‘Ode to Planning:’ How a Macon County town is seeing plans to fruition
A decade ago, Justin Setser took over as town planner in Franklin, N.C., and began building the foundation for what has come — big and small infrastructure projects that, altogether, are boosting the quality of life in the Macon County town of 4,300.
From road projects to bike and pedestrian improvements, it all comes, in large part, thanks to the town’s carefully made plans approved since Setser took over. “It’s really just an ode to planning,” Rose Bauguess, senior planner at the Southwestern Commission Council of Governments, says of the town’s success in winning sought-after grants and government funding and seeing the projects to fruition.
Compared to their urban counterparts, rural communities across the country have historically had less capacity to apply for and support major infrastructure projects, according to Headwaters Economics. But when Setser, a Macon County native, took the job, he quickly figured out what made a difference as the town applied for funding.
“They had to be in a plan somewhere,” Setser says. “There had to be some sort of planning effort to show, ‘Hey, the community wants this.’ And, if you can get a project that you really want in multiple plans .. then it just makes the chances of getting those infrastructure projects done even more because it’s checking some more boxes, showing the need to the people in Raleigh.”
“I love working on plans, talking to people and letting them know what we’re doing and what we’re thinking, and [asking], ‘What do you think? We want to know what you want. You live here. Tell us what you want, and we’ll do our best to do it.”
Justin Setser, Town of Franklin
Since Setser stepped in, Franklin has approved a comprehensive land use plan that maps out top priorities including building a more walkable town, luring more businesses, and protecting the mountain town’s natural resources and character. The town has passed recreational plans and BikeWalk Franklin, a bike and pedestrian plan, among others. And Setser walked all 8.4 miles of the town’s sidewalks to inform a sidewalk capital improvement plan.
The results are as clear as the pavement that crews are laying down across Franklin. A state project to upgrade a dangerous stretch of highway included bike lanes and sidewalks, incorporating ideas from BikeWalk Franklin. When the state replaced a bridge over the Little Tennessee River, it added a 10-foot side path, also included in BikeWalk Franklin, making safer passage to continue on the town’s greenway. A Women’s History Park, part of a Women’s History Trail in Franklin, opened this spring nearby.
Using state funds, the town is making progress on sidewalk upgrades and extensions. And it’s been ready to jump at other opportunities, including grants to install fast-charging stations for electric vehicles and free downtown Wi-Fi and to conduct a feasibility study for more greenway connections.
The improvements boost the town’s recreational and business opportunities, but the infrastructure improvements are practical too. About 23 percent of the town lived below the poverty line, compared to about 13 percent of the state, according to the latest U.S. Census.
“Having safe sidewalks … through town, especially for people that maybe aren’t privy to the access of a vehicle, that’s been real pivotal,” says Setser, who is also a third-generation firefighter and assistant chief for Franklin Fire & Rescue.
Setser has a lot more planned, including water and sewer upgrades and activating the unused top floors of downtown buildings. Infrastructure – including water and wastewater, broadband, roads, and housing – is among the Rural Center’s four advocacy priorities. And as Setser moves forwards, he’s building on lessons learned from the Center’s Rural Economic Development Institute, from which he graduated in 2018.
He appreciates the diverse perspectives from the institute’s participants, which included local officials, business owners, pastors and law enforcement members. And he learned the value of getting out and talking to residents to get buy-in for town plans.
“I love working on plans, talking to people and letting them know what we’re doing and what we’re thinking, and [asking], ‘What do you think?,’” Setser says. “We want to know what you want. You live here. Tell us what you want, and we’ll do our best to do it.”