Charrette ends with plan for village

After about 40 hours of work, last week's three-day charrette ended with a master plan for a downtown development that pleased all involved.

When asked if the charrette met his expectations, Tim Ryan, owner of The Sanctuary developments, said, “It was much greater.”

A charrette is an intense period of design work over a few days. In this case, the design was The Sanctuary Village development. Architects, engineers, town officials, town citizens, and any one else affected or involved was invited to join the process. After long hours and long days, the charrette ended with a finished design that would normally have taken months to accomplish.

This architect’s drawing shows traditional elements of the Sanctuary Village development. The center green space rises to a ridge that will be left undeveloped. Drawing/Allison Ramsey Architects

This charrette has been in the making for some time.

When Tim Ryan decided to build a development in Franklin, he wanted it to reflect the ideas of New Urbanism. New Urbanism is a movement of smart urban growth that has become increasingly popular over the last 10 or 20 years. It develops high-density, traditional neighborhoods that follow principles like walkability and community.

After World War II, the movement out of cities and toward the suburbs began, eventually ending in today's suburban sprawl. New Urbanism attempts to combat the sprawl and the traffic with homes that are close together and have small streets and natural environments.

The Sanctuary Village, just off Iotla Street above Main Street, will be that sort of development.

The charrette began Monday evening, July 10.

Each morning after that, architect Bill Allison and other architects from the company Allison Ramsey hit the drawing board to design, revise, and create The Sanctuary Village.

In the afternoons, the development team met with town officials and citizens to discuss the elements.

The first full day, Tuesday, the team met with town political and regulatory officials.

Town officials including Mayor Joe Collins and aldermen Sissy Pattillo and Bob Scott attended the meeting. They discussed the land, the ability to get water and sewer to it, the zoning codes, and affordability.

“I just think it's a neat concept,” said Pattillo. “As far as I know, nothing like this has ever been done here.

There was some concern expressed about housing affordability.

Allison responded to their concerns.

“I don't think we're going to be really affordable but not outrageously expensive either,” he said.

Current building costs are not cheap, but Allison and Ryan hope the smaller homes will be affordable to many people.

House sizes will range from about 600 square-foot cottages to homes as large as 3,000 square feet. However, even the large lot sizes are only about 50 by 100 square feet, meaning the larger homes will have small footprints.

Wednesday, the team met with realtors, builders, and marketers.

They discussed possible markets for the development.

Many commented that there is a definite market for small homes among senior citizens and retirees.

They said that at least some of the houses should have a master bedroom and laundry on the main floor to make it easier for residents.

The development is also close to the nursing home and the hospital, making it more desirable for retirees. With more retirees moving to this area, Ryan expects his that market to be a big part of his development.

But Ryan and Allison said they are trying to cover all markets with The Sanctuary Village.

Many of the homes are perfect for young professionals or couples who do not need large homes and want to be close to town.

And with a community emphasizing nearness and safety, the team expects it will also be a draw for families with children.

Ryan plans to build some homes, and to release lots in groups rather than scattered over the 22-acre development. This will help keep that sense of community.

For those who buy a lot and plan to build their own home, the plan must follow architectural guidelines to make sure it fits with the overall development.

There will be a time limit for building. If the process is not completed within that time, Ryan will simply buy back the lot at the purchase price.

Ryan especially wants to avoid the practice of “flipping lots,” or buying a lot only to sell it again for a profit.

“We don't want people who are in it for flipping lots. We want people who are in it for building,” said Ryan.

When it comes to building the neighborhood and the homes, the team is very particular about how it should be done.

They insist on certain traditional elements to the design, like quality wood doors, thicker windows, and no fake materials.

“Every house has to be unique,” said Ryan.

Home builders must work inside the footprint to build.

They want to preserve as much of the vegetation as possible.

The architects walked over the development Monday to get a feel for the land, and their design reflects that.

They have designed the development around the land and use the land's natural features. This way, they preserve much of the trees and vegetation, and avoid excessive grading.

“All this is in response to the natural geography of the site,” said Allison.

Some at the meeting asked about the possibility of solar power, and Allison responded that the land probably will not get enough sunshine since it is on a south-facing slope and many of the trees will be retained.

However, much of the energy efficiency of the development comes simply from the ability to walk to rather than drive.

Another concern was light pollution, and Allison said that he is interested in lightposts that shine downward. Also, the nearness of front porches to the road reduces the need for many street lights.

Each evening of the charrette, the team came together for a meeting to review the progress and critique the design.

They posted the progression of the design and took questions from the community.

Thursday evening, they presented their final design.

One wall was covered with drawings of how the neighborhood will look, the design for the development, and sample house plans.

They presented a detailed slide show to about 30 or 40 people - a much larger turnout than any night previously.

The final design showed all the features of the development.

The existing ridge and stream areas will be turned into green parks for residents to enjoy.

The Mews runs through the center of the development. It's a wide path of stairs and greenery that stretches from the stream at the bottom to the ridge at the top.

There will be a pedestrian greenway, gazebos, gardens, pavilions and chapels, and a mail distribution center at the entrance.

The live-work unit, with a store below and an apartment above, will probably be Ryan's sales office at first. Ryan hopes that in the future it will become a small neighborhood grocery store or coffee shop for residents to gather.

There are currently 145 lots, and about 40 percent of the development is open green space.

“We build density, and we're not afraid to say it and we're not afraid to do it,” said Allison, adding that this density encourages neighbors to get to know each other.

There will be some cottage areas, some single-family homes, and even tree houses. Tree houses are tall three- or four-story houses built in a small footprint. They are perfect for building on the slopes.

There will also be at least one three-story multi-family building with six one-story apartments.

Garages will be along back alleyways and not in the front against the street. Some of the garages may have a small carriage house above them that could be an office, a rental apartment, or a guest home for visitors.

However, garages are optional, and could simply be a carport or parking pad.

Much of the parking will be along the streets, which will help to keep speeding to a minimum.

The roads are narrow, but the sidewalks are wide. A five-foot wide sidewalk on one or both sides of the streets is easier for walking beside someone, or for allowing children on bicycles to pass.

“We're not selling an individual house and we're not selling a product,” said Allison. “We're selling a community.”

Throughout the process, community comments about the development included words like “insightful” and “interesting.”

Greg Huddy, one of the designers and architect for Allison Ramsey, has been involved in charrettes before, and he supports the process.

“I think it's bringing a new way of thinking to the community,” he said. “It's a lot of fun to see the excitement that's generated. People start to get what it's all about.”

Ryan was very pleased with the charrette.

“This is a community that is based on principles that were established 100 years ago,” said Ryan in his opening comments. “We want it to last beyond our lifetimes, and we will do everything possible to create that strong foundation for us to grow on.”

At the end of the meeting, Ryan said it was definitely worth the effort.

“I think the collective energies ultimately create a much better plan,” he said.

Now the team will meet with a civil engineer to make sure the logistics work out. They will create a plan book and detailed architectural guidelines, and present it to the town board the first of September. Ryan hopes to begin building by next spring.

Ryan said he is grateful for this opportunity, and added, “I look forward to watching the community grow.”