Milton council to get reports on Magnolia Street land purchase April 28

Milton Town Council will get formalized reports on surveying, soil tests and engineering studies of what can be done at a 2-acre parcel on Magnolia Street during a special meeting set for Monday, April 28.

The town has entered into a conditional sales agreement, pending a 60-day due diligence period, for the six parcels at 117 and 119 Broad St.; 111, 113 and 115 Magnolia St.; and 203 Mulberry St. The lot at 113 Magnolia St. was the home of former Councilwoman Leah Betts, who died in January 2024. The town has agreed on a price of $1.6 million for the parcels. The land has been used as residential, but most of it is within town center zoning, which covers a wide variety of options including government use.

Town Manager Kristy Rogers told council at its April 7 meeting that town staff and Police Chief Derrick Harvey have been working with architects and engineers on site plans for a possible 26,000-square-foot building that would house the police department, planning and code enforcement, a town meeting facility and a meeting area for council. 

Rogers said surveying work at the site posed some challenges, as the parcels do not have a lot of landmarks to accurately determine where property lines are. She said the field work has been completed, and surveyors are now working to match lot lines together and have the best boundary descriptions possible for deeds.

Regarding soil work, Rogers said there have been no surprises so far. She said reports are being finalized.

“There are wet soils, as we are in the center of Magnolia Street where we have seen typical flooding. No surprises. But over on the Mulberry Street and Broad Street side, there are very clean and dry soils,” she said. 

Rogers said at this point, town staff are working to link the soil work, site plans and surveying work into one package that can be brought before town council so it can decide whether to proceed with the land purchase.