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IMPLEMENTATION
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The adoption of this Plan is the first step in the implementation process. It is the product of considerable effort on the part of City elected and appointed officials, the Planning Commission, the Planning and Sustainability Department, community leaders, and involved citizens.
Moving the Plan from its long-term vision to reality is critical. It is a deliberate process accomplished through sound development decisions, policy-based decisions, land-regulation tools, coordination and partnerships, and special projects and studies.
DEVELOPMENT DECISIONS Effective implementation involves a public-private partnership between developers and the City. It is the responsibility of developers to design development proposals around the tenets of the Plan, while it is the City’s responsibility to consider the Plan in each decision and find ways to give life to the vision and maintain its integrity.
As authorized by the Tennessee Code Annotated, the Planning Commission will use the Plan to make decisions and recommendations about the physical development of the City. The Planning and Sustainability Department will provide support by evaluating proposed development and the degree to which it conforms to the Plan. Conformance with the Plan should be determined as follows:
1. Review the Guiding Principles to see if the proposed development or redevelopment actively supports the principles and the vision; 2. Determine the Design Concept that applies to the property using the Design Concepts map; 3. Review the applicable Design Concept section for appropriate land uses, building form (placement, character, height, and lot size), site design (landscape, amenities, access, and parking), and transportation recommendations (vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian, and transit); 4. Check to see if any special considerations apply to the property (located at the end of each Design Concept). If there is a conflict between the special considerations and the general Design Concept, the special considerations should apply; and 5. Determine whether the proposed building forms and uses conform to the Land Uses and Building Forms section.
POLICY-BASED DECISIONS The Plan should work in coordination with the Connect Franklin, the Parks Master Plan, the Capital Improvements Plan, the Integrated Water Resources Plan, and other City planning documents. All of these guiding documents are interconnected and should be used to make decisions about managing growth, infrastructure investment, planning community amenities, preserving historic and natural resources, and designing development that enhances Franklin’s unique identity and character.
LAND REGULATION TOOLS Effective implementation requires consistency between the Plan and the City’s regulatory documents. The Zoning Ordinance, Subdivision Regulations, Street Specifications, and Stormwater Ordinance should be reviewed and updated, as needed, to minimize conflicts and to ensure consistent implementation of the Plan. The Zoning Ordinance is the regulatory tool most associated with land use planning, and its requirements should make it easy for developers to do what the community wants for its future.
COORDINATION AND PARTNERSHIPS Various planning elements are interconnected between many City initiatives, non-profit-based community projects, private development, and regional plans. The City should assume a leadership role in promoting strong partnerships between city, regional, and state public agencies; community groups and non-profit organizations; the local business community; neighborhoods; and the private sector. The City should conduct outreach and continuing education on the Plan’s vision and principles by encouraging developers, builders, and the business community to help implement the Plan.
UPDATES AND AMENDMENTS
STATE LAW REQUIREMENTS State law defines the manner in which the Plan may be adopted or amended. Prior to the adoption of the Plan or any parts of the Plan, the Planning Commission shall hold a public hearing thereon, published in a newspaper at least 30 days prior to the meeting. The adoption of the Plan or any part, amendment, or addition shall be by resolution carried by the affirmative votes of not less than a majority of all the members of the Commission. The resolution shall refer expressly to the maps, descriptive matter and other matters intended by the Planning Commission to form the whole or part of the Plan, and the action taken shall be recorded on the adopted Plan or part thereof and descriptive matter by the identifying signature of the secretary of the Planning Commission (the Planning & Sustainability Department Director), and a copy of the Plan or part thereof shall be certified to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen.
MAJOR UPDATES Planning is an ongoing process that responds to new information and changing conditions, challenges, and opportunities that may arise. Major Plan updates should occur every five years to give the City an opportunity to reaffirm the validity of the vision, revise the Plan to be relevant to today’s world, and draft new strategies for consideration. These updates will be a significant undertaking involving public officials, City staff, citizens, and consultant services as needed. Updates should include an evaluation of areas where the Plan has been successful and where there may be a need for refinement, based on the following:
1. Identification of changing conditions, trends, or new approaches; 2. Evaluation of policies to determine their effectiveness and relevance to current conditions and trends; 3. Necessary adjustments due to changes in State law; and 4. Assessment of Plan amendments and/or any other deviations from the Plan to determine if there is a pattern of emerging changes.
PLAN AMENDMENTS Amendments to the Plan may be reviewed by the Planning Commission on a quarterly basis. Since the Plan is the City’s collective vision, ample opportunity will be provided for citizen input when amendments are proposed.
City-sponsored Plan amendments may include revisions to one or more sections of the Plan. These amendments will generally result from special projects or studies or as a result of changes within the market, infrastructure, a specific issue/policy change, changes in State law, or a substantial change in situation or public sentiment. These amendments may include changes to any portion of the Plan, including the text, maps, or other corrections. Applicant-requested Plan amendments to accommodate specific developments may be considered only for the design concept map and/ or special considerations. The Guiding Principles and Design Concepts are the long-term vision for the future and are not appropriate to be considered for amendment as part of a development request. An applicant requesting a Plan amendment must demonstrate its need and justification, as follows:
1. Significant changes have occurred since the adoption of the Plan and necessitate the proposed amendment; 2. The proposal is consistent with the overall intent of the Plan, its guiding principles, desired land-use patterns, the development suitability analysis, and infill maps as applicable; 3. The design is compatible with the design concept of the surrounding area and does not cause an abrupt change in massing, form, or architecture; 4. The proposal does not adversely affect the health and safety of residents, or damage the natural environment or scenic quality in contradiction to the Plan; and 5. Substantial improvements in the quality of life for City residents will be achieved. An applicant requesting a Plan amendment must complete the following steps prior to the Planning Commission meeting where the request is to be considered:
1. Meet with Planning and Sustainability
Department regarding the intent of the amendment request and demonstrate its need and justification. 2. Conduct a site visit with members of the
Departmental Review Team (DRT). 3. Submit a conceptual sketch of the proposed development and hold a preliminary design meeting with the DRT. 4. Conduct a neighborhood meeting where information should be presented regarding the nature of the Plan amendment request and the proposed site design. Notice of the neighborhood meeting should be provided, at a minimum, to property owners within 500 feet of the property by first class mail at least one week prior to the meeting date. A report of comments from the neighbors should be included with the Plan amendment request submittal. 5. Submit a formal Plan amendment request for review by the Planning Commission, as outlined in the FMPC Bylaws.
