Commission backs Ovation PUD changes and opens path for possible park-and-ride, but parking-structure location raises conditions

The Franklin Municipal Planning Commission on July 24 recommended that the Board of Mayor and Aldermen approve a rezoning and revised development plan for the Ovation planned-unit development at the southeast corner of East McEwen Drive and Carruthers Parkway.

The commission approved eight modification-of-standard requests in stages, including material choices, block-length flexibility and limited retaining-wall exceptions; it approved a request that would allow parking structures parallel to McEwen Drive and Carothers Parkway only with conditions related to pedestrian activation, transit accommodation and enhanced architectural treatment.

Why it matters: Ovation is a large, multi-phase mixed-use project in the Envision Franklin regional commerce designation. The project’s layout, building heights and parking strategy affect traffic patterns on a key regional corridor and could influence future transit investments, including a potential park-and-ride or coach stop.

Staff presentation and project scope Chelsea, a planner with the City of Franklin Planning Department, described the Ovation submission as a 103.93-acre development proposing 1,594 multifamily units, 69 townhomes, up to 1,655,000 square feet of nonresidential space and 350 hotel rooms. Staff said a shared parking study was submitted that reduces parking demand within the Ovation Parkway loop and that the traffic impact analysis generally supports the applicant’s proposed off-site roadway improvements.

Applicant overview and site…