Commission approves front fence and driveway, and grants controversial accessory‑structure addition at 240 Fourth Ave S.

At its March 10 meeting the Franklin Historic Zoning Commission approved a multi‑part application for 240 Fourth Avenue South that included front yard fencing, a driveway alteration and the relocation and enlargement of a contributing accessory structure. Staff recommended denial of the accessory relocation and addition because the proposed addition increased the accessory structure’s height and mass beyond the design guidelines’ subordinate scale; the commission voted to approve the accessory structure despite that recommendation.

Preservation staff described the property as a 1920s bungalow with a contributing one‑bay garage (1925). The application proposed a three‑foot‑tall wood picket fence around the front yard (staff found the fence design consistent with guidelines but requested the gate be differentiated from the fence), relocation of the accessory structure roughly 12 feet closer to the principal building, and a 456‑sq‑ft addition that would bring the accessory structure to approximately 657.77 sq ft total. Staff recommended denial of the relocation and addition on the grounds that historic accessory structures should generally retain their original locations and remain visually subordinate in mass and height to the principal building.

Chisel Workshop representative Ben McCreary said the design team had minimized the size of the addition and argued the enlarged garage would remain smaller in scale than nearby structures and subordinate to the main house. Commissioners discussed the tradeoffs; several commissioners said the proposal reasonably reuses and preserves the accessory structure, hides the addition from primary street views and maintains compatibility with surrounding properties. Two commissioners expressly noted the site’s constraints and that the design was reduced from earlier, larger proposals.

The commission approved the front fence with a staff‑review provision for the gate detail, approved the accessory structure relocation and addition contrary to staff recommendation (with the applicant to provide final window specifications to staff prior to permitting), and approved driveway alterations intended to limit paving by retaining a narrow grass strip between the two bays and using stone for a sidewalk approach.

Staff conditions for the approvals include submission of gate details to staff for final review, final window specifications for the accessory addition, and other standard preservation submittals before permits are issued.