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Commission breaks with staff on Factory Building 1 roof; approves bronze standing‑seam roof and screening
Summary
Despite staff recommendation to use shingles, the Historic Zoning Commission approved a dark bronze standing‑seam metal roof for Building 1 at the factory campus (230 Franklin Road) and approved removal of awnings, replacement of mechanical equipment screening with dark metal, and other in‑kind repairs.
The Franklin Historic Zoning Commission voted 5‑2 on Feb. 10 to approve a dark bronze standing‑seam metal roof for Building 1 on the factory campus at 230 Franklin Road, departing from staff’s recommendation to replace the roof with composition shingles to match historic photographs.
Staff presented historical photos showing the building with a shingle roof and recommended preserving historic roof materials and forms; staff therefore recommended denial of a metal roof and, if approved, that metal be a dark bronze. The application included a rendering of a dark metal standing‑seam roof and additional proposals to remove nonhistoric vinyl canopies, remove older mechanical equipment, install new equipment with dark metal screening, and perform in‑kind repairs where elements are deteriorated.
Benton Smothers and David Click of Holiday Properties represented the applicant and requested a variance from staff’s recommendation, arguing the metal roof had existed for almost 30 years and that a dark, neutral metal roof would be more compatible with the broader factory campus where metal roofs are common. James Blair, a resident from Nashville, spoke in support of the restoration overall and said he would prefer asphalt shingles but accepted the historical precedent and asked for a darker roof color.
After discussion commissioners split: several members said shingles would be best practice, while others cited the existing metal roof’s decades‑long presence and the factory campus context. A motion to approve the standing‑seam metal roof in a dark bronze color carried 5‑2. The commission then approved, unanimously, the removal of the vinyl awnings, the removal and replacement of mechanical equipment, and the replacement of existing horizontal wood screening with dark metal screening (corrugated vertical installation matching adjacent building screening), with the screening to match the approved dark bronze palette. Commissioners said the screening will match existing enclosure heights (about 6 feet) and include an approximately 3–3.5‑foot maintenance gate for access to units.
Votes at a glance - Approve dark bronze standing‑seam metal roof for Building 1 (variance from staff recommendation for shingles) — outcome: approved (5 ayes, 2 noes). - Approve removal of awnings, replacement of mechanical equipment, and dark metal screening (in‑kind replacement and matching campus materials) — outcome: approved (unanimous).
