Milton Asks Residents to Help Shape the Future of Its Greenspaces

Milton residents will have two opportunities this month to weigh in on the future of city-owned greenspaces, including which areas could accommodate improvements and which should remain largely untouched.

The city will hold public open houses Oct. 20 and Oct. 27 as it develops its Greenprint, a conservation and land-use strategy for seven greenspace properties. The sites range from a 4.8-acre parcel off Webb Road to the 106-acre Lakhapani Preserve off Lackey Road.

Both sessions will take place in the Council Chambers at Milton City Hall, 2006 Heritage Walk. The first is Tuesday, Oct. 20, from 5 to 7 p.m.; the second is Tuesday, Oct. 27, from 1 to 3 p.m.

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Residents can drop in at any point during either session. There will be no formal presentation.

What residents will see

Large display boards will show ideas for features that could be incorporated into individual properties. Visitors will be able to review the proposals, add comments directly to some boards and speak with city staff.

The feedback will help guide decisions about conservation, potential uses and improvements. For some areas, the city says, preservation with little or no alteration may be the most appropriate approach.

The Greenprint covers:

Bethany Bend: 104.8 acres.

Freemanville and Birmingham roads: 21 acres.

Hamby Road: 28 acres.

Hopewell Road: 39 acres.

Lakhapani Preserve: 106 acres off Lackey Road.

Milton City Park and Preserve: a focus on the southern 65 acres and the 12-acre former Kennedy property.

Webb Road: 4.8 acres.

The different session times are intended to give residents with varying schedules a chance to participate.

A plan for future decisions

Milton began gathering information and seeking public input for the project several years ago. More recent work includes an environmental assessment of selected greenspaces and discussions with the Greenprint Steering Group.

That group includes members of other relevant boards and committees. It is a representative group rather than a City Council-appointed committee, according to the city.

The resulting Greenprint is intended to guide future decisions about the properties. Including an improvement in the document would not guarantee that it gets built.

Any added features would proceed as separate projects, with their own budget requirements, public outreach and meetings where residents could offer further feedback.

For residents interested in a particular property, the October sessions offer a chance to examine the ideas under consideration and discuss how much change, if any, they would like to see.

More information is available through the city’s Greenprint project page.