Concern: Development in Franklin is running rampant. Why are new developments approved?

Franklin’s Approach: Smart and thoughtful planning using Envision Franklin as a guiding document.

When you look at the Development Plan approvals since 2014, fewer developments have been approved in the last two years, with smaller acreage.

Concern: What is being done to protect our precious land, viewsheds and historic resources.

Franklin’s approach: Passionate Preservation

The City asked and residents answered in the last update of our Envision Franklin Update.  Our land use plan, Envision Franklin, is an important guiding document by our Planning Commission and Board of Mayor and Alderman to plan for the future of Franklin.  Conservation of natural resources and open space, easy access to parks and open spaces, and protecting Franklin’s natural beauty all ranked high within this Plan. Areas of emphasis for the plan update included reevaluating the Conservation Subdivision design concept to better preserve scenic viewsheds and large tracts of open space, planning specifically for future growth areas along Franklin Road and in the Mayes Creek and West basins, and originating a new design concept around the Factory at Franklin to encourage preservation of existing historic resources while also creating exceptional places for people.

Three new design concepts were created to replace the Conservation Subdivision design concept: Rural Reserve, Neighborhood Green, and Village Green.  All three design concepts aim to preserve a minimum of 50% open space in large, contiguous tracts (Figure K). These design concepts were mapped after thoughtful conversation with stakeholders and can be found along Franklin Road inside of Mack Hatcher Parkway (Rural Reserve), in the West Harpeth area (Neighborhood Green, Rural Reserve, and Village Green), along Lewisburg Pike in the southern reaches of the UGB (Neighborhood Green), and in the Mayes Creek basin along Murfreesboro Road (Rural Reserve).

Recently, the City acquired 44.53 acres property on the east side of Franklin Road, south of Mack Hatcher, referred to as the Creekside Property.  Later in 2024, the City will acquire 13 acres for access to Ropers Knob and 2.2 acres to expand Carter’s Hill Park.  Figure L below is a table of over 600 acres of property within the Mack Hatcher loop being preserved.

Figure L.

Figure M presents the preserved properties within the Mack Hatcher Loop.
Figure M.

Historic Downtown Franklin is the cherished center of the city and will continue to be protected using historic preservation tools and enhanced through traditional development and contextual architecture. The preservation of historic resources is of paramount importance to protecting Franklin’s heritage and community character. As such, the City continues to invest in planning for historic and battlefield preservation.