By Maggie West / staff and D. Jefferson Bean / staff

"They slipped the dates on us," complained a Milton citizen as D Squared Development's second rezoning hearing began surrounding a proposed gas station at the intersection of Bethany Bend and Hwy. 9.

His grievance stemmed from the cancelations and reappointments of the sequel to Feb. and March meetings, when D Squared needed every minute to contest the packed room of residents.

This time, however, only a handful of citizens attended the meeting. And the applicant's attorney, Nathan V. Hendricks III, didn't need his whole time.  He yielded: "I preserve the rest of our time for rebuttal," with a little over four minutes left on the clock.

The gas station would occupy an acute angle at an already-busy intersection.  Opponents argue a busy gas station would further clog the road.

Milton resident Roger Hunter remarked, "It's already a nightmare. This is gonna be a wreck waiting to happen."

In the fall of 2006, Fulton County rejected a gas station application within the strip mall across the street.  Residents cited that as a precedent for nixing this station.

The Planning Commission rebuffed D Squared, but like all zoning, it now goes to City Council for the final decision.