Milton man denied in request to trade noise for sewer

The Milton City Council applauded a Bethany Road resident for his creative presentation, but it didn't reward him.

On Monday night at a monthly work session, the council rejected Tim Enloe's request to obtain a sewer line in compensation for his claim of noise abatement coming from nearby and newly opened Milton High School.

To make his point, Enloe showed a video in which he played Kermit the Frog and Billy Bob Thornton.

Enloe said the blareof the band and incessant shouting over the loudspeakers has disrupted life for him and his family.

"Peace and quiet has been stolen from us," he said. "It's hell."

Enloe next asked the city to allow sewer on his property to compensate for the noise disruption. Council members congratulated Enloe on his presentation. But they were unmoved by his request.

Mayor Joe Lockwood said the issue was noise, not sewer. Lockwood wouldn't grant a variance for sewer lines on the property, but said he would join other council members and contact the school. Yet the city has no jurisdiction over the school property, he said.

Enloe's sewer request was prompted in part by the council voting 4-3 on May 3 to allow sewer service to eight land parcels within the city. The vote, which followed nearly an hour of debate and discussion, ended one argument in the city's negotiation with Fulton County over a state-mandated service agreement. The Service Delivery Strategy is now in court-ordered mediation.

Milton and Fulton County have disagreed on sewer service since the city was founded. Sewer is seen by many residents as the first step to uncontrolled growth.

Also, city officials heard an update on a revised ordinance governing cell phone towers. The new ordinance would require more stringent reviews of applications, height and setback restrictions and a new fee structure.

The city voted in March to place a moratorium on cell tower permits until it can revise its ordinance.

On April 26, after nearly four hours of debate involving a capacity crowd, the council granted permission to T-Mobile South to build one of three proposed cell phone towers.