Warren County adopts Franklin Township comprehensive plan as supplement, updates county future land-use map

Warren County commissioners on a work-session vote approved two resolutions to add Franklin Township’s first comprehensive plan to the county comprehensive plan and to amend the county future land-use map to incorporate Franklin Township’s future land-use map.

The supplemental plan and map aim to provide a shared vision for land use, infrastructure and implementation actions in Franklin Township and to give county officials and developers clearer guidance when future proposals come before county boards.

Cameron Gashinsky of the Warren County Regional Planning Commission summarized the planning effort and asked the commissioners for two specific resolutions: "We are looking for those two resolutions from this board today," he said. Gashinsky told the commissioners the township plan is the township’s first comprehensive plan, built through a public process that began in January 2024 and used stakeholder interviews and community workshops.

Gashinsky and planning staff described participation that included 11 stakeholder interviews, a community survey that received 266 responses, two community workshops (one at Hunter Park) and coordination with county agencies on infrastructure, sewer and parks. He said the plan is organized into four chapters—introduction, infrastructure, land use and implementation—and includes an implementation list of recommended actions for township trustees and county staff.

Franklin Township officials who attended praised the planning process. Trustee Matt Jennings said the planning team "were phenomenal," and Franklin Township Administrator Daryl (Darryl) Cordray told commissioners, "the team did an outstanding job. It was a great process to go through, and I think it’ll definitely be something that’s beneficial for the township moving forward." Commissioners asked questions about the plan’s goals for economic development, corridors identified for future mixed use along State Route 122, and whether the township map included new road alignments (staff said the plan does not propose new road alignments but identifies areas for future development).

The board voted on two separate resolutions: one approving the Franklin Township comprehensive plan text and exhibits as a supplement to the Warren County comprehensive plan, and a second approving an amendment to the Warren County comprehensive plan future land-use map to incorporate Franklin Township’s map. The roll-call votes recorded Commissioner Grossman: yes; Commissioner Young: yes; Commissioner Jones: yes. Both measures were adopted.

County and township officials said next steps are implementation of the plan’s recommendations through coordination between Franklin Township trustees, the Warren County Regional Planning Commission and county departments when development proposals are reviewed.

Votes at a glance: Resolution approving the 2025 Franklin Township comprehensive plan as a supplement — approved (Grossman: yes; Young: yes; Jones: yes). Resolution amending the Warren County comprehensive plan future land-use map to incorporate Franklin Township’s map — approved (Grossman: yes; Young: yes; Jones: yes).