Government Tools and Policies SETTING THE VISION AND DEFINING THE STANDARDS The 21st century began with recognition by the City that it needed to proactively plan for its future. This was motivated, in part, by community concerns that Franklin would lose historic resources and character due to the high growth and development pressures facing the city. This period involved establishing and updating many plans and regulations that have been instrumental in preserving the past while shaping the future. 2000 HERITAGE ROADS PROGRAM The Heritage Foundation recommended a Heritage Roads Program and it was adopted by the City in 2000. Certain roads were classified as historic or exceptional and laid the framework for developing ordinance standards concerning the preservation of these roads, which led later to land use recommendations and zoning requirements to protect the character and open space along the listed roads. The Heritage Foundation manage the program in Williamson County. Currently more than 50 roads – either in part or entirety – have been designated.47 2001 HISTORIC PRESERVATION PLAN The City adopted its first Historic Preservation Plan in 2001, which celebrated Franklin’s early efforts to catalogue resources, designate landmarks, and revitalize downtown. 47 Heritage Roads Program, https://williamsonheritage.org/historicpreservation/heritage-roads-program/ It reflected residents’ pride in Franklin’s heritage and outlined goals and strategies for preserving landscapes, creating conservation districts, inventorying resources, expanding marketing and heritage tourism, and leveraging preservation incentives and regulations. The Plan further codified the City’s relationship to preservation as something greater than the labors of the many individuals and organizations who had worked to inculcate Franklin’s preservation ethic. 2004 FRANKLIN LAND USE PLAN The Franklin Land Use Plan update was the City’s first in really defining the vision for future growth and development across the city. While it set the tone for character-based development, mixed-use development, and New Urbanist principles, it emphasized preservation through the identification of specific character-related features that should be preserved. As a follow-up study, the City spent the next year on a Central Franklin Area Plan, which planned for the oldest parts of the city and provided a higher level of detail and recommendations for its future. 2004 FRANKLIN BATTLEFIELD PRESERVATION PLAN Developed to safeguard the city’s nationally significant Civil War sites, the 2004 Franklin Battlefield Preservation Plan outlined strategies for land acquisition, reclamation, interpretation, and partnerships to protect battlefield resources. It emphasized collaboration among public and private entities, promotes heritage tourism, and reinforced the importance of preserving these landscapes as vital to Franklin’s history and identity. 81
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