foodtrucks July 12

For more information on this, or any of the City of Milton's other special events, contact Angela Thompson, special events and projects manager, at 678-242-2530 or angela.thompson@cityofmiltonga.us. 

Bell Memorial Park: First Look

The City of Milton invites the community to the Bell Memorial Park expansion project groundbreaking ceremony Friday, Aug. 8 at 11 a.m.

Bell Memorial Park is located at 15245 Bell Park Road in Milton (click here for directions).

This ceremony will mark the kick-off of the $9.4 million expansion of Bell Memorial from a 12-acre park with four baseball fields to a nearly 30-acre multi-use facility with both passive and active recreation options.  

The new park design will have four dedicated diamond (baseball/softball) fields with centerfield dimensions of 180, 200, 200 and 280 feet. There will also be two rectangular fields lined for football, soccer and lacrosse. The second field can also be set up as a 200-foot, fifth diamond field.

Programming between spring, summer and fall will vary the configuration of four diamonds and two rectangular fields versus five diamonds and one rectangular field.

In April through June 2013 there were three input meetings for residents interested in the proposed Bell Memorial Park expansion project. Additionally, staff contacted representatives from 11 stakeholder groups representing sports leagues, trails enthusiasts, equestrians, local neighborhoods and more to conduct focused research.

These meetings followed a Living Room Conversation in November 2012 at Shannondale Farms in which residents learned about Milton's purchase of 14 acres to more than double the size of the park.

Milton paid $1.287 million for the land from the city's parks acquisition budget after a unanimous City Council vote in September of 2013. City Council later approved Foresite Group's bid of $54,000 for Bell Memorial Park master plan design and construction services. In July City Council awarded Astra Group, Inc. the $9.481 million contract to build the park.

For more information on the Bell expansion project, contact Parks and Recreation Director Jim Cregge at 678-242-2489 or jim.cregge@cityofmiltonga.us.

The City of Milton Public Works Department and Milton Grows Green are offering residents a bulky trash amnesty day Saturday, Sept. 13, so gather your large items for disposal.

From 8 a.m. to noon, residents of Milton can bring items to the City of Roswell Public Works Division at 1810 Hembree Road in Roswell (click here for directions). Only City of Milton and Roswell residents will be served. Proof of residency will be required, and utility bills are preferred.  

• tires - must be off the rim, automobile tires only; limit 4 per car
• sofas
• tables
• refrigerators
• chairs
• washers
• dryers
• televisions
• deactivated cell phones
• computer equipment and electronics
• mattresses and box springs
• grills
• lawnmowers (with fluids drained)

Going somewhere fun this summer?  Take your City of Milton sunglasses with you and share a picture with us on Facebook or Twitter.  Don't have a pair yet?  Stop by Flicks & Food trucks Aug. 2 to pick up your own! 

Citizens Government Academy 16

The City of Milton Communications Department has undertaken a monthly, video-on-demand Citizens Government Academy hosted through the city's YouTube page. 

Each month, Communications Manager Jason Wright will discuss a new topic in the two-minute videos. 

Soon, installments will cover virtually every aspect of the city's municipal operations, including sections reserved for hot topics that arise throughout the project.

To visit the City of Milton's YouTube page, click here.  

For more information, contact Communications Manager Jason Wright at jason.wright@cityofmiltonga.us or 678-242-2523.

This fall the City of Milton and Crabapple Community Association (CCA) will once again team up to bring Milton the biggest fall festival it has ever seen, Crabapple Fest, and limited sponsorship opportunities are now available for local businesses.

The Crabapple Fest sponsorship/vendor packet includes everything potential sponsors and vendors need. To download the packet immediately, click here.

There are four levels of sponsorship: Platinum ($5,000), Gold ($2,500) Silver ($1,000) and Bronze ($500). Each features its own perks, including company logo placement on all event banners, advertisements and staff T-shirts, prime booth space and links to your organization from the City of Milton's Web site. Please note, however, that specific inclusion and logo placement are based on sponsorship level.

To assure names and logos are included in promotional advertising, sponsors must be in by Aug. 25. Sponsorships will be taken after this date; however, they will only be added to advertisements scheduled after their approval.

The City of Milton prefers not to exclude any business that wants to sponsor Crabapple Fest. As such, special consideration will be given for sponsors at each level with regard to placement of logos on all advertising and location of booth space at the event.  

No direct competitor will be placed near another for advertising or booth location. However, direct competitors may be accepted as sponsors.

For any information on the festival, please contact Angela Thompson, special events and projects manager for the City of Milton, at 678-242-2530 or angela.thompson@cityofmiltonga.us.

Crabapple Fest, Milton's long-running and popular art and antique festival, is now accepting vendor applications for the Oct. 4 event.

If you are interested in taking part in this time-honored tradition, click here to visit the newly constructed vendor portal built by festival partner Crabapple Community Association (CCA).

Organizers welcome 19th century American Country furniture, primitive antiques, shabby chic items and unique pieces of art in all mediums - oils, photography, jewelry, textiles, pottery and quilts. Spaces are limited, so apply early.  

Once again the festival features kids and entertainment activities across Crabapple and Broadwell roads thanks to a partnership between CCA and the City of Milton.

Crabapple Fest will be held Saturday, Oct. 4 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Antique vendors, local juried artists and merchants from all over the Southeast will be on hand, in addition to loads of children's rides, games, a full day of entertainment and great local food.

Last year's event had more than 15,000 attendees, and was the biggest festival in Milton's modern history.

Vendor fees are tax deductible as the Crabapple Community Association is a chartered, non-profit organization. Proceeds benefit local community programs, scholarships and non-profit charities. 

For more information, contact Tom Gilliam at 678-242-2519 or tom.gilliam@cityofmiltonga.us.

Did you know Laurel Florio, a Milton resident and environmental law expert, has joined the City of Milton to help guide the city's land use plans?

Florio brings to the city decades of experience as consultant, legal counsel, land specialist and educator for a host of environmental protection organizations. Among that wealth of experience was six years as an attorney and land specialist for Memphis, Tenn.'s Ducks Unlimited, Inc. the world's leader in wetlands and waterfowl conservation.

Every two weeks, Florio writes a blog for the City of Milton in which she discusses important terms and concepts for land owners who wish to conserve their property.  

To read the blog, click here. 

Florio joins the city's growing list of conservation efforts, including: International City and County Manager Association (ICMA) consultancy on innovative strategies for green space protection from the Leadership ICMA program; a six-month moratorium on rezoning applications across multiple residential districts in the city; and smart growth strategies like form-based coding, transfer of development rights and community-based master planning.

To contact Florio, e-mail laurel.florio@cityofmiltonga.us or call 770-559-4025.

Roadwork projects continue throughout the city.  

ROADWORK

Please note: All dates on roadwork projects are estimates and are based on weather conditions. Any road closures will be sporadic and announced well in advance.  

Ga. 372 at Providence Road/New Providence Road
In August 2013, Bartow Paving Company, Inc. began intersection improvements at Ga. 372 (Birmingham Highway) and Providence and New Providence Roads. Plans include redirecting the intersection approach and installing a roundabout.

GDOT awarded the construction contract to Bartow Paving Company, Inc. in the amount of $2,576,297.45. The job is expected to last 18 months.   

For more information on these projects, visit http://miltonintersectionprojects.com or contact Angie Kapijimpanga, citizen responder for the City of Milton, at 678-242-2562 or angie.kapijimpanga@cityofmiltonga.us.

Bank South Home Mortgage cuts the ribbon June 18 for its newest location in Crabapple

This list is compiled from business license records kept by the city's Finance Department. If a new business receives a license within the month proceeding the newsletter, it will be listed.

The appearance of a business on this page is not intended, nor should it be construed, as the City of Milton's or Milton City Council's endorsement, sanction, promotion or advertisement of any particular business. Identification of businesses on this list is for informational purposes only. Citizens interested in retaining or conducting business with any of the companies or agencies listed in this item should conduct their own review and investigation of that business. 

For a continually updated list of current businesses in Milton via the city's Web site, click here.