22 CITY OF FRANKLIN, TENNESSEE Determining Sites for New Public Facilities Schools, libraries, fire stations, and civic buildings all represent significant investment of public funds. Traditionally, civic buildings play symbolic roles as well, often sited in prominent locations or intentionally used for place making. Increasingly, communities are viewing historic buildings as assets for public uses, and are considering how public facilities can be catalysts for revitalization and/or neighborhood stabilization. A preservation plan is intended to enable a longer-term view, to reduce the incidents of case-by-case, seemingly last minute efforts to influence development decisions. Public facility issues in Franklin and Williamson County often are accompanied by conflict and sometimes result in lost opportunities. The issue of public facilities is one that merits a more conscious approach by city and county government, and the two school boards. Williamson County is an owner of historic property in the City, including the fine 1858 Courthouse. The County is planning a significant expansion project, yet there would not appear to be a consultation process about the design, massing and configuration of servicing and parking facilities. The County Board of Education’s recent experience in selecting the site for a new elementary school has been filled with an unfortunate level of conflict. Preservation Responsibilities & Public Perceptions There would seem to be little clarity about what it means to be in the historic district covered by the Historic Zoning Commission, and how the Commission operates. The visibility of the Heritage Foundation with its activist profile, causes it to be seen by some as the arbiter of preservation decisions in the City. The official mechanism for design and development review in the historic district is the Historic Zoning Commission. The City does not have a trained preservation planner on staff. While generous on the part of its architect members, the practice of the Heritage Foundation providing no-cost design advice to HZC applicants can lead to misunderstandings, even conflicts of interest.
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