DRC critiques Harpeth Village mixed‑use plan: staff calls for significant redesign; commissioners seek lighter materials and reduced visibility of parking

A developer team presented a revised concept plan for the mixed‑use project now named Harpeth Village (previously “March”) at the site near Franklin Road and Harpeth Industrial Court. The team said it reduced building lengths, increased setbacks from the adjacent Morningside Drive properties, broke a single long building into smaller masses, lowered some building heights and introduced a smaller one‑story commercial building oriented to Morningside. Staff member Emily summarized the application and recommended further redesign before a COA could be supported, saying the proposed building heights (22 feet to 48 feet 10 inches) and long brick‑heavy facades “appear to have a massing that is inconsistent with the buildings that are seen on Franklin Road.” Staff emphasized the guideline recommendations that new commercial buildings should align rhythmically with adjacent historic facades, keep distinct street‑level vs. upper‑story treatments, and protect adjacent residential properties with transitions and stepbacks. Commissioners generally welcomed the team’s increased setbacks (for example, a 176‑foot separation from one Morningside building and a 143‑foot separation to a different corner) but urged additional changes: reduce and visually lighten the brick massing on upper stories so walls don’t read overly heavy; avoid a false sense of industrial history by expressly distinguishing new building language from the adjacent Factory at Franklin; rethink parallel parking around the base of the conserved hill (several commissioners said locating parking in front of the hill would undermine the park and battlefield view shed); and provide much more detailed signage proposals for any requested modifications of standards (commissioners said modifications for internal illumination, multiple canopy signs or multiple blade signs should be evaluated with exact sign counts and locations). Why it matters: This is a large project on a sensitive parcel near a conserved hill (the lunette) and adjacent residential properties. The DRC’s advisory opinion will inform Historic Zoning Commission recommendations and any modifications of zoning standards the Board of Mayor and Aldermen might consider. Next steps: Commissioners asked for additional study: site visits to assess visibility and scale, revisions to break up brick massing and lighten upper facades, reduced or relocated parallel parking near the public view shed, and a full, tenant‑level signage strategy if modifications of standards are sought.