Franklin planning commission adopts Village Green plan for 474‑acre Smith property over broad resident opposition

The Franklin Municipal Planning Commission on Thursday adopted an amendment to Envision Franklin that changes roughly 474.94 acres along Murfreesboro Road from the plan’s Rural Reserve designation to Village Green and adds special considerations for a rural‑retreat hospitality use (including an event venue) and a continuum‑of‑care facility.

The 6‑3 vote follows more than two hours of public comment in which neighbors, county officials and environmental advocates urged the commission to retain Rural Reserve or require large‑lot residential zoning. Opponents raised flood, traffic, schools and infrastructure capacity as chief concerns; supporters and the applicant said the Village Green designation would preserve large open spaces and provide tools to finance needed infrastructure.

City staff summarized the applicant’s proposal and the plan‑amendment review. Staff said the amendment updates Envision Franklin’s design concepts map for parcels recently added to the city’s urban growth boundary and recommends Village Green because the proposal preserves large areas of floodplain and forest and would provide a mix of housing types and neighborhood‑scale services. Staff also noted that the state has recently passed…