Nonprofit seeks to count schoolyard trees toward Franklintree-preservation requirement to secure site for service center

At the March meeting of the Franklin Special School District board, Matt Huff of Gamble Land Planning presented a request on behalf of OneGen Away to have 0.4 acres of trees on Franklin Elementary School property counted toward the City of Franklintree-preservation requirement so OneGen can close on adjacent land for a proposed nonprofit center.

The request matters because Huff said preserving the 0.4 acres as part of the projectrather than removing or replacing those treeswould allow the project to meet the citytree-cover threshold. Huff told the board the land purchase is under a letter of intent and that OneGen has until Oct. 31 to close. He gave a purchase number and project costs during the discussion, saying, “Itis $225,000,” and that the next geotechnical step would be a Phase 2 study costing about $50,000.

Huff said the planned facility, called the Legacy Center, would host a free grocery store, a pay-as-you-can coffee shop, free dental and medical services, counseling, budgeting assistance and space for other nonprofits. He said OneGen intends to buy the 0.4-acre tree parcel at a pro rata share so the preserved canopy can be applied to the projectand that leaving those trees intact is essential for the site layout: “If we kept 0.4 acres of trees, we lose 10% of the property which means we dont have enough parking which means we dont have enough room for the buildings which means we dont have a facility,” Huff said.

Board members asked operational and timing questions. A board member asked whether the trees had to be in OneGens name to count; Huff replied yes, that the citys tree-preservation rules require the applicant to demonstrate preserved canopy. A board member asked about the projects timeline; Huff said the project team must raise funds to meet the Oct. 31 closing and indicated the organization did not want to spend the $50,000 Phase 2 geotechnical fee before confirming the projects feasibility. "Before we sink $50,000 in, we'd rather know if it's even feasible," he said.

Administrators and board members also discussed a proposed walking path to Franklin Elementary and possible increases in foot traffic near the school. One board member asked the district to provide a written list of pros and cons and any safety considerations before the board takes a vote. District staff said they would prepare information for the board; the board chair confirmed the item could return for a formal vote at the April meeting if the board chooses to act then.

Next steps recorded in the meeting: Huff presented details and requested the board consider the proposal; the board did not vote on the request that night and discussed placing the item on the April agenda for consideration.

The boards request for a written pros-and-cons summary and the stated closing deadline are the next clear steps that could affect whether OneGen proceeds with the geotechnical study and closing.