Design Review Approves Aesthetic Plan for Former Clark Cutler Site

The Franklin Design Review Commission met Tuesday evening to hear from the redevelopers of the former Clark-Cutler industrial site on the corner of Fisher and West Central.

The project, now known as Factory Square has been working its way through town approval processes for a few years and also, according to the owner, has undergone a shift in focus. Originally envisioned as a mixed-use site, probably including retail and restaurants, the shift in demand during and after the pandemic has brought the focus back to office and ‘innovation’ uses. However, it was noted, in the future as the market evolves, the original retail/restaurant focus could again become viable.

The purview of the Design Review Commission was the external facades of the building, plantings and landscaping, and lighting.

The developer is, essentially, bringing back the original ‘look and feel’ of the century old structures – removing plywood that has long covered most windows and replacing that with modern, energy-efficient windows that are broadly similar in style to the original multi-pane fittings.

During a a review of  the planned plantings and landscape, Commissioner Cassie Bethoney asked whether native species could be selected and was told by the landscape designer that that was a priority throughout the project, though she noted that in many cases there were no native species that really fit the requirements.

About 20 minutes into the meeting, the hearing was closed and the Commissioners voted separately on lighting, the facades, and landscaping plantings. In each instance, the vote was four to zero to approve as submitted.