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Consultant seeks change to Franklin hilltop overlay at 354 Franklin Road; neighbors object
Summary
A consultant for the owner of 354 Franklin Road proposed shifting the Hillside Hillcrest Overlay (HHO) boundary to follow existing tree lines and contour elevations, arguing the change reduces visual impact; several long-time Ash Drive residents said the move could open the area to development and voiced concerns about traffic, privacy and historic preservation.
Greg Gamble, a landscape architect and land planner consulting for the owner of 354 Franklin Road, presented a proposed amendment to Envision Franklin that would redraw parts of the Hillside Hillcrest Overlay (HHO) and the plan’s conservation boundary, saying the revision would align the overlay with existing 702- and 682-foot contour lines, 14% slope thresholds and tree lines.
Gamble said the existing HHO line, drawn around 2009, cuts across a barn and a former farm field. "By moving the line to the 702-foot contour, we're following really the start of the hill and the natural slopes," he said, and added that a raised railroad track would screen the areas proposed for removal from view on Franklin Road "even with a two-story structure." He also described a video walkthrough showing the current and proposed overlays and noted the property contains an old baseball field, a football practice field and a barn.
Residents pressed the applicant on intent and timing. One resident asked why the line is being moved, warning that "once one person asked to move the hillside line, then everyone will start asking." Gamble said the team has met with city staff, presented to the Planning Commission at a conceptual workshop and expects further staff comment once a formal application is submitted.
Long-time resident Elaine — who said she has lived in the area for more than 50 years — strongly opposed the proposal, disputing the applicant's description of past uses and warning of noise, traffic and loss of privacy. "We don't want to see anything develop there," she said, adding that many neighbors were told for decades that the land was not buildable. Elaine also said changing the conservation line could lead to residents being subject to eminent domain.
Another Ash Drive resident asked whether the proposal differed from a letter circulated a year earlier. Gamble said the earlier proposal sought to change the Envision Franklin land-use designation from "Rural Reserve" to "Village Green" but that the applicant has since withdrawn that request; the current proposal would retain the "Rural Reserve" land-use policy — which Gamble said has a smallest-allowed lot size of one-half acre — while requesting only an amendment to the conservation/HHO boundary.
Gamble said he does not expect major vehicular connections to Ash Drive and that any Ash Drive access would likely be pedestrian or for emergency access. He also invited neighbors to an in-person meeting on August 19 at 5:30 p.m. in the Jamieson Station Building for further comment.
No formal application, vote or staff decision was recorded during the meeting; Gamble said the applicant is at the start of the formal process and expects additional staff review and public input after filing.
The in-person follow-up meeting was announced for August 19 at 5:30 p.m. at the Jamieson Station Building.
