Planning Commission Chairman David Hopper said the proposal is the first housing development to come before the city in his 16 years on the panel.
“We have a community that when it comes to housing stock has stagnated,” Hopper said, noting that building homes on the vacant land is consistent with Franklin’s comprehensive plan.
The commission last week voted 6-0 to change the land use from industrial to residential and approve a preliminary plan for the proposal.
The zoning change was passed with a planned unit development overlay, which gives the city more control over requirements for the development.
One resident who lives near the site said the number of homes would have a negative impact on the area.
“We’re headed in a bad direction,” Don Edmonds told the commission. “I understand progress. This is not progress. This is intrusion.”
Officials told Edmonds that Franklin not only needs new housing options but without a zoning change the property could well be developed for industrial or manufacturing uses.
“This is a very strategic placement,” said Mayor Brent Centers, a planning commission member. “I think this is a good location for a new development – residential. Because the alternative is industrial.”
Said Edmonds, “I’m not absolutely happy. But I’m happier than I was.”
The homes would be single-family attached units with a mix of two-story and ranch styles, Franklin Planner Liz Fields said.
The development would include 27.5 acres of open space with a dog park, a sports court and walking paths, Fields said.
Developer representative Bill Miller said if the project gains city council approval, he expects the homes to be built in two to four years.
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