FRANKLIN, Tenn. (WKRN) — The City of Franklin could be gaining hundreds of acres in the county.
This discussion comes after the farmland owner outside Franklin requested the land be part of the city and turned into residential developments.
According to the City of Franklin, in November last year, the owners of Ravenswood Farm asked to be annexed into the city.
“The property owners have looked to, they’ve owned it for years, and they’ve looked to possibly develop it,” Franklin Alderman Ward 1, Beverly Burger, explained. “So they wanted to make it a Serenbe-type of development, which was called the Village Green in our zoning ordinances.”
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The owners of Ravenswood Farm requested to turn 493.87 acres into a mix of residential units, walking trails, and green space. But their larger request is to do it within the city limits.
“This is step one of a two-step initiation process,” Director of Planning and Sustainability for Franklin, Emily Hunter Wright, said. “So during this first stage, we are really just studying whether it is feasible for the city to provide these services.”
Alderman Burger told News 2 that on Tuesday, city leaders will further discuss the possibility before a public hearing in February.
“Having this study is critical,” Burger expressed. We need this study. Number two, is the timing right for this study? Number three, we are looking at the southeast sewer plant; we are not even digging the ground for that yet. So it’s got to be about timing and it’s also got to be about smart analysis.”
While it is still very early in the process, the proposal includes single-family lots, cottages, and condos.
Just a couple of minutes down the road, a local business owner said this proposed development would bring more shoppers through his doors.
“So far, the growth has been good for business,” the owner of Mercantile 1858, Matthew Bretherick, said.
But he hopes whatever happens, the county’s character stays the same. “Just keep it looking the same,” Bretherick said. “A lot of the growth happened in Nolensville. They lost a lot of that charm, and that’s why people are moving out here.”
The mayor and aldermen in Franklin are currently discussing this possibility and the services that would be needed.
Alderman Burger said even if the project were to pass annexation, it would be years before development could start.
“I wouldn’t say anything is going to be happening out there much in the next 10 years because even if it went forward, you would have to [have] infrastructure, you would have to do all types of things to get this area ready,” Bretherick said.
The property would also need to meet city requirements.
“To provide this particular property with city services, we would need to do these things or provide these certain improvements,” Hunter Wright added. “For instance, in this location, we would need a site for a fire station. We would need to look into what might need to be provided there to build a fire station.”
A public hearing to discuss the property’s future will be held on February 11.
News 2 reached out to the farm’s owners for comment. At the time of this publication, we had not heard back.
