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Donor offers land for deed‑restricted employee housing; city staff asked to study concept
Summary
A Franklin resident offered about six acres of family land for city-employee deed-restricted townhomes. Staff showed a conceptual layout for up to 20 units and asked the board whether to dedicate more work — including an employee interest survey, rezoning steps and program administration — to the idea.
A Franklin resident and landowner, Dorinda Carlisle Smith, proposed using roughly six acres of family property to develop deed‑restricted housing for City of Franklin employees and asked the board for guidance on whether staff should invest time to develop the concept further.
Smith told the board she inherited approximately 14 acres and identified about five to six acres that she said had limited value aside from infrequent mowing; she proposed townhomes constrained by deed restriction so ownership would be limited to city employees. Smith and Ward Alderman Matthew (surname not specified) said they first discussed the idea with staff roughly 15 months earlier.
City staff presented a conceptual layout prepared by planning staff that showed a mix of townhomes and duplexes under current zoning and Envision Franklin guidance. Planning staff said the site could accommodate up to 10 townhome units and 10 duplex units (up to 20 units total), with each unit served by a one‑car garage and additional parallel parking along an internal street. Staff said the development would require rezoning to a plan district and the usual planning commission review and three board readings for adoption.
Staff described two broad workstreams if the board wants to proceed: (1) program administration — identifying financing, partners, and a manager to administer deed restriction and resale rules so employee homeownership does not create an employer/employee conflict; and (2) site development — standard development and construction steps. Staff proposed surveying city employees to measure interest and issuing a letter of interest to potential development partners as next steps.
Board members raised legal and policy questions during discussion: how deed restrictions would treat employees who later leave city employment, how resale formulas would be handled, Fair Housing Act compliance, and whether prioritizing city employees over other local residents would be appropriate. Aldermen said the idea is attractive because the land donor would supply the site, reducing one common barrier to affordability; they also suggested caution and detailed study. No formal decision was made; staff asked for board guidance to spend additional staff time to develop a proof of concept and survey employees.
