The Milton City Council on Dec. 4 approved spending $5 million to acquire the Milton Country Club to preserve as public green space.
The seller is Triumph Golf LLC. Milton officials said they moved to buy the property at 1785 Dinsmore Road after learning from Triumph about three weeks ago that it had contracted to buy the land, and that it had already received a purchase offer from a development joint venture.
“We’ve not only prevented the possible development of 51 additional homes, but we’re forever preserving 137 acres in the heart of Milton,” Mayor Joe Lockwood said in a prepared statement. He said the site has several miles of trails and 1.6 miles of creek frontage.
Officials said the land could become a passive park for land conservation and to protect natural areas and wildlife habitats. They may bring in a consultant to advise what to do with the clubhouse, swimming pool and tennis courts. Due diligence, including an appraisal, survey and a Phase I environmental site assessment, must be completed by Dec. 15.
City Manager Steve Krokoff said the city does not expect to use the full $5 million in green space bond funds for the purchase. “We’re exploring a number of third-party funding sources and other city resources to help maximize our overall greenspace funds,” Krokoff said.
The property aligns with the green space directives of the 2016 Greenspace Bond Referendum, and fulfills criteria developed by the Milton Greenspace Advisory Committee with the Georgia Conservancy, officials said.
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