Developers preview Revision 4 to Berry Farms Town Center PUD; no increase in entitlements, infrastructure work expected this year

Gary Vogren, a landscape architect with KBD, briefed neighbors on Revision 4 to the Berry Farms Town Center planned-unit development, saying the update rearranges building types, locations and open space but does not increase entitlements, square footage or the number of housing units from the plan approved in 2021. “But there's no increase in entitlements in terms of square footage or number of units,” Vogren said.

The Boyle development team described block-by-block changes that trim some large, 3–6 story commercial buildings down to lower-scale mixed-use and residential buildings, move buildings closer to the street and push parking to the rear to create a more pedestrian-oriented streetscape. Vogren said one example converts the previously planned large C5 building into a 2–3 story residential structure and reduces the C6 corner building to a smaller mixed-use form, while the C7 corner remains a larger mixed-use building.

Adam Balos, a partner at Boyle who is managing the project, told attendees the team has delivered utilities to the area and plans a site-plan submittal for much of the area shown on the current drawings. Balos said the team has submitted for an aquatic-resource alteration permit (ARAP) from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation for the bridge work and is preparing a one-stop permitting package. “Our goal would be to start the site work of that infrastructure, second quarter, call it this year,” Balos said.

Balos and Vogren emphasized the bridge and road-widening commitments remain part of the project’s prior entitlements. The developers estimated road-widening and bridge-related infrastructure work could begin in May and extend through much of 2026; they also said contractor selection and final staging plans remain to be completed. When a resident asked, “Will we still be able to use that road while it's under construction?” Balos said the team aims to keep lanes open as much as possible but cautioned final routing and closures will depend on the contractor and the city’s streets department.

Neighbors raised pedestrian-safety concerns about connections across Goose Creek Bypass. Greg asked whether a sidewalk will extend from Captain Freeman to the Goose Creek Bypass; Balos said the current drawings show a bike trail at that location and that a prior decision by the City of Franklin about a decade ago did not include a pedestrian connection at that bridge location. Balos said he would look up the record and follow up. Residents urged adding a sidewalk for safety if it is not already included.

Questions also focused on design details and neighborhood impacts. Don Harlan asked whether the parking garage facing Goose Creek would be a solid wall; Balos said Franklin’s design standards require veneers and screens and that trees and foreground buildings will limit visibility. He said the brown T-shaped area on the plan is anticipated to be an apartment amenity area (pool/amenity) rather than a town-center-wide public facility. On tree preservation, Balos said the team is evaluating whether existing canopy trees can be transplanted or must be replanted and welcomed suggestions for relocation sites.

Vogren gave unit totals for the revised area: about 365 units across the B, C and D blocks and 41 units in Section 10, which the team said does not change the previously approved unit totals. Balos said Section 10 site work is expected to start late in the second quarter under a contract with Celebration Homes, with some townhome construction possibly starting near the end of the third quarter.

The developers said the Revision 4 update will be presented to the City of Franklin planning commission on April 23; neighbors can attend that public meeting to comment. The neighborhood meeting ended with the team promising to follow up on specific questions about sidewalks, tree relocation and final construction staging.