Economic Development

Interchange Development Plans: Create Exit 16 and Exit 17 Interchange Development Plans to shape future development and reuse proposals to encourage uses which do not over burden the flow through these interchanges and represent Franklin well as gateway entry points.

  • Develop separate Interchange Development Plans for I-495 Exits 16 and 17. Each Interchange Development Plan would:
  • Create a traffic profile for each interchange.
  • Identify and map development scenarios and their traffic generation potentials for all undeveloped and under-developed properties in the study area.
  • Identify zoning issues, development constraints, and opportunities to influence the character of development, including development activity at interchanges to the north and south of Franklin.
  • Recommend necessary rezonings.
  • Identify streetscape options and propose improvements to integrate signage, landscaping and buffer areas, including "Welcome to Franklin" gateway structures.
  • Utilize Concentrated Development Center status to schedule infrastructure improvements within each study area.

Office and Manufacturing Jobs: Support office and manufacturing job development and training activities to extend the range of employment options available to community members.

Through the Industrial Development Commission, the United Chamber of Commerce and the proposed Educational Opportunities Commission (see Natural and Cultural Resources chapter), promote jobs development and training opportunities for Franklin residents by:

  • Attracting financing to expand Franklin corporations and recruit new office and manufacturing employers.
  • Contributing to the development of a regional economic development strategy and compact organizing public-private sector initiatives to attract investments into the region and to relocate professional jobs from employment centers to which Franklin residents historically have commuted.
  • Actively supporting job skills training initiatives and business development programs within the region, including initiatives through Dean College, Franklin Public Schools, and TriCounty Regional Vocational and Technical School.

Economic Growth: Sustain economic growth by rezoning additional lands for future industrial and commercial growth.

Prepare a comprehensive zoning map amendment to extend industrial and commercial zones west from Forge Park, east from Franklin Industrial Park, south from Exit 16 of I-495, and south from Grove Street (as more specifically shown and described in the Land Use chapter); include such zoning district expansions in the Town’s infrastructure planning.

Route 140 Corridor Plan: Create a Route 140 Corridor Development Plan to establish expansion limits and streetscape design standards, including signage, landscaping, and parking standards.

  • Prepare a Route 140 Corridor Development Plan which does the following:
  • Describes and maps current boundaries, landscaping, signage, parking, and usage patterns both inside and outside the Corridor.
  • Identifies areas where redevelopment is expected.
  • Identifies residential areas along the Corridor where commercial encroachment is most likely.
  • Recommends measures to create transition area boundaries and expansion limits to contain sprawl and buffer residential areas from commercial uses, including the use of professional office zones as proposed in the Land Use chapter.
  • Recommends design standards integrating landscaping, buffer areas, and signage to improve the Corridor’s streetscape.

Downtown: Retain core services in the Downtown, including governmental, financial and post office services.

Convene a Downtown property owners group to discuss their views of improvement needs and their long range plans for maintaining a presence in the Downtown. Develop proposals appropriate to the objective of maintaining core governmental, financial and post office services.

Redevelopment: Promote the redevelopment of underutilized or abandoned old mill or factory buildings.

In cooperation with affected property owners, secure grant funds to complete a study of the revitalization potential of underutilized or abandoned old mill or factory buildings off Fisher, Union, Cottage, Dean, Grove, and West Central Streets, including examining:

  • Potentials for conversion to residential uses, mixed commercial and residential uses, or higher commercial or industrial uses.
  • Structural deficiencies and public safety issues.
  • Potentials for replacement.
  • Financing options.