Franklin Wants Input on Riverfront Development

In September, a hotel project by the edge of the Harper River in downtown Franklin fell apart. The area, between 1st Avenue and the river on the south side of downtown, would have been a Hampton Inn. In part, because the area is in the larger and largely undeveloped flood plain, the city and developers held off on approvals.

Now the larger area of floodplain by the river, and 1.4 miles of potential river walk, trails and development from Pinkerton Park to Bicentennial Park on both sides of the Harpeth, is under consideration.

The city has hired a consulting agency to see what the community at large wants and what the city can do on (perhaps) the last substantial undeveloped area right in downtown Franklin.

On Tuesday, consultant Barge, Waggoner, Sumner and Cannon, Inc. held two rounds of community meetings at City Hall and encouraged residents to take their survey.

They are are “undertaking the study to understand the challenges, opportunities, and perspectives associated with potential development along the Harpeth River in Downtown Franklin. The project area will include land along both sides of the Harpeth River from Pinkerton Park to Bicentennial Park,” according to the city.

The city asks residents to share your vision for the Harpeth Riverfront here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Harpeth-Riverfront

Questions in the survey aim to find out what kind of buildings people would like to see along the river, and what types of amenities they would like.

The zones include spaces for commercial and residential development, in the area by 1st Avenue S. and the river. This is where the Hampton Inn was proposed to go.

Spaces for a river walk, more park space, trails, overlooks, pedestrian bridges, boat launches and other amenities fill out much of the rest of the area.

The problem, of course, is that all of this land lays within the Harpeth River flood plain, which makes development tricky.

The consultants break the land into different areas based on how hard it would be to develop. Two areas, by First Avenue S. where Hampton would have been and on the other side of the river in Bicentennial Park, are marked ready to be developed. Other areas would need special engineering or stilted construction and special zoning to be built on.

Areas in green are ready for development. Areas in red would need the most work.

The next step after the survey and community results will be creating a report based on the study that creates recommendations. It will be summer before any real plans come out from the study. But the city, if the residents want it, has taken significant first steps in increasing the amount of walkable downtown area.