Devoted patrons can’t keep hands off of store’s inventory ► PAGE 8
M a r c h 1 4 , 2 0 2 4 | A p p e n M e d i a . c o m | A n A p p e n M e d i a G r o u p P u b l i c a t i o n | 5 0 ¢ | Vo l u m e 1 9 , N o . 1 1
Milton advances upgrade projects to roads, bridges By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com MILTON, Ga. — Milton residents can expect to see several road construction projects, local- and state-funded, underway across the city. Communications Director Greg Botelho wrote Feb. 28 about the Ga. 9 “widening-and-then-some” project making its way from Alpharetta to Milton. In Alpharetta, the project starts at Ga. 9 and Upper Hembree Road. The Milton phase covers just over 3 miles of Ga. 9 from Windward Parkway to the Forsyth County line. “That project presents a real challenge that – if we are intentional and savvy – can serve as a pivotal opportunity to enliven, and in some cases, reinvent this crucial corridor,” Mayor Payton Jamison said in a December letter to the Milton Herald. The Georgia Department of Transportation oversees all aspects of the project along the state route, creating a four-lane roadway with a raised median. The project consists of additional bicycle and pedestrian facilities, signal upgrades and turn lanes at all major intersections. The latest estimate from GDOT last July put construction costs at just over $68 million. During a preconstruction meeting Feb. 27, state officials said the contractor, Vertical Earth, has been
See ROADS, Page 24
HAYDEN SUMLIN/APPEN MEDIA
A look at Milton City Hall as resident Jim Rosenberger speaks to the City Council March 4 about his application for an alcohol license for his farm winery on Blackmaral Lane. Twenty-four residents spoke about the farm winery and its application for more than 90 minutes.
Council tosses agenda for winery forum By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com MILTON, Ga. — The saga surrounding the Blackmaral Lane farm winery reached a standstill March 4, with the City Council deferring the public hearing for a fifth time. In a rare move at the March 4 City Council meeting, Milton officials deferred two items related to city speed limits in lieu of 90 minutes of public comment about the Blackmaral Lane winery. Of the two dozen speakers, most reside in the Providence Planation neighborhood, which encompasses the only roadway to
the winery. Three public comments were in favor of the alcohol license, including one from Jim Rosenberger, who owns D’Rose Vintners on Blackmaral Lane with his wife, Daryn. Proponents of the winery said the property at 13555 Blackmaral Lane has privacy and property rights, and city officials should not “be ceding to fears of a vocal minority.” Rosenberger said he feels confident his legal counsel would prevail against the city and he would scrap proposed concessions after litigation. “From the beginning, we have always
been transparent about our plans to pursue a farm winery [and] our first communication to the city in 2020 was titled, ‘Farm Winery License Application,’” Rosenberger said. “We deferred tonight’s hearing because we hope to come to a resolution with the city to make all parties whole.” Some arguments against the farm winery cited familiar issues such as increased traffic, the danger of drunk driving, decreased property values, and improper notice of public hearings and
See FORUM, Page 25