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Franklin CDA recommends amending PDD 18 to let staff approve minor site-plan changes
Summary
On Jan. 23 the City of Franklin Community Development Authority voted to recommend an ordinance amending Planned Development District No. 18 to allow Department of City Development staff to approve minor site-plan amendments defined as under 5% change in structure area and no increase in off-street parking.
Jan. 23, 2025 — The City of Franklin Community Development Authority voted to recommend approval of an ordinance amending Planned Development District No. 18 to allow Department of City Development staff to approve certain minor site-plan amendments within the Franklin Industrial Park.
City staff told the authority the change is intended to streamline the approval process for small projects within the industrial park. A City staff member said the proposed language would allow staff to approve changes that amount to less than a 5% change in a structure’s floor area and that do not increase off‑street parking, while larger changes would remain subject to the current review process.
Under current PDD 18 language, the CDA must approve plans for any building or improvement in the district. Staff cited a recent example involving Cameron Ashley Building Products, which sought to widen a garage door by 2 feet and could not be processed as a minor amendment because the PDD lacked specific thresholds.
The staff presentation noted the proposed PDD language is intended to align with a draft Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) rewrite that uses clearer numeric standards to distinguish minor and major amendments. The ordinance change considered by the CDA would treat changes under the 5% floor‑area threshold and with no added off‑street parking as minor and delegable to Department of City Development staff.
Commissioner Kressevich moved to recommend approval of the ordinance; Alderman Eichmann seconded. The motion carried on a voice vote; the authority recorded unanimous support.
If the Plan Commission and Common Council approve the ordinance in subsequent hearings, the department would be able to approve qualifying minor site-plan amendments without full CDA review. A staff handout presented at the meeting showed the draft edits to the existing PDD text.
