Milton City Council voted unanimously Monday, Oct. 5, to permanently bar development on about 185 acres of Birmingham Park.

The council approved a conservation easement agreement with the Georgia-Alabama Land Trust, a nonprofit that stewards more than 518,000 acres across Georgia, Alabama and adjacent states. Council member Doug Hene was absent.

The easement cannot be reversed by a future council. The land trust will monitor the property and enforce the agreement. Milton still owns the park.

The Roundabout reported that new activities or improvements will require advance notice and the land trust's consent, according to Sara Leaders, the city's community development and public works director. The city can maintain existing trails, build new ones and add amenities such as signage, seating, shelters, parking and restrooms, as long as improvements align with the easement's conservation goals. Hiking, horseback riding and wildlife observation remain permitted.

The city will pay a one-time $20,000 fee to the land trust for documentation, surveys, legal work and long-term monitoring, Appen Media reported before the vote.

Twenty-two acres that include Fire Station 43 and the city's Public Works Yard along Hickory Flat Road are excluded from the easement, leaving room for future city needs.

"The significance of this agreement is that the protection is permanent," City Manager Steven Krokoff said in a city statement. "The Mayor and City Council set a clear goal of protecting Birmingham Park while allowing people to continue to experience and enjoy it."

Mayor Peyton Jamison first announced the conservation plan during his January 2025 State of the City address. After the vote, he called the easement "the first of hopefully many," according to The Roundabout.

The effort drew support from the Milton Equestrian Committee, which backed natural-surface trails of minimal width for pedestrians and horseback riders, along with a restroom, small pavilions and expanded gravel parking. The committee opposed adding a dog park at the facility frequented by horses, according to city records from a November 2025 council meeting.

Separately, Milton received a $200,000 Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Recreational Trails Program grant in April to fund a new restroom, bridge work and trail improvements at Birmingham Park. That award tied for the highest in its grant cycle.

The city expects to sign and record the easement within days of the Oct. 5 vote. The council's next regular meeting is Oct. 19, according to The Roundabout.