Milton council gives final approval to Granary annexation

At its May 2 meeting, Milton Town Council unanimously approved annexation of 450 acres off Sand Hill Road. Developers are planning to build a 1,350-unit housing development known as the Granary at Draper Farm.

Council had given preliminary approval of the annexation in March, but that approval was contingent on meeting five conditions: Developer Convergence Communities had to complete its annexation petition, the annexation could not take effect until 30 days from council’s March 7 meeting, future land-use maps had to be modified to reflect the R-2 residential zoning with a large-parcel development overlay, a storage tank farm currently on site must be removed from the metes and bounds of the parcel and cross-access between the Granary parcel and adjacent Bangor Lane must be deed restricted.

The 30-day condition was put in place due to a possibility the annexation could have been subject to a public referendum. Milton’s charter allows 30 days for citizens to collect signatures to petition for a referendum; the charter specifies 10 percent of the population must sign the petition, which in this case would be about 112 signatures. But that never happened, and the annexation moved forward.

Council approved the zoning and amendment of the town’s comprehensive plan to reflect the proposed use of the parcel at its April meeting. 

The Granary developers will now shift focus to the planning and zoning commission, which will review the master plan and the first phase of construction. Convergence Communities founder Colby Cox has said the plan is for the Granary to be built in nine to 10 phases, with Phase 1 being the northwest corner of the property, the section closest to Lavinia Street. 

Cox said, “My team and I are thrilled with the unanimous approval of the annexation agreement. Monday’s decision by Milton’s leadership will benefit generations to come as The Granary becomes an extension of the Town of Milton and not just a subdivision on the outskirts. “Convergence looks forward to working with the town on next steps as we move from a conceptual design to a defined master plan. Over the coming months, we aim to solidify The Granary as a model for heath and wellness, outdoor access and entrepreneurship.” 

Council approves more time for Scarlet Oaks

Meanwhile, council unanimously gave an extension to the special review committee to submit its advisory report on the proposed annexation of a 50-acre parcel on Harbeson Road that would be developed as a 163-unit development called Scarlet Oaks.

Mayor John Collier, who chairs the committee, said the issues were with personnel changes at the state and the lack of a timely review by the state’s Preliminary Land Use Service, which the committee anticipated having to help guide its decision on whether to recommend the annexation.

Collier asked for an extension until Monday, July 11, to allow applicant The Country Store LLC to respond to the PLUS review.