At the Nov. 13 Milton Trails Advisory Committee meeting, Milton resident Jim Garrett told the committee that a proposed trail connection near Birmingham Park could disturb "250 year old oak trees" on his property and asked the group to consider siting the path on the south side of Hickory Flat or within an existing power-line easement near the gas station to reduce property impacts.

Garrett described heavy truck traffic on the road adjacent to his home and said he observed "over a 100 Amazon trucks" between about 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. on a typical morning, calling that a safety concern for any path placed parallel to the road.

Committee members and staff acknowledged Garrett's concerns. Brian (city staff) recalled earlier park plans that showed an entry from the gas station side, and staff said they would bring a graphic to the next meeting to show routing options that could avoid mature trees. Staff also noted that if the city pursues certain segments staff may look for opportunities to use existing sidewalk corridors and easements to reduce impacts on private property.

"We've lived there. We built a house there, so we've been there 10 years," Garrett said as he described his family's connection to the property and why he wanted the committee to consider alternatives that would spare large trees and keep a buffer from front porches.

Staff told the committee that type of local input is important and reiterated that final decisions about trail surface type and allowed uses (equestrian, pedestrian, bicycle) have not been made and would affect design choices. The committee's accepted project list does not finalize routing; staff said they will follow up with property owners and include these local impacts in their community outreach as design work proceeds.

The committee thanked Garrett for attending and requested staff follow up; staff said they will report back after meeting with the property owner and as council-level work sessions are scheduled.