Council approves rezoning at 500 Earlywood for Franklin school preschool program

The Franklin City Council on Feb. 3 unanimously approved Ordinance 2025-01 to rezone 500 Earlywood from industrial to institutional, clearing the way for a preschool project proposed by the Franklin Community School Corporation.

Senior Planner Joanna Tennell opened the public hearing, saying, "This evening is the public hearing for the rezoning at 500 Earlywood. [It] was introduced at the last meeting and there are representatives here from the school that have a short presentation." The council then heard a short presentation from the school’s representatives and voted to approve the rezoning.

Why it matters: Council members were asked to change the zoning classification so the existing school property can be brought into conformance after a planned modification to the building. Planner Joanna Tennell and school presenters described the site as a long‑standing institutional use that had been treated as a legal nonconforming use under an industrial designation and now is being returned to institutional zoning.

During the presentation, a school representative described the project as a combined public‑private preschool program that would serve about 300 children and showed a high-level site and floor plan. The site layout presented includes access changes on Sloan and Earlywood Drive and acceleration/deceleration lanes on Earlywood. The floor plan shown places administrative offices on the north side of the building, developmental/pre‑K spaces on the east/northeast side and a cafeteria/activity common area in the center.

City staff framed the rezoning as a technical step: because the building will be modified, the city must either bring the use into conformance with current zoning or approve a rezoning. Planner Tennell noted the location "operated as an institutional use" historically and that returning the parcel to institutional zoning reflects that history.

The motion to approve Ordinance 2025-01 passed by voice vote after a motion and second; the mayor called for those in favor and recorded no opposition.

Council members did not raise additional conditions on the rezoning during the hearing; the council’s action changes only the zoning classification and does not itself approve construction plans, permits or building‑level reviews that will still be required.

The council moved on after the vote to the next ordinance on the agenda.