Planning commission approves broad package of design and signage changes for Ovation PUD amid debate over angled parking and digital wayfinding

The Franklin Municipal Planning Commission recommended approval of Revision 4 to the Ovation planned unit development and voted to support a package of 15 modifications of standards on April 23, 2026, clearing the way for a major mixed-use project that includes retail, restaurants, and public event space.

Staff told commissioners the revision does not change entitlements or density but requests multiple deviations from the city's development standards—covering parking layout, loading locations, facade treatments and an expanded range of signage, including digital displays. The commission approved the overall resolution (Resolution 2026-24) and individually voted on the MOS requests with conditions, including limiting pedestrian-scale interactive displays to 12 units at a maximum height of 8 feet.

Greg Gamble, representing the Ovation development team, said the MOS package is intended to support “placemaking” in what the applicant described as a 400,000-square-foot retail and restaurant core. “The angled parking provides for a convenient quick turnover parking,” Gamble said, adding the project will rely on structured parking for longer stays. He also proposed digital wayfinding signs and a park-facing large-format screen to help visitors navigate frequent events.

Staff and city engineering voiced concerns about MOS 1, the request to allow angled parking along internal private streets, citing maneuverability, safety and engineering standards. Staff described examples where angled parking was linked to collisions and demonstrated, using turning templates, that angled stalls along the primary corridors could impede larger vehicles and emergency access. The city's presenter said angled parking “requires additional pavement” and “creates an unsafe environment for patrons wanting to access their trunk while their car is parked.”

Commissioners split on the safety trade-offs. Several members noted existing angled parking in Franklin and Berry Farms functions as intended in those contexts; others agreed with staff that the proposed corridors for Ovation are higher-volume and require conformity to parallel-parking standards. After debate, the commission approved MOS 1 by a 6–1 vote.

Other contested items included MOS 7 (pedestrian-scale interactive digital displays) and MOS 8 (a 400-square-foot digital facade screen). The commission amended MOS 7 during deliberations, approving up to 12 pedestrian-scale digital wayfinding displays at a maximum height of 8 feet rather than the 15 displays and 10-foot height the applicant initially sought. MOS 8 (a large-format on-site display facing inward toward a park area) was approved as presented.

Several signage-related MOS requests were approved with staff-recommended conditions (including requirements on screening, materials, and placement), while staff recommended disapproval of a subset of high-impact sign requests originally proposed as prohibited sign types. The commission’s votes reflect a negotiated outcome that preserves many of the applicant’s placemaking goals while imposing limits intended to protect pedestrian safety and the public right-of-way.

The project team said infrastructure work—including road widenings, a bridge connection and sidewalks—has been submitted through the city’s administrative review and is scheduled to begin this summer. The commission’s recommendation will go to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen for final action. In the interim, applicants and staff will coordinate conditions tied to specific MOS approvals and site plan submittals.