Throughout the course of this over 18-month project, the Town of Franklin engaged with the public in a variety of ways. The Master Plan outreach efforts included public meetings, website updates, emails, interviews, tabling events, a bike tour, public survey, and an open house event at Dean College. The engagement was led by the Master Plan Committee and supported by the Town of Franklin Planning and Development Department along with consulting services provided by Barrett Planning Group LLC and BETA Group.
The Franklin Master Plan Committee consisted of thirteen volunteer members, including a chair and vice chair. The committee members also took on roles as part of subcommittees that focused on five major topics:
• housing and economic development
• circulation and facilities
• open space, recreation, and natural resources
• land use
• sustainability
The MPC held over 27 public meetings as a group with an additional 60 public meeting working sessions within the subcommittees.
Informational Interviews
The consultant team of Barrett Planning Group LLC and BETA Group conducted eleven interviews with town staff to learn about the town and gain insight into issues and opportunities.
Bicycle Tour
On November 5th, 2023, the Community Facilities & Services and Circulation subcommittee conducted a public bike tour of key Franklin facilities. Subcommittee members, joined by Franklin residents, biked between five stops, where they were given facility tours and department-wide service updates from department leadership. The stops included the Oak Street / Horace Mann school complex, the Franklin Police Station, the Fisher Street Water Treatment Plant, Franklin Fire Station 1, and the Franklin Public Library. On January 25th, 2024, the subcommittee members also attended a Greater Attleboro & Taunton Regional Transit Authority public hearing at the Franklin Senior Center, before receiving a tour of the Center from department leadership. All six complexes and their corresponding discussions were recorded for continued publication by Franklin TV.
SNETT Trail Walk
The Master Plan Committee held a walking tour of the Southern New England Trunkline Trail (SNETT) on February 24, 2024, to engage with residents and provide information on the Master Plan update.
Library Open House
The Master Plan Committee provided information on the Master Plan update to the public at the Franklin Library on February 3, 2024.
Public Survey
A 23-question survey was developed and made available for six weeks from late November 2023 to early January 2024. The was completed by over 700 respondents and included questions to gain insight to opportunities and challenges within each major topic area of the Master Plan. See Appendix A for a summary of survey responses.
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Complete 2025 Master Plan report
Town of Franklin Master Plans (prior years)