DATE: April 17, 2019
TO: Franklin Municipal Planning Commission
FROM: Emily Hunter, Director of Planning and Sustainability
Amy Diaz-Barriga, Current Planning Supervisor
Subject
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Consideration Of Ordinance 2019-05: An Ordinance To Rezone 4.82 Acres From Light Industrial (LI) District And Neighborhood Commercial (NC) To General Commercial (GC) District For The Property Located At The Northwest Quadrant Of Downs Boulevard And Columbia Ave, 1504, 1536, And 1540 Columbia Ave. (04/25/19 FMPC 8-0; 05-14-19 BOMA 1st Reading 6-0; 06-11-19 BOMA 2nd Reading 7-0 with 1 recusal) Third and Final Reading
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Project Information
COF Project Number: 6470
Applicant: Michelle Dove, Gresham Smith
Owner: Charlton Bell, Welton Investments LLC.
Background/Staff Comments
This property is located at the northwest corner of the intersection of Downs Blvd and Columbia Ave. The current zoning for these parcels is General Commercial (GC), Light Industrial (LI), and Neighborhood Commercial (NC). The requested zoning for these parcels is General Commercial (GC).
Envision Franklin recommends a Neighborhood Mixed Use Design Concept for this area. The Neighborhood Mixed Use Design Concept specifies:
“The Neighborhood Mixed-Use design concept provides a diverse mix of high-activity uses with a connected and walkable block layout. These centers and corridors should have coordinated development patterns at a pedestrian scale, with high-quality architecture, plazas, sidewalks, and pedestrian and bicycle amenities to activate the street and connect these gathering places to the residential neighborhoods they support.”
While no development is proposed with this rezoning, Envision Franklin gives further guidance to building placement and form:
“Building setbacks adjacent to streets should be minimal to create an active street environment with wide tree-lined sidewalks that encourages pedestrian activity. Where internal drives are used to organize buildings and pedestrian movement, setbacks to internal drives should be minimized wherever possible. Buildings and their main entrances should be oriented toward the street. Double frontage, reverse frontage, and flag lots are discouraged. Buildings, where feasible, should be sited or designed to create public spaces, such as a formal open space, pedestrian plaza, courtyard, outdoor seating area, etc., that are easily accessible from adjacent streets or sidewalks. New and infill development is encouraged to provide a variety of housing types and should be designed so that duplexes, single family dwellings, and townhouses are located on the periphery in order to transition to existing single-family neighborhoods.”
The Columbia Ave Overlay -3 (CAO-3) district provides guidance for future building development including:
“Buildings shall be aligned parallel to Columbia Avenue with the main entrance facing the street. Corner entrances are an acceptable alternative for corner buildings. Buildings shall have a minimum setback of 15 feet from the dedicated right-of-way. Buildings shall not exceed two stories. Building-wall offsets (projections and recesses) or pilasters shall be used to break up the mass of a single building into bays. Variations in roofline, materials, and color may also be used to break up massing.”
“Façades of buildings shall emphasize clearly identified main entrances using awnings, canopies, columns, pilasters, and recessed entrances. Storefronts shall be integrally designed with the upper floors of a building to be compatible with the overall character of the facade. Window and door openings shall have a vertical orientation and alignment between floors. Blank walls facing streets shall be prohibited. Commercial, office, institutional, and mixed-use buildings shall have a discernible base and cap clearly defined by horizontal elements along the bottom and top of the building. Elements to achieve this standard include water tables, storefront kick-plates, stringcourses, corbelling, and material changes.”
The General Commercial (GC) Zoning District provides for uses in a development form supported by Envision Franklin. These uses include:
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Automotive Uses |
Convenience Stores |
Hotels |
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Funeral Homes |
Personal Services |
Restaurants with or without Drive Thru |
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Retail/Commercial Uses |
Service Commercial |
Veterinary Facilities |
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Theaters |
Vehicle Sales/Rentals |
Clinics |
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Self Storage Facilities |
Assisted Living Facility |
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Rehabilitation Centers |
Offices |
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Residential uses would not be permitted without a PUD Development plan to be approved by the BOMA.
The requested zoning district of General Commercial (GC) is consistent with Envision Franklin, from a use standpoint.
Recommendation
recommendation
Recommend approval to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen.
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PROCEDURAL REQUIREMENTS:
1. The city’s project identification number shall be included on all correspondence with any city department relative to this project.