128 ENVISION FRANKLIN | Process and Outreach OVERVIEW OF PROCESS The vision, elements, and policies of the Plan are rooted in the information that was initially gathered through the following practices: • Review, analyze, and understand the history of growth, existing conditions, and recent trends in land-use and development decisions. • Conduct a development suitability analysis to highlight optimal locations for new and infill development and to identify areas with considerable constraints. • Engage the public in an effort to produce a collective vision and identify key issues with new and future development. EVALUATION OF EXISTING CONDITIONS AND TRENDS The plan update involved reviewing and understanding the existing land-use conditions and how they have changed over time. The growth history and trends were assessed by referencing previous Franklin Development Reports, recent development requests and approvals, and analyzing population and employment projections. Other existing conditions, including the 100-year floodplain, steep slopes, utility expansion, and transportation improvements, were reviewed to determine the impact of physical growth and potential changes in land use. Existing policies were evaluated to determine their effectiveness and relevance to current trends, and past plan amendments were assessed to determine patterns of change. The information from this evaluation of existing conditions and trends can be found in Appendix A. DEVELOPMENT SUITABILITY ANALYSIS The second phase of the Plan involved updating the development suitability analysis to aid the Board of Mayor and Aldermen, Planning Commission, and the City staff in making decisions regarding future growth. This analysis tool demonstrates how suitable land is for development based on a number of factor and development constraints including hilltops, hillsides, rivers, water resources, floodplain, and riparian buffers and proximity to City sewer, primary and secondary thoroughfares, employment and commercial centers, and fire stations. The higher the number of constraints, the less appropriate the land is to handle development. The suitability maps directly influenced the Design Concept Map and may be found in Appendix B. “THIS PLAN GUIDES PUBLIC POLICY IN A MANNER THAT ENSURES THE CITY OF FRANKLIN CONTINUES TO BE THE COMMUNITY THAT ITS CITIZENS DESIRE IT TO BE.”
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