Franklin council adopts ordinance banning junkyards, scrap metal processing in I-2 industrial district

The Franklin City Council unanimously adopted Ordinance 2018-19 on Nov. 5, amending the City of Franklin Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) to prohibit the establishment of junkyards, recycling centers and scrap metal processing facilities in the I-2 General Industrial District.

City Engineer Barry Conway told council the ordinance makes three specific changes: it adds a definition for “Salvage Materials and Salvage/Scrap Yard” (and renumbers definitions accordingly); it amends Table 11 in Section 1107.05 to prohibit the listed uses in I-2 districts; and it removes the conditional-use approval standards for those uses from Section 1113.01, with related renumbering. Conway said the Planning Commission reviewed the proposals and voted unanimously to recommend approval to council.

Mayor Todd Hall opened a public hearing; no members of the public spoke. Paul Ruppert moved to adopt Ordinance 2018-19; Denny Centers seconded. The motion passed on a 7-0 recorded vote.

The ordinance changes alter permitted land uses in the city’s I-2 zoning district by removing specific recycling and salvage operations from the list of allowed or conditional uses and eliminating the conditional-use criteria that had governed them. Council did not record any public opposition during the hearing and the Planning Commission had recommended the amendments.

The council vote concludes the local legislative step recorded in the council minutes; the transcript does not specify an effective date or administrative implementation steps for the ordinance.