Doug Wheaton
Director of City Development
www.franklinwi.gov
General Contact Information: 9229 W. Loomis Rd. 53132, (414) 425-4024
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN: The City of Franklin began preparing an update of the Comprehensive Master Plan in 2005, with expected completion in 2008 or 2009. A streetscape plan is also being prepared for the South 27th Street Corridor, with expected completion in 2007.
BASIC PROCESS OF APPROVAL OR DENIAL OF A DEVELOPMENT PLAN:
• 1st Applicant schedules a Pre-Application meeting (sometimes optional) with City Development staff, to discuss the project and options available to the developer.
• 2nd Applicant schedules an Application meeting for City staff to verify the parameters of the project, and to provide the appropriate application forms and checklist of required application materials.
• 3rd Applicant schedules a Submittal meeting with City Development staff, to submit applications and project materials. City Development coordinates with other City departments during a three- to four-week project review period. Staff review comments are then provided to the applicant for project revisions if appropriate. If necessary, revised project materials are submitted to the City for review. When project review is complete, City Development staff forward departmental reports to the Plan Commission to aid in consideration of the development plan.
• 4th The Plan Commission approves all Site Plans. The Plan Commission also makes recommendations to the Common Council with regard to Special Use, Rezoning, Certified Survey Map, and Planned Development District (PDD) applications.
PLAN COMMISSION MEETING DATES: Plan Commission meetings take place twice monthly on the Thursdays following Common Council meetings, which are held on the first and third Tuesdays of the month. Meeting dates are listed on the City website at www. franklinwi.gov/display/router.aspx?DocID=210.
TIF DISTRICTS: The City of Franklin has three active Tax Incremental Finance (TIF) Districts. NAI MLG Commercial is the developer of the 425-acre Franklin Business Park, with main entrance at 5100 West Ryan Road (State Highway 100) and anchors that include Harley Davidson and a variety of other businesses. The City created two additional TIF Districts in 2005, both along the west side of the South 27th Street Corridor. The northern TIF District within the 27th Street Corridor includes the Northwestern Mutual Franklin Campus at Drexel Avenue, with the Northwestern Mutual Phase II office complex expected to open in 2008. The southern TIF District within the 27th Street Corridor includes the new Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare medical center at Oakwood Road, also expected to open in 2008.
REDEVELOPMENT AID: Infrastructure assistance potentially available within TIF districts includes sanitary sewer, city water, stormwater management, and road construction. Industrial Development Revenue Bonds are available for financing. City Development staff also provide site-selection assistance.
AWARDS & RECOGNITION: Franklin has been recognized as one of the Top 100 “Best Places to Live” by Money magazine (August 2007). Franklin was also designated “City of the Future” by the Financial Times FDI magazine (April / May 2007). Franklin and neighboring Oak Creek jointly received the 2007 Wisconsin Good Government Award at the annual League of Wisconsin Municipalities conference, for cooperative planning of the South 27th Street (State Highway 241) Corridor.
TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE: Franklin is served by twelve Interstate freeway interchanges for I-94, I-894, and I-43, all located within two miles of the City. U.S. Highway 45, State Highway 36, and State Highway 100 are located within Franklin, and South 27th Street (State Highway 241) forms the six-mile eastern boundary of the City. Franklin is less than ten minutes from General Mitchell International Airport.
PROJECTS:
– Northwestern Mutual, five-story Phase II office complex, 400,000 s.f., located at South 27th Street and Drexel Avenue.
– Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare six-story medical center, 301,500 s.f. medical facility, located at 10101 South 27th Street (intersection of 27th Street and Oakwood Road).
– The Shoppes at Wyndham Village, 246,000 s.f. multi-tenant shopping center, including Sendik’s Fine Foods and Target department store, located at 7810 South 100th Street (intersection of State Highway 100 / US Highway 45 and Drexel Avenue)
– Fountains of Franklin, up to 445,000 s.f. multi-tenant retail and office center, including Sendik’s Food Market, located at 5200 West Rawson Avenue.
– Staybridge Suites Hotel, 114-room five-story hotel, located at 9527 South 27th Street (south of Ryan Road / State Highway 100).
– Proteus Packaging, 209,000 s.f. office and warehouse facility, located in the Franklin Business Park, 9595 South Oakwood Park Drive
– Transpak Corporation, 217,000 s.f. office and warehouse facility, located in the Franklin Business Park, 9575 South
Oakwood Park Drive.
FEE SCHEDULE:
1) Certified Survey Map $1,500
2) Conceptual Review $250
3) Planned Development Districts (PDD) $6,000
4) PDD Amendment – Major $3,500
5) PDD Amendment – Minor $500
6) Rezoning $1,250
7) Site Plan Review – Tier 1 $2,000
8) Site Plan Review – Tier 2 $1,000
9) Site Plan Review – Tier 3 $500
10) Special Use Permit > 4,000 s.f. $1,500
11) Special Use Permit < 4,000 s.f. $750
12) Zoning Compliance $100
TIME SCHEDULE FOR PLAN APPROVAL: The amount of time from project submittal to approval varies depending on the complexity of the project. New construction site plans are generally reviewed within 15 working days after required documentation is submitted to the Department of City Development.
BUILDING OR GROWTH MORATORIA: There are currently no building or growth moratoria in Franklin.
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES: Development in Franklin typically occurs on greenfield sites.
SINGLE DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT: The Department of City Development is the main point of contact for new development projects.
INTERNET CONNECTION: www.franklinwi.gov
– Database of available sites for commercial, office, and industrial development
– Database of available commercial, office, and industrial buildings
– Franklin Economic Resource Guide
– Maps
– Economic profiles and statistics
– TIF districts
– Franklin Business Park
– Business resource portal
– City calendar and meeting agendas
– Unified Development Ordinance
