18 October 2007 PLEASE VOTE! Election Day is Tuesday, Early Voting Ends TODAY! Election day for mayor and alderman at-large races is next Tuesday, October 23, with early voting at the Williamson County Administrative Complex ending today, October 18. You can still vote today until 4:30pm. Polls will be open on Tuesday from 7:00am until 7:00pm at your regular precinct location. Residential Permits Decrease For the month of September, according to the Building & Codes Department, the City issued only 18 single-family residential permits, the lowest single month total since 2000; for the 2007 calendar year to date, residential permits total 487. This is down 23% from the 634 issued in the comparable period of 2006. In spite of the desirability of the Franklin area, we are not immune from the national downturn in the housing market.   City Recycling Efforts At the City's United Way 5K Evening Run, the Solid Waste Department for the first time placed (temporary) recycling bins at locations on the square and surrounding streets. These portable bins can be used at street festivals, park events, etc. for recycling of plastic bottles and aluminum cans. Department Director Joe Williams has obtained 70 of these bins; funding was 50% by city, and 50% from a State grant. Many are now in use in outlying City departments such as all Fire Halls, Parks, Streets, Administration, Solid Waste, Fire Training, Police, Water Administration, and Fleet Maintenance. It's a step in the right direction and I appreciate this effort. Planning Commission for 10/25 Annexations 1.    Plan of services for the annexation of certain areas know as the McEwen Drive Eastern Extension. 2.    Ordinance to annex the McEwen Drive Eastern Extension, consisting of 55.00 acres located east of the existing McEwen Drive terminus at Wilson Pike. 3.    Ordinance to zone the McEwen Drive Eastern Extension to Local Mixed-Use District (ML). Approval of these three items will start the process to give the city jurisdiction for oversight of the continuance of McEwen Drive east of Wilson Pike to the corporate limits. Land Use Plan Amendments 1.    Request to include a small area plan for the Hard Bargain Neighborhood, located north of Highway 96 West and west of Ninth Avenue. 2.    Request to support a neighborhood retail node in the McEwen character area, located along the future Carothers Parkway South, south of Murfreesboro Road and north of the Goose Creek Bypass. Rezonings and Rezonings/Concept Plans 1.    Ordinance to rezone 2.27 acres form Interstate Commercial (IC) to Planned Commercial (PC) and approve the concept plan for the Carrington Assisted Living Center on Riverside Drive. Staff offers a favorable recommendation. 2.    Ordinance to rezone 6.52 acres from Estate Residential (ER) to Planned Commercial (PC) and approve the concept plan for 7007 Moores Lane, to include several restaurants, a bank and an assisted living facility. Staff recommends postponement to November due to incomplete documentation of a possible stream on site. Site Plans, Conservation Design Plans, Preliminary Plats and Final Plats 1.    Site plan for the Hilton Garden Inn on 4.85 acres located at 9150 Carothers Parkway. Staff recommends approval 2.    Creekstone Commons site plan for 64 dwelling units on 14.20 acres, located on Creekstone Boulevard. Staff recommends postponement to November to allow the applicant to readdress stormwater quality requirements. 3.    Evans Estates subdivision of 5 new residential lots fronting Evans Street north of Fowlkes Street. Staff recommends approval. 4.    Whitworth Manor plat for a 5 lots on 2.85 acres located at 212 Riverbend Drive. Staff recommends approval. Inter-Planning Commission Review 1.    Azalea Park open space residential development consisting of 173 dwellings on 208.66 acres located east of Wison Pike, south of Split Log Road, and north of the McEwen Drive Extension, inside the corporate limits of Brentwood. 2.    Traditions open space residential development consisting of 135 dwellings on 157.71 acres located east of Wilson Pike, south of Split Log Road, and north of the McEwen Drive Extension, inside the corporate limits of Brentwood. Franklin de-annexed these properties so that Brentwood could annex and service them, with the requirement that these developments must contribute their proportional share to the design and construction of McEwen Drive east of Wilson Pike.