Milton medical complex rezoning application withdrawn
An application to rezone an 8-acre parcel on Mulberry Street for use as a medical office complex has been withdrawn by the applicant.
Phoenix Holdings LLC withdrew its application to rezone the parcel from R-1 residential to C-1 commercial Sept. 23. John Paradee, attorney for Phoenix Holdings, said the group has no comment at this time.
The application was to be discussed at Milton Town Council’s Monday, Sept. 28 meeting. Phoenix Holdings had proposed to build two medical office buildings at the site, located across from H.O. Brittingham Elementary School. One of the buildings would have been occupied by Beebe Healthcare for outpatient services, with the other building to be used for doctors’ offices. In order to facilitate the project, Phoenix Holdings was asking to rezone the parcel and amend the comprehensive development plan to reflect the new use.
The plan met with controversy immediately after being introduced before the Milton Planning and Zoning Commission in January. Residents on Union Street and Mulberry Street, while not opposed to the idea of more medical offices, did not like the downtown location and its potential effects on traffic.
Allen Sangree, who lives on Union Street near the site and formed a Facebook page opposing the rezoning, said, “The proposal of a walk-in clinic and ambulatory center in the town of Milton was appealing for the vast majority of residents. What the town’s residents were adamantly opposed to was the location. The majority of us believed the benefits did not outweigh the negative long-range consequences this would have brought to our town.”
Sangree said he hopes Beebe and Phoenix Holdings will consider a different location for the project close to Milton.
“The town is united in its desire for expanded healthcare, and going forward we can be united in making this a reality,” he said.
As for whether the application could be brought back, Town Solicitor Seth Thompson said since the application was withdrawn, if Phoenix Holdings were to come back, the process would have to start from the beginning with the planning and zoning commission.
