30 CITY OF FRANKLIN, TENNESSEE Strategies to Conserve Historic Landscapes Communities across the country have utilized tools ranging from incentives to regulation to conserve historic landscapes, which Franklin may want to consider implementing. A brief description of some of these tools follows. Note: Many of these tools have been developed for natural resource conservation purposes. However, they may be adapted to suit the needs of conserving historic resources. Recognition Programs Raising awareness and appreciation for historic landscapes can be a powerful approach toward building support for a regulatory approach to conservation. Tennessee’s Century Farms Program identifies, documents, and recognizes farms that have been owned by the same family for 100 years or more. Three Century Farms have been identified in Franklin (River Grange, Gentry Farm, and Short Farm) and others may be eligible. A local program could be developed, perhaps recognizing 50-100 year old family farms, focusing on raising awareness about the history and importance of farming to Franklin’s landscape and culture. Conservation Easements Another successful tool for preserving historic landscapes is a preservation easement program. A preservation easement is a voluntary legal agreement that provides assurance that a historic resource will be preserved through subsequent ownership, while providing tax benefits to the property owner. A qualified community land trust or preservation organization is typically responsible for developing and operating an easement program. Land Banking In some instances it may be preferable to pursue the outright purchase of key historic landscapes by a nonprofit organization or public agency that will ensure the lands are never developed. In many cases a land trust fills this need by negotiating with the landowner, raising funds, administering the easement, and maintaining the property. In some instances, these properties are transferred to a public agency for maintenance as part of a public parks system that allows access, typically in the form of passive recreation. Conservation Development Guidelines & Standards A technique also known as cluster development, open space preservation, and landscape preservation, conservation development techniques seek to conserve natural resources while allowing meaningful economic return for sensitive development of the land. The process typically involves the creation of a site analysis map that identifies historical, cultural and natural resources, potential open space corridors, views, etc. that should be preserved, and excludes these areas from development and targets construction on the rest of the parcel. In communities where this analysis is compulsory, it is typically limited only to certain zoning districts or when particular resources are present, such as a significant historic landscape.
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