DATE: 12/18/2014 (REVISED)
TO: Franklin Municipal Planning Commission
FROM: Andrew Orr, Principal Planner
Catherine Powers, Director of Planning and Sustainability
Subject
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PUBLIC HEARING: Consideration of Resolution 2014-98, To Be Entitled "A Resolution Approving a Development Plan for Waters Edge PUD Subdivision, Located at 4413 South Carothers Road, by the City of Franklin, Tennessee." (12/18/14 FMPC 7-0; 01/13/15 WS)
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Purpose
The purpose of this memo is to provide information to the Franklin Municipal Planning Commission (FMPC) concerning a development plan for Waters Edge PUD Subdivision, located at 4413 South Carothers Road.
Project Information
COF Project Number: 4725
Applicant: Greg Gamble, Gamble Design Collaborative
Owner: Real Estate Solutions Group, LLC (Attn: Andre Jaeckle)
Background/Staff Comments
This project was originally approved in 2013 for 336 homes on 195.5 acres. The applicant is proposing to build an additional 37 homes, raising the total to 373 residential units. The additional homes will be peppered into the development. The buildable area is not expanding. The applicant proposes to decrease the existing lot sizes to accommodate 37 additional lots, except for Section 1, which has already been approved.
The overall gross density increase is marginal, 1.72 to 1.91 units/acre. There are other developments in the Carothers Parkway Corridor that have higher approved gross densities:
Ladd Park: 2 units/acre
Echelon: 2.9 units/acre
Lockwood Glen: 2.82 units/acre
Simmons Ridge: 4.6 units/acre
Simmons Ridge and Lockwood Glen have higher gross densities, but they also have significantly more attached housing and multi-family units proposed.
However, approximately half of the Water's Edge site is floodplain and undevelopable. Once the informal open space is removed (floodplain and floodway), the net density (buildable area) is about 3.73 units/acre and the proposed increase brings it up to approximately 4.1 units/acre. With the majority of the open space on the perimeter of the development, planning staff believes the intensity of the development should be given weighty consideration, not necessarily the density.
Many of the detached single family homes are already on small lots with front facing garages, which is acceptable, but adding more units to an already compact development will compress and make this an even tighter development.
Section 1 is not affected by the density increase and is unchanged by this Development Plan request. Notice the contrast in lot sizes between Section 1 and the rest of the detached residential sections. Section 1 is not as compact and provides a more livable and desirable layout.
Land Use Plan Excerpt:
The McEwen Character Area encompasses 6,680 acres and four major interchanges with I-65, Cool Springs Boulevard, McEwen, Murfreesboro Road, and part of a fourth interchange at Moores Lane. It is bound on the north by the UGB, to the west by the Berrys Chapel and Central Franklin Character Areas, to the south by the Harpeth River, and to the east by the Seward Hall Character Area. This Character Area is the principal regional commercial area in the UGB and includes 3,713 acres. Attached Residential dwellings are present in the area and several hundred units have been approved in recent months. This area is clearly the major economic engine for the City. Carothers Parkway area is the backbone of a major employment corridor and this roadway is enhanced by landscaped medians and landscaped parking lots. The McEwen Character Area has undergone significant changes since this section of the Land Use Plan was last updated.
The proposed development is located in the McEwen Character Area, Special Area 6, which historically has consisted of agricultural uses and low density single family residential. Significant changes are being planned and funded for this special area, including roadway improvements to Carothers Parkway and large scale residential developments. Since the area contains significant floodplain area, care should be taken to protect and preserve environmental features in this area.
Project Considerations
With the majority of the open space on the perimeter of the development, planning staff believes the newly proposed intensity, not density, of the development is not contextual with surrounding development. Many of the detached single family homes are already on small lots with front facing garages, which is acceptable, but adding more units to an already compact development will compress and make this an even tighter development. The project could benefit by adding a small amount of formal open space, specifically in the southern part of the development, to help break up the continual blocks of residential lots, especially now that they are smaller. However, the applicant is meeting City standards and is in compliance with the approved Development Plan.
Recommendation
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Staff recommends a favorable recommendation to BOMA.
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See attached pages for a list of staff recommended conditions.
PROCEDURAL REQUIREMENTS:
1. Fifteen (15) half-size copies of the Development Plan shall be submitted to the Department of Planning and Sustainability by 9am on the Monday after the Planning Commission meeting in order to be placed on the Board of Mayor and Aldermen agenda.
2. If the plan receives BOMA approval, the applicant shall upload the corrected plan to the online plan review website (https://franklin.contractorsplanroom.com/secure/) and submit one (1) complete and folded set and a .pdf file of corrected development plan to the Department of Building and Neighborhood Services (Suite 110, Franklin City Hall). All revisions to the approved plans shall be "clouded." With the resubmittal, each condition of approval/open issue in the online plan review system shall contain a full response from the applicant as to the satisfaction or completion of that condition.
3. The city's project identification number shall be included on all correspondence with any city department relative to this project.