Milton City Council votes to preserve 40-acre Hopewell Road property as greenspace

article

The city of Milton says it has preserved a 40-acre tract of land along Hopewell Road just south of the Bethany Bend and Hopewell Roundabout. (City of Milton)

MILTON, Ga. - A 40-acre property once slated to become an active park with ballfields has been permanently protected as greenspace following a unanimous vote this week by the Milton City Council.

Located on Hopewell Road just south of the Bethany Bend and Hopewell Road roundabout, the tract will now serve as a natural preserve, marking a significant shift in the city’s land use priorities.

The backstory:

The site was purchased in 2023 for $4.9 million with the intention of developing it for intensive recreational use. However, an environmental reassessment and strong community feedback led the city to reevaluate its plans. The decision was made to move the active park project to another site more suitable for high-traffic amenities, avoiding potential harm to natural resources.

The preserved tract borders Providence Park and shares Cooper Sandy Creek, effectively expanding the area into an 80-acre contiguous greenspace.

Initially, the city had listed the Hopewell property for sale as it pursued another tract for conservation. When that deal fell through, officials determined the Hopewell site fully aligned with goals outlined in the 2016 voter-approved Greenspace Bond. The bond will now reimburse the city for the original purchase cost.

What they're saying:

"With the support of so many, we have demonstrated Milton’s ongoing commitment to conservation and thoughtful land stewardship," said Mayor Peyton Jamison. "This property is a winner in every respect—environmentally rich, deeply valued by the community, and now protected forever."

"This commitment to preservation will benefit generations to come," said civil engineer Scott Reece, who has worked extensively on environmental issues in Milton. "Development of this property would have put significant stress on sensitive ecosystems... It’s as rich in biodiversity as I’ve seen in Milton in one 40-acre tract."

City Manager Steve Krokoff called the move a milestone in Milton’s growth.

"I am very pleased with the effort made on three fronts: to meet the need for sports at our active parks, preserving greenspace throughout the city and implementing passive use of our greenspace in many areas," Krokoff said. "We’re all looking forward to our new sports complex in Deerfield, with proceeds from the Hopewell sale helping fund the buildout. The plans are exciting, and we are moving forward aggressively."