community in this area and future development and revitalization should address the importance of this principle. For example, the commercial area along South Street centered near the intersection with Pretlow Street provides neighborhood residents with shopping opportunities within walking distance and promotes independence for those without other means of transportation. In addition, the need for affordable housing of high quality must be a focus of any revitalization strategy within this South Street area. The sense of community resulting from making the neighborhood a defined and close-knit area will foster pride and responsibility for maintaining the quality of the homes there. Community Development Block Grant funding has and will continue to be utilized in Franklin. The Management Team associated with the Housing Needs Assessment identified additional deficient residential areas of the city requiring rehabilitation assistance after the deficiencies in the Cobbtown neighborhood have been addressed. Those neighborhoods include the Riverview-Meadowbrook area and the Banks-Cobb neighborhood. The City is currently seeking a Comprehensive Improvement Grant from the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development in the Cobbtown neighborhood area as it was considered to have the highest needs. Future housing rehabilitation projects will be considered in these three neighborhoods as a matter of order. However, the planning commission should be consulted prior to planning grants being sought in these neighborhoods. The final Housing Needs Assessment document with mapping constitutes Appendix A to the Comprehensive Plan. I. New Residential Development The undeveloped areas in many parts of the City of Franklin present both opportunities and challenges for the future of the City. Agricultural and forestal areas in the northern and western reaches of Franklin may begin to feel the pressures of development in the coming years. How the City chooses to deal with opportunities for development will define the character of these areas. The application of Conservation Design principles, as set forth by Randall Arendt, would allow for the preservation of significant open space while still accommodating development needs. Conservation Design in the development of subdivisions involves less land consumption in that housing density is increased in one portion of a developable tract of land, leaving a significant portion of the total subdivision as permanently protected open space. Application of this technique in multiple subdivisions could allow for the creation of a connected network of open lands within these areas of Franklin. The Conservation Design process includes a site evaluation prior to subdivision to identify important natural features such as wetlands, rare and unique habitat areas and forested areas that should be protected during the development process. Other significant features such as historic areas and agricultural lands may also be identified for protection at this stage in the process.
community in this area and future development and revitalization should address the importance of this principle. For example, the commercial area along South Street centered near the intersection with Pretlow Street provides neighborhood residents with shopping opportunities within walking distance and promotes independence for those without other means of transportation. In addition, the need for affordable housing of high quality must be a focus of any revitalization strategy within this South Street area. The sense of community resulting from making the neighborhood a defined and close-knit area will foster pride and responsibility for maintaining the quality of the homes there. Community Development Block Grant funding has and will continue to be utilized in Franklin. The Management Team associated with the Housing Needs Assessment identified additional deficient residential areas of the city requiring rehabilitation assistance after the deficiencies in the Cobbtown neighborhood have been addressed. Those neighborhoods include the Riverview-Meadowbrook area and the Banks-Cobb neighborhood. The City is currently seeking a Comprehensive Improvement Grant from the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development in the Cobbtown neighborhood area as it was considered to have the highest needs. Future housing rehabilitation projects will be considered in these three neighborhoods as a matter of order. However, the planning commission should be consulted prior to planning grants being sought in these neighborhoods. The final Housing Needs Assessment document with mapping constitutes Appendix A to the Comprehensive Plan. I. New Residential Development The undeveloped areas in many parts of the City of Franklin present both opportunities and challenges for the future of the City. Agricultural and forestal areas in the northern and western reaches of Franklin may begin to feel the pressures of development in the coming years. How the City chooses to deal with opportunities for development will define the character of these areas. The application of Conservation Design principles, as set forth by Randall Arendt, would allow for the preservation of significant open space while still accommodating development needs. Conservation Design in the development of subdivisions involves less land consumption in that housing density is increased in one portion of a developable tract of land, leaving a significant portion of the total subdivision as permanently protected open space. Application of this technique in multiple subdivisions could allow for the creation of a connected network of open lands within these areas of Franklin. The Conservation Design process includes a site evaluation prior to subdivision to identify important natural features such as wetlands, rare and unique habitat areas and forested areas that should be protected during the development process. Other significant features such as historic areas and agricultural lands may also be identified for protection at this stage in the process.
fkn_compplan_12_17_13.docx