Franklin reviews master plan for 44-acre Creekside property, highlights preservation and trail connections

At a May work session of the Board of Mayor and Aldermen, city staff and consultants presented a draft master plan for the 44-acre Creekside property, outlining preservation goals for historic structures and proposed multiuse trail connections to the Mac Hatcher corridor and nearby parks.

The plan, presented by a city staff member with consultant Alicia Eli of Kimberly Horn & Associates, spotlights the property on the southeast corner of Mac Hatcher and Franklin Road and describes existing features that staff said are worthy of protection, including an antebellum house believed to date to the 1840s, a barn, a spring house and a historic bridge where Spencer Creek passes under a railroad trestle. "There's a lot of history to celebrate there," Alicia Eli said during the presentation.

The draft shows potential pedestrian connections to the existing Mack Hatcher multiuse trail to the north, links to Roper's Knob, and near-term tie-ins to Harlinsdale Farm and other nearby green spaces. The plan suggests keeping the primary parking out of view of the historic home's front elevation and limiting vehicular impact on the site; it also identifies potential on-site locations for story walks, wayfinding and interpretive signage to highlight the property's agricultural and Civil War-era history.

Tori Barnhill, executive director of Friends of Franklin Parks, told the board her organization supports the planning effort and the long-term preservation of the tract. "We think this will be very beneficial for future generations and Franklin today," Barnhill said. Bob Rabiner, speaking as a private resident and on behalf of several preservation groups, said the site provides a "window into the history of Franklin" and described finding artifacts and evidence of Civil War activity on the property.

City staff said the draft is a high-level planning document, not a construction plan, and emphasized that the city intends to finalize the master plan while negotiations continue over the purchase of three additional acres adjacent to the 44-acre tract. A staff member said they expect to provide the board a number or range for that three-acre acquisition "in the next week or so." The presentation also noted opportunities and constraints related to utilities, stormwater, mature trees and the railroad embankment.

No formal action was taken; the item was presented for feedback and to inform next steps in master-plan finalization and ongoing property negotiations.

The board and consultants said they will return with additional details as the negotiations and plan refinements proceed.