Outdoor kitchens in Franklin.

Inside the Downtown Franklin Historic District — a 16-block area on the National Register — any exterior change visible from the street goes to the Historic Zoning Commission for review against the city's own Historic District Design Guidelines and the Secretary of the Interior's Standards before a building permit is issued. Outside that boundary, in the newer communities on the west side, the opportunity runs the other way: getting involved while the home is still under construction means the gas line, the electrical stub, and the water and drain can land where the kitchen actually needs them, instead of being cut into a finished patio later.

Franklin's population has grown sharply since 2010, most of it on the west side in master-planned neighborhoods — a very different sales conversation than the historic core, where the buyer is usually renovating a much older property under design review.