DATE: June 20, 2018
TO: Franklin Municipal Planning Commission
FROM: Andrew Orr, Principal Planner
Kelly Dannenfelser, Long Range Planning Supervisor
Emily Hunter, Director of Planning and Sustainability
Subject
title
Consideration Of Resolution 2018-46, To Be Entitled: “A Resolution To Adopt An Envision Franklin Plan Amendment For Properties Located At And Near 3610 And 3698 North Chapel Road And 4417 And 4468 Murfreesboro Road And 151 Trinity Road To Change The Design Concept From Development Reserve To Conservation Subdivision And From Neighborhood Commercial To Neighborhood Mixed-Use.” (Public Hearing)
body
Project Information
COF Project Number: 6706
Applicant: Jared Cunningham and Jeff Heinze, Catalyst Design Group
Owner: Stephen Smith
Background/Staff Comments
The Smith property is approximately 500 acres in the Mayes Creek Drainage Basin, located in the eastern part of the Franklin Urban Growth Boundary (UGB). The property encompasses the northeast and southeast quadrants of the North Chapel Road and Murfreesboro Road intersection, as well as land spanning between North Chapel Road and Trinity Road on the north side of Murfreesboro Road (where David Landrum Stables are located). The Envision Franklin growth policy for the Smith property is mostly Development Reserve, which does not support development due to the lack of existing infrastructure and services needed to support higher intensity uses. Envision Franklin also supports a future Neighborhood Commercial node at the intersection of North Chapel Road and Murfreesboro Road. This is consistent with other neighborhood-scale nodes located at key intersections.
The property contains a significant amount of floodplain associated with Mayes Creek which flows north to south. The land along Murfreesboro Road is mostly open and flat with wooded areas to the north.
The state legislature has changed annexation laws significantly in the last few years. Cities can annex only by approving property owner requests or by referendum. The change in state law has precipitated “non-contiguous” annexation requests, which refers to parcels not bordered by the corporate limits. The City has received several inquiries from property owners throughout the UGB. The previous model of expanding the corporate limits is being challenged by the requests of satellite property owners scattered throughout the UGB. An annexation request for the Smith property was submitted to the City on July 18, 2016 which prompted a comprehensive look at the future land uses in the Mayes Creek Basin.
The current growth policy supports low density residential uses until adequate infrastructure and services are available. Infrastructure has been a key consideration in every discussion, specifically regarding sewer availability, roadway improvements, and school capacity. The roadway and sewer components are initiated during the Plan of Service discussion and during the assessment of impact fees. Citizens repeatedly voiced concerns about overcrowding at Page Middle School and the nearing capacity at Trinity Elementary and Page High. Through coordination with the City and the developers, the Williamson County Schools will need to account for the additional students. The infrastructure will need to be upgraded to support higher intensity uses.
The applicant proposes a change from Development Reserve to Conservation Subdivision. This change would support clustered development and a minimum of 50 percent preserved open space with a combination of single-family residential and big houses, which support up to four units per structure. Duplexes would also be supported as a secondary use. The intensity of the masterplan is counter to the overall majority opinion expressed during the public outreach phase and by the survey results. During the public engagement phase, the respondents overwhelmingly indicated a desire to maintain the rural character and only allow low density residential uses with significant preserved open space.
The applicant is also proposing a Special Consideration that would increase the building height maximum from 2.5 stories for the Conservation Subdivision Design Concept to three stories. The staff recommends maintaining the 2.5 story maximum to keep the “big house” in scale of a large single-family home and appear less like a multifamily building.
Lastly, the applicant is proposing to change the Neighborhood Commercial node at the North Chapel Road and 96E intersection to a Neighborhood Mixed-Use node. The key differences being the potential inclusion of a variety of residential uses, including multifamily uses, mixed with commercial uses and a maximum building height of three stories. The staff recommends adding a Special Consideration limiting multifamily residential to be located above active ground-level commercial uses to ensure a vertical mix of uses and to prevent conventional multifamily structures. This special consideration is recommended because (1) land area at the node/intersection should be primarily utilized for commercial uses and not stand-alone multi-family buildings and (2) a precedent to allow multifamily structures to flank sections of Murfreesboro Road would be set.
Project Considerations
Envision Franklin includes a development suitability analysis starting on page 136. Most the Mayes Creek Basin is identified not suitable for development based upon the weighting of the nine identified factors. In the fall of 2017, the City completed a scenario plan for the Mayes Creek Basin to analyze the land suitability if sewer becomes available, a fire station is built at the corner of North Chapel Road and 96E, and 96E is widened. The same factors and weights were used and the results show that much of the basin, excluding floodplain, would become suitable. The parcels with over 50 percent floodplain still remain generally unsuitable.
The Development Reserve Design Concept generally reflects the results of the Development Suitability Analysis and is intended to achieve orderly growth patterns and coordinated timing of infrastructure and public investment decisions. There are three Development Reserve areas identified in the Franklin UGB. If this amendment request is approved, resources should be directed into the Mayes Creek Basin while the other two Development Reserve areas on the southwest side of the UGB should remain long-term growth areas.
The amendment request represents the largest landholding under single ownership within the eastern part of the Franklin UGB. If the Planning Commission decides to maintain the current land uses and the Smith property is developed in Williamson County, under the County zoning, the likelihood of the City ever expanding into the Mayes Creek Basin is significantly diminished. If the Planning Commission chooses to approve the Smith amendment request, it will open the door for detailed discussions during the annexation process on the feasibility of providing sewer and other municipal services.
A neighborhood meeting was held on May 23, 2018 at the Franklin City Hall. The staff provided an overview of the process and reviewed the recommendations that will be recommended for approval if the Smith plan amendment is approved. The applicant made a presentation outlining their vision for the property. The meeting was well attended, and many citizens voiced their concerns. The meeting lasted over two hours.
The project submittal contains a conceptual masterplan, as required by the Envision Franklin amendment process. Land entitlements are requested and approved during the Development Plan process and are not granted with this amendment request. If the amendment is approved, the masterplan will be subject to change, based upon a future detailed review by the Franklin Development Review Team (DRT), the Planning Commission, and the Board of Mayor and Aldermen.
The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) owns and maintains Murfreesboro Road (96E) and is nearing completion of right-of-way, final design plans, and permitting for the widening of the Arno Road to Wilson Pike segment of Murfreesboro Road from two-lanes to a primarily four-lane divided highway.
Recommendation
recommendation
Approval, with conditions, of the Envision Franklin Plan Amendment is recommended.
The staff recommends disapproval of the Special Consideration to change the height maximum from 2.5 stories to 3 stories in the Conservation Subdivision Design Concept for properties within 750’ of the Murfreesboro Road right-of-way to maintain the single-family scale of the big houses.
The staff recommends adding the following Special Consideration to the Neighborhood Mixed-Use Design Concept:
“For properties located at the North Chapel Road and Murfreesboro Road (96E) intersection: Multifamily uses should only be supported above active ground-level commercial uses.”
end