Milton put about 185 acres of Birmingham Park under a permanent conservation easement held by a land trust. Trails stay open; development is ruled out.

About 185 acres of Birmingham Park are now protected from development permanently. The Milton City Council approved a conservation easement with the Georgia-Alabama Land Trust on Oct. 5, and city and trust officials signed it at the park on Oct. 8.

The city announced the vote in a news release on Oct. 6 and the signing in a second release on Oct. 9.

The park is at 750 Hickory Flat Road in northwest Milton, near the Birmingham Crossroads. Our Birmingham neighborhood guide has more on the area.

What the easement does

An easement is a legal agreement attached to the land. The city still owns the park. The land trust, a nonprofit, now holds the easement and will monitor the park to make sure nothing breaks its terms.

Under the agreement, according to the city:

  • development and other changes out of line with the easement are ruled out, permanently
  • the city keeps the right to maintain existing trails and build new ones
  • it can still add signs, seating, shelters, parking and restrooms, and the utilities they need, if they fit the easement
  • hiking, horseback riding and watching wildlife carry on, along with other low-impact recreation and education

“What major changes will residents notice directly because of this agreement? None, since that’s the entire point,” the city said in its release.

Why it matters

The protection cannot be undone by a later council. Mayor Peyton Jamison made that point in the city’s release.

“By placing this property into a permanent conservation easement, we ensured that it will remain protected for generations to come and cannot simply be developed by future elected officials,” Jamison said.

“The significance of this agreement is that the protection is permanent,” City Manager Steven Krokoff said.

The city said the Birmingham Park easement is now the largest the trust holds in Fulton County, more than twice the size of the next one. The trust protects more than 518,000 acres on over 1,360 properties in Georgia, Alabama and nearby states, according to the city.

Who signed it

Jamison and Sara Leaders, the city’s Community Development and Public Works director, signed for Milton. Chip Reed, the trust’s founder, and Katie Dorris, its advancement manager, signed for the trust. At the signing, Jamison said more conservation efforts could follow at other city properties, according to the city.

What is next for Milton’s other greenspace

The city is also asking residents what should happen on seven other city-owned greenspace sites. It will hold two drop-in open houses for its Greenprint plan, according to a city release on Oct. 14:

  • 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 20, in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 2006 Heritage Walk
  • 1 to 3 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27, in the same room

There are no formal presentations. Display boards will show ideas for each site, and city staff will take questions. The sites are:

  • 104.8 acres off Bethany Bend
  • 21 acres at Freemanville and Birmingham roads
  • 28 acres off Hamby Road
  • 39 acres off Hopewell Road
  • the 106-acre Lakhapani Preserve off Lackey Road
  • Milton City Park and Preserve, focusing on its southern 65 acres and the 12-acre former Kennedy property
  • 4.8 acres off Webb Road

The city said the Greenprint will guide future decisions, but an idea in it does not guarantee a project. Each would need its own budget, outreach and public meetings.

What it means for you

  • Birmingham Park stays open as it is. Trails, riding and wildlife watching carry on, and the city can still improve trails and add facilities that fit the easement.
  • It cannot be sold off for development by a future council.
  • Have a say on the other seven sites at either Greenprint open house, Oct. 20 or Oct. 27. More is on the city’s Greenprint page.
  • More to do outdoors this month is on our things to do page.