Anyone who’s picked up recent editions of this paper surely has noticed there’s a lot of activity in and around Milton. Housing developments, storage facilities and a gas station/convenience store are planned. The latest proposal is a McDonald’s restaurant near Food Lion.

It’s safe to say the Milton of 2022 will not be the Milton of 2032. Change is coming, and the town’s residents, businesses and elected officials need to be ready.

It appears town officials are off to a good start. In our front-page story in Tuesday’s edition, reporter Ryan Mavity shared discussions town council is having regarding the future of Milton. The discussions are happening ahead of the town’s 2023 update to the comprehensive plan, which outlines and defines the community’s vision for the future.

Some of those changes relate to zoning, while others add to town code emerging technologies, such as electric vehicles, or growing industries, such as medical marijuana dispensaries. These are all things that need to be considered as the population of Milton grows over the next decade or two. Town officials should also consider infrastructure improvements, flood mitigation, parking inventory and other critical needs.

While we offer kudos to town officials for thinking toward the future, we also urge them to press on – don’t let up. Residents and business owners, especially those who aren’t keen on change, need to make their voices heard. Public input is important to shaping the community vision.

As the town grows, a vibrant business community is essential for good jobs and maintaining a strong quality of life for residents, and a strong chamber of commerce is a key to its success.

In today’s Business section, we have a story about the Milton Chamber of Commerce hiring Karen Falk as its new executive director. Board President Anne Brown said the chamber had been operating as a volunteer organization for several years, but was now in a financial position to hire someone to run the day-to-day operations.

Along with town officials and residents, business leaders like those at the chamber are key in shaping Milton’s future.