Process and Outreach | ENVISION FRANKLIN 113 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 first phase of the Plan involved reviewing and understanding the existing land-use conditions and how they have changed over time. The growth history and trends were assessed by reviewing the Franklin Development Reports from 2005 to 2013. Recent development approvals were also reviewed, and maps were created to track the number of developments and their build out. Other existing conditions, including wetlands, steep slopes, utility expansion, and transportation improvements, were reviewed to determine the impact on physical growth and potential changes in land use. In reviewing this information, several meetings between the Planning and Sustainability Department staff and the consultant were held to identify, document, and understand the changes in the land-use patterns in each area of the City. 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 Appendices A and B. DEVELOPMENT SUITABILITY ANALYSIS The second phase of the Plan involved conducting a 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, streams, floodplain, and stream 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 C. “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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