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File photo

The proposed development of Brownland Farm moved forward Tuesday night after members of the Franklin Board of Mayor and Aldermen voted 6-2 on first reading to approve a rezoning request by the applicants.

The vote came after aldermen and city of Franklin staff discussed the project’s pros and cons, a discussion that has lasted now for nearly two years in various meetings. The main sticking point has been concerns over the potential for flooding on property that’s adjacent to the Harpeth River, and staff has kept to its stance of disapproving the rezoning request and the development plan. 

At Tuesday’s meeting, aldermen voted to approve the applicants’ request to rezone the 234 acres from Agriculture District and Civic Institutional District to Planned District. The property, which is owned by Robin and Michelle Anderton and has operated as a horse farm over the past several decades, is near the intersection of Hillsboro Road and Mack Hatcher Memorial Parkway.

Greg Gamble of Gamble Design Collaborative and Land Solutions Company are representing the Andertons as applicants.

Aldermen were generally favorable toward the project during discussion.

“The questions I’ve asked at each one of these meetings is, does this project do harm to the people who surround it?” Alderman-at-Large Clyde Barnhill said. “And the answer I’ve gotten from the engineering firm [the applicants have] hired, the engineering firm we have hired, and [the city’s] engineering department is that this causes no harm to anyone who is outside of this particular project.”

Ward 2 Alderman Matt Brown, who represents the ward where Brownland Farm is located, begged to differ. In fact, he made the motion to deny the rezoning request, a motion that only he and Alderman-at-Large Ann Petersen had voted to approve.

“The residents of Ward 2 and the surrounding county don’t benefit from this development, but they get all the risks,” Brown said. “Protecting our residents and supporting our staff regarding this development plan with what I believe are fatal flaws, I am moving to deny this zoning request.”

After voting 6-2 against Brown’s motion, aldermen voted in favor of the motion to approve the rezoning request. The board takes this matter up again April 26 when there will be a second reading and opportunity for public comments.

Visit the city of Franklin’s Facebook page to view all of Tuesday night’s meeting.