Side Loaded Garages
07.08.10 11:08 AMA recent Tennessean article highlighted a request to waive Franklin's residential design standards that restrict front-loaded garages. The Zoning Ordinance actually does not prohibit street-facing garages, but restricts their placement, size and design, including a requirement that the garage will be 20 feet behind the front facade of the dwelling.
Franklin's bias against street-facing garages stemmed from subdivisions that are dominated from a street view of garage doors. Where the garage door overwhelms the house, or 
where the street view is a series of garage doors, the result can be a shabby appearance (even without the hotrod). From this point, however, Franklin went on a binge, even considering an absolute ban on street-facing garages.
This kind of restriction goes farther than maintaining an overall quality of design, however, and is more suitable for restrictive covenants in a neighborhood. It ignores the variety of design and price that needs to be present in a community. it is similar to the recent consideration of banning all chain link fences in Franklin. Thankfully, in both cases, the restrictive efforts did not gain final approval.
The current Zoning Ordinance restrictions appear to provide a good balance between the aesthetic goals and functionality, but even these restrictions don't always make sense. The 20 foot setback is probably overly severe, particularly if the other design requirements are included that, among other things, prevent an oversize, unbroken door being the main visual element of the facade.
The restriction also prohibits the courtyard entry design, which is a very efficient design for smaller lot homes, but which avoids the visual problems of a street-facing garage. This is an example. 
As with any restriction, some flexibility can be useful to ensure that great ideas are not held back, and to meet unforeseen circumstances. The City should strive for quality, but not force everything into a similar, high-priced, product line.
Leave a Comment
No comments yet. You should leave one!