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Public Works crew helps South Fulton clear icy roadways
Milton to take reins on Ga. 9 widening Mayor says project to reflect city’s vision
By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com MILTON, Ga. — Milton Public Works employees navigated the length of Fulton County to help clear icy roads 40 miles south Jan. 23. While most cities north of I-285 were left high and dry, a freak weather event Jan. 21 dumped more than an inch of snow and ice farther south. Milton’s snow plow and salt spreader vehicles jumped in to help, deploying at Flat Shoals Road and Hillandale Drive in the City of South Fulton, just south of Atlanta. The National Weather Service issued an extreme cold warning and weather advisory for North Georgia ahead of frigid temperatures Jan. 20-22. While North Fulton’s public school students were back in classrooms Thursday morning, Jan. 23, schools south of I-20 had a two-hour delay. Milton Public Works Director Sara Leaders and Emergency Manager Jason Baswell, who is also a battalion chief with Milton Fire-Rescue, made the call to send personnel that morning. With a critical deadline, South Fulton needed all the help it could get making all roads passable for buses and parents. “Opportunities like this remind us to push past the easy ‘no’ and aim for the better ‘we can do that,’” Leaders said.
By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com
HAYDEN SUMLIN/APPEN MEDIA
Milton Mayor Peyton Jamison discusses the city’s work to redevelop the Deerfield commercial area around Ga. 9 and Webb Road during his Jan. 29 State of the City address. Jamison had a couple announcements, including the city’s takeover of the Ga. 9 widening project and a commitment to conserve Birmingham Park.
MILTON, Ga. — Mayor Peyton Jamison announced Jan. 29 that Milton will take over planning and designing of the state’s beleaguered Ga. 9 widening project through the city. “That’s right — you heard me correctly,” Jamison said during his State of the City address at City Hall. “With courage and determination, the city of Milton will take charge of planning and designing the future of Highway 9.” Jamison touched on everything from school safety and youth field space to the focused redevelopment of the city’s largest commercial area around Webb Road, Deerfield Parkway and Ga. 9. The mayor said Milton had a few challenges in 2024, including some that were out the control of city officials. One key misstep came last June when the Georgia Department of Transportation notified the city about fraudulent right-of-way
and easement acquisition associated its widening project along Ga. 9. The revelation put an abrupt end to construction, left a mess for property owners and motorists and created a minimum three-year delay on work. Because the widening was a state project, city officials had little control over its administration and timeline. They were just as shocked as residents to learn about the fraud and its impact on the city’s plans for the Ga. 9 commercial area, dubbed “Destination Deerfield.” “This collaboration with GDOT will enable us to make meaningful changes: reducing the impact on our neighborhoods, incorporating design elements that reflect our character, adding userfriendly trails and amenities and — most importantly — lowering the speed limit,” Jamison said. With the project at a standstill, Milton officials worked with the state to coordinate a clean-up of the
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