Project team proposes small boundary change to restore road frontage for adjacent lot in Franklin City

A project presenter told a Franklin City community meeting that Development Plan Revision 2 for the Coletta master plan would remove a 0.48-acre strip of open space to restore potential public right-of-way frontage for an adjacent R‑1 property owned by Mr. Yarlagadda. The presenter said the change reduces the overall project acreage from 204.89 to 204.41 acres but leaves the approved unit count unchanged at 259 and keeps formal open space at 11.5 acres.

The presenter said the strip arose from an original road alignment and left the neighboring parcel without frontage, which limits the owner’s future access options: "It simply corrects an unintended condition," the presenter said, adding that the strip would be rezoned to R‑1 to match the adjacent property. He said access to South Carothers Road would likely not be supported because of its proximity to the Copley Road connection, so restoring frontage on Copley Road is the practical remedy the revision proposes.

Residents asked several detailed questions. One resident asked whether the two proposed northern connections (near Cross Creek Drive) are full streets; the presenter clarified both are currently proposed as emergency-only links with bollards or removable barriers that could be opened for emergency vehicles. Another resident asked about landscape screening originally planned for the strip; the presenter said street trees and entry landscaping will remain but that the adjacent landowner prioritized restoring access over dedicating that strip to planting. A staff member added that screening will be provided through a joint agreement between the Coletta team and the neighboring property owner, but driveways and access areas will not be landscaped.

Concerns about privacy and tree removal came up as well. One resident reported receiving a notice that an arborist had marked trees and that a six-foot privacy fence was proposed; the presenter said the fence is intended to protect back-to-back lots near preserved trees, is not expected to run all the way to Copley Road, and that the team will confirm the fence extents and the nature of the tree work and follow up by email. The resident exchange included this characterization from the presenter: "We're all seeing" storm damage to trees and "we'll need to take out a few more than what they originally thought." Jan Silvis, identified by name during the meeting, raised questions about the original planting and later commented from the Cross Creek neighborhood that prior meetings had not favored creating a new access.

On phasing, the presenter declined to give a precise start date but said construction is "definitely inside the year" and described sequencing: Copley Road (the spine road) will be built first, then the core neighborhood area, then other sections. The presenter closed by outlining the next procedural steps: initial submittal, consideration by the planning commission, a rezoning process and then three readings at BOMA, with additional public meetings to follow.

The presenter also noted that the revision does not change the number of units in Coletta, and that informal open space will decrease slightly but still exceed city requirements. The project team said it would follow up with residents on specific questions about the privacy fence and tree removal notices.

The revision will proceed to the Planning Commission for review; no formal vote or rezoning decision occurred at this meeting.