Public-private partnership key to "Future"

A healthy crowd attended the Brentwood Future information meeting Thursday hosted by Brentwood architect Walter Kiskaddon. Among those attending were architects, commercial and residential real estate professionals, Town Center redevelopment advocates, a landscape architect, an environmental expert, small business owners, chamber officials and several citizens.

No city officials, professional or elected, attended though many were invited.

Franklin attorney Julian Bibb presented an overview of Franklin Tomorrow, a non-profit, public-private organization formed in that Historic city less than 10 years ago. Since its inception, the organization has helped provide a focus and consensus to how Franklin should grow into its future while respecting its past.

"In the late '90s, there was a tremendous amount of bumping into each other of the preservationists and developers," Bibb told those gathered at the Brentwood Cool Springs Chamber office. "There was a notion that this could be done better than butting heads."

Two key ingredients combined in Franklin Tomorrow's recipe for success: First, they had to discover "what the community wants it to be" and second, they had to "do it in a neutral stance."

A steering committee studied cities that had already put "visioning programs" in place, among them Chattanooga, the "Tri-Cities" of Bristol, Johnson City and Kingsport (in anticipation of the slowdown at Kodak, one of the area's main economic contributors), and several in Ohio.

Bibb said the committee discovered that in all locations where these programs were successful, "the city doesn't control it but is part of the program." The same is true of local chambers, he added.

To start, Franklin Tomorrow asked the city and local businesses and nonprofit organizations to provide funding, participation and support. Later a consulting firm hired.

Public input was vital, Bibb said, to the point that the city agreed to close down Main Street around the Historic Franklin Square for six hours. During that time, anyone could come and identify their personal priorities for the city's future.

The final result: A living, breathing plan and process for implementation that allowed for growth and change.

Franklin Tomorrow's vision and input is now reflected in city decisions on park plans, environmental plans and codes, Bibb said.

Throughout his talk, Bibb came back to the notion that Franklin Tomorrow's success was possible only through the public-private partnerships formed at the very start of the process.
"(Franklin) totally gave us access," he said of the steering committee.

Kiskaddon said his hope is that Brentwood can have a similar organization, one that can help determine "what Brentwood wants to be and where we want it to grow from here."

Kiskaddon had copies of both the Franklin Tomorrow and Brentwood 2020 plans and was asked how the two differ. Community input was key to the creation of Brentwood's comprehensive planning guide when it was adopted in 1999. A major update took place in 2006.

The general consensus of those attending was that the two could complement each other, but that an organization such as Brentwood Future would be a living, breathing entity that could enhance what the city is already doing.

"I feel passionate about this," Kiskaddon said, noting he is committed as a professional and a citizen to the project. He called those attending "ambassadors" and noted that while no city officials were there, he had heard from Mayor Betsy Crossley and Vice Mayor Rhea Little and anticipated interest from others as well.

"It really needs to be a public and private partnership," he said.

What's Next: A formal meeting in June or July.
In the meantime, here are links for background...
Brentwood 2020 Plan: www.brentwood-tn.org/index.aspx?page=171
Franklin Tomorrow: http://www.franklintomorrow.org/