Franklin Matters: Survey Says: Emmons St results

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Survey Says: Emmons St results

86 folks responded via the tool, two others did via comment for a total of 88 responses.

Survey Question	Tally	Percent
Sell the land for $500,000 w/o restriction	18	20%
Sell the land for $500,000 but restrict the use	44	50%
Sign a Land Disposition agreement	9	10%
Take no action at this time	17	19%
Totals	88	100%

The comments left with some of the surveys are here (these are unedited)

Would like to see a drive through option eliminated. This is not the spot for such a facility.
Why not keep the land but use it for downtown parking? How about a little park for downtown? Sure the town common is not too far away but this could help draw more people to downtown for leisure/fun!
What's the value of the property? Seems like it would be more than $500,000.
There is no way a drive-thru should be on that lot. Otherwise, as long as it fits in with the look of downtown I don't have an issue what goes in there.
There are other drive thru potentials very close by ;) Town may end up with two drive thrus
"The property will be worth more in 2 years after the Streetscape improvements. Why is the TC so anxious to sell.
The TC should follow the Town's Master Plan for the downtown. The goal is to increase pedestrian traffic, not car traffic. The Council should follow the advice of the Town's Planning Dept who have the expertise in planning. They recommend No drive-throughs in the downtown area."
Restrict use to NOT allow a food/coffee drive-through.
Please DO NOT allow a fast-food and/or drive-thru. This is a gateway property to downtown, and we can do better to preserve and improve pedestrian activity downtown.
No Food drive through!
no drive through
I would respectfully but strongly urge the TC to restrict the use of 150 Emmons Street by NOT ALLOWING ANY VSE'S Thank you.
I would prefer that there's a local-type establishment in that spot (ie not a chain store) that does NOT have a drive-through. Also, I would like to know what are the advantages and disadvantages of selling vs. leasing?
I like the idea of having slightly more control over what happens in that location since it is such a high profile part of our downtown. It could be such a key part of the development of downtown Franklin. Restricting its use to something that adds character to our town would be great.
I don't know what the town Council would find acceptable so I'm unsure on that choice I would like to see no VS Es because I wouldn't want a bank
Have mercy…please no more fast food chains or coffee places. There are already 5 plus coffee shops in town and a ton of fast food/drive thru. Franklin is losing it's charm and fast. It's just not an attractive place to live anymore. Turning more and more cityish as the years go by.
Has there been any discussion of this in the most recent Master Plan (not sure there has been one recently). I can think of many uses for the parcel that would NOT need a drive-thru but all will need some amount of parking.
Great time and care should be taken in filling that location. The town has a wonderful opportunity to enhance the downtown area and should not let it slip to a (potentially) financially lucrative but less culturally impactful resolution.
Franklin needs to move into the 21st century. The downtown is DYING. We need some new blood and new ideas.
Franklin needs a plan. Every effort to improve the downtown has only made it worse. We can do better. A quick sale might appeal to a shortsighted council but will prevent the downtown from fully living up to its great potential (A train station, a college, a museum, banks!!!)
Franklin desperately needs an activity center where youth and young adults can go to pass time instead of hanging out front of 7 eleven or looking for mischief.