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Alpharetta clears path for luxury dog park Milton city leaders conducted closed election meeting
By SHELBY ISRAEL shelby@appenmedia.com ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Off Leash Alpharetta, a luxury dog park and restaurant, is set to open downtown this spring after the City Council approved its alcohol license Oct. 23. The item was included in the council’s consent agenda, a list of items approved or denied in a single vote without discussion. Councilmen Donald Mitchell and Jason Binder were absent from the meeting. Councilmembers originally approved plans for the luxury dog park in summer 2022. It will occupy 2.3 acres on the corner of South Main Street and Old Milton Parkway, the location of a former Rite-Aid Pharmacy. Off Leash Alpharetta will be a large, luxury indoor and outdoor dog park operating on a membership model in which patrons pay a monthly fee to bring their dogs to play and socialize. It will also include a full-service restaurant and bar. Off Leash staff estimate the dog park will see 1,000 members by the end of its first year of business. Project staff said the new Off Leash will bring more green space and foot traffic to one of the city’s busiest gateways. The Georgia Department of Transportation estimates annual average daily traffic on Old Milton Parkway near Main Street at 44,600.
Alpharetta Mayor Jim Gilvin swears in Recreation Commissioner Cheryl Rand at the Oct. 23 City Council meeting. Rand was reappointed after more than a decade of serving on the Recreation Commission. Councilmembers expressed concerns at the 2022 meeting about the safety and aesthetics of the proposed fencing around the business, but they ultimately approved the plans in a 5-2 vote. At the Oct. 16 alcohol hearing, Off Leash representatives confirmed the business hopes to open in February or March. Now that the City Council has approved its license to serve alcohol, Off Leash must open no later than April, or the business must reapply for its license. In other action at the meeting, Mayor Jim Gilvin swore in Recreation Commissioner Cheryl Rand, who was
reappointed after more than a decade of serving on the commission. Councilman Brian Will also appointed Jennifer Sprayberry, a local landscape architect, to the Design Review Board, which holds public hearings on design applications to ensure compliance with the city’s standards. Councilmembers also approved a $96,400 contract with vendor Novacoast for asset management and vulnerability mitigation software. City Information Technology Director Adam Montgomery said the software replaces inefficient systems currently used by staff.
Alpharetta town hall covers rental policy
Johns Creek arts fest blooms across town
Police agencies offer heightened security
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Mayor offers apology, anticipates training ahead By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com
SHELBY ISRAEL/APPEN MEDIA
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MILTON, Ga. — After residents took issue with an unadvertised Sept. 18 meeting that featured a quorum of Milton City Council members discussing the municipal election, Mayor Peyton Jamison issued a statement to clear the record. Former Councilwoman Laura Bentley said the council broke off into a separate gathering immediately after an advertised meeting held at 11 a.m. at the North Fulton CID office in Avalon. The 11 a.m. public meeting was to discuss the Windward Parkway/Ga. 9 master plan. Bentley said she found out about the second meeting because she had spoken with councilmembers. “Based on people’s account of what took place, I would have been there. You would have been there. I’m sure 100 people would have been there,” Bentley said. Milton resident Mary Cronk joined Bentley in asking for details about the unadvertised gathering at the Oct. 16 City Council meeting. Both referenced the city charter and the Georgia Open Meetings Act, which
See MEETING, Page 10