Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Affordable Housing Fha topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commission recommends approvals for Franklin Housing Authority redevelopment plans with parking and open‑space modifications
Summary
The commission recommended rezoning and development plans for multiple Franklin Housing Authority projects (Iris/Irish Place and Denson/Denison Place), approving several modifications including a reduced multifamily parking ratio and alternate open‑space calculations; staff said the proposals meet Envision Franklin special considerations for FHA properties.
The Planning Commission on June 25 recommended approval of several Franklin Housing Authority‑related rezonings and development plans, including Iris/Irish Place and Denson/Denison Place, each accompanied by modification‑of‑standards requests.
Staff said the proposals fall within Envision Franklin’s mixed residential design concept and noted a specific special consideration that allows FHA properties to include multifamily residential in accordance with their master plans. The Iris/Irish Place submissions propose 144 multifamily units on roughly 7.68 acres (18.85 units/acre); Denson/Denison Place proposes about 97 units on 5.14 acres.
Both applicants requested a modification to reduce the multifamily parking standard to 1.75 spaces per unit; staff recommended approval after review of parking memos and precedent projects. Applicants also asked to modify the required “natural area” percentage (from 10% to 0%) while providing a total of 15% open space (5% programmed, 10% nonprogrammed); staff supported that approach given the site constraints and the applicant’s willingness to increase total open space.
For Denson/Denison Place, the applicant requested additional MOSs related to historic buffers adjacent to the First Missionary Baptist Church campus: allowing stormwater infrastructure within a 75‑foot historic buffer if adequate screening is provided and not applying additional width for utility easements in the buffer. Staff indicated the church campus’s eligibility with the state historic preservation office is pending but recommended approval of the MOSs with conditions for screening.
A resident, Travis Brennan, asked whether traffic and drainage studies had been completed for the Denson proposal; city engineering staff (Jimmy Wiseman) said a traffic study was completed—even though the project fell below the city’s automatic threshold—and that intersections operated at acceptable levels of service; stormwater and sewer issues would be reviewed during detailed site‑plan design and staff had already met with the applicant’s engineers to assess aging infrastructure in the area.
Commissioners approved the MOS requests and recommended the rezonings and development plans to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen.
Action taken: recommendations to BOMA for Ordinance 2026‑16 (Iris Place), Resolution 2026‑50 (Irish Place development plan), Ordinance 2026‑15 (Denson rezoning) and Resolution 2026‑49 (Denson development plan) with MOSs approved.
