Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Development Planning topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Franklin staff presents 2024 development activity report showing rise in permits, impact fees and construction value
Summary
City planning staff told the Board of Aldermen that 2024 brought higher permitting activity, new impact-fee revenue streams and growth in multifamily construction; staff outlined service timelines and boards that help manage development.
City planning staff presented Franklin’s final quarterly development activity report for 2024, saying the city issued more permits, collected higher impact fees and recorded a near‑record construction valuation.
The report, delivered by staff member Catherine, covered plan review timelines, permitting counts, impact‑fee collections, housing permits and boards and commissions that work with developers. "For initial submittals, we have a commitment of 20 working days to be sent back with comments. And then for resubmittals, it's 10 working days," Catherine said as she outlined plan‑review service standards.
Why it matters: The report frames how the city manages new development and where revenue to support infrastructure will come from. Staff told aldermen the change in impact‑fee policy and a wave of multifamily and commercial projects drove much of the increase in 2024 activity.
Key facts from the presentation: - Plan review: staff logged 949 internal meetings in 2024 related to potential and active development projects, including required pre‑application meetings for larger projects. - Permits: the city issued 1,228 building permits, 5,408 trade permits (electrical, plumbing, mechanical) and 323 fire permits in 2024. Other permit types (mobile food vendors, swimming pools, demolition) were also reported. - Construction valuation: building permits issued in 2024 totaled about $778 million, a roughly 28% increase year‑over‑year and one of the stronger totals in the five‑year comparison. - Housing: staff reported 1,003 permitted dwelling units in 2024 — including 282 single‑family homes, 153 townhomes and 568 multifamily units — up more than 600 units from 2023. Staff named Optima, Wood Duck Court, Cherokee and Shawnee among multifamily projects. - Impact fees: collections in 2024 included approximately $7 million in road impact fees, about $1 million in water impact fees, $5 million in sewer impact fees, $2 million in facilities tax and about $3.5 million in parkland impact fees. Staff said the road fee remained the largest revenue source and that sewer rose sharply after a fee restructuring that took effect Jan. 1, 2024.
Staff also reviewed the local boards that touch development: the Development Services Advisory Commission (monthly), the Building and Street Standards Board of Appeals (met three times in 2024) and the Stormwater Appeals Board (no meetings in 2024). Catherine said staff attempts to resolve conflicts before items reach appeal bodies.
Aldermen asked clarifying questions about board meeting frequency and the geographic limits of water service; Catherine said water impact fees depend on where development occurs because the city does not provide water citywide.
Staff said the city is continuing work on impact‑fee phase 2 for water and sewer and a separate upcoming parkland impact‑fee update. The presentation concluded with staff offering to provide additional detail on board meeting dates and other follow‑up data.
The report was informational; no formal vote or ordinance was recorded on the topic during the meeting.
