The Franklin Town Council approved on April 4 the annexation of the property at 3011 Georgia Road, occupied by the Fast Food Mart. Owner Eva Sue Norton had submitted on Feb. 16 an application for voluntary annexation. The property is contiguous to the current town limits and met the requirements for annexation. Because it has not yet been zoned, the council voted to forward the matter to the town Planning Board to set the zoning designation.
Also, during the meeting, the council set a public hearing on the rezoning of a piece of property on Mary B Lane. The owner, Aaron Driver, has requested that the property be rezoned from R1 (residential) to C2 (commercial). Driver plans to construct a building on the front portion of the 4.25-acre property for his business, Seven Springs Landscape Maintenance. The building would serve as a place for his employees to meet each morning before going out on their jobs for the day and to store equipment. It would not be used for retail or as a place to meet clients.
The Franklin Planning Board at its March meeting approved sending the request to the Town Council with the stipulation that Driver check with the Department of Transportation about any permits or regulations regarding the change in zoning since Mary B Lane is designated as a private road.
Downtown events
In new business, Brooke Reale, president of Streets of Franklin Heritage Association, presented street closure requests for upcoming events:
• Spring Market Day, May 28
• Hometown Heritage Festival, July 16
• Fall Market Day, Sept. 3
• Monster Mash on Main, Oct. 29
The Council approved the requests.
Planning Board appointments
The Council approved the reappointment of three members to the Franklin Planning Board – Tom Harris, who currently serves as chair, Andrew Raby, and Janet Greene, who serves as the vice chair and as an ETJ (extra-territorial jurisdiction) representative. They will serve three-year terms expiring April 4, 2025.
Upcoming meetings
The Town Council will hold a called meeting on Tuesday, April 19 at 3:30 p.m. for a budget work session.
The next regular Town Council meeting will be Monday, May 2 at 6 p.m. at Town Hall.
Town offices will be closed Friday, April 15 in observance of the Easter holiday.