Town Council gets updates on Franklin Ridge, 40b status, & moved to 2nd reading ADU bylaw changes (video)

The Town Council met as scheduled on Wednesday, January 8, 2025 with all 9 councilors present in Council Chambers.

The Franklin TV video is available for replay ->   https://www.youtube.com/live/7dQWhWlHRW0?&t=208

The agenda and released documents for this meeting ->   

https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif10036/f/agendas/tc_agenda_1.8.25.pdf

Quick recap

• 2 public hearings on the accessory dwelling unit bylaw changes were opened and closed after discussion. Later the legislation for action approved by 9-0 vote to move both measure to second reading
• 2 public hearings on sign bylaw changes as proposed were opened and continued to the Jan 22 meeting without further discussion. Later in the legislation for action, those two measures were also rescheduled to the Jan 22 meeting by 9-0 votes
• Presentation on Franklin Ridge, a senior affordable housing project update was provided that with the recent funding made available on 2 front for Town work and for the private development of the 60 units, given the current schedule, ground could break in June 2025. Bryan Taberner, Director Planning & Community Development provided the update.
• Bryan continued with a second presentation on the sustainable housing inventory (SHI) or informally called the 40b requirement. Bottomline we are currently at 10.86% (above the critical 10% threshold) with approximately 1,000 units currently permitted or in the pipeline of approvals. If all of those units were indeed built (could be some # of years) we could increase to about 12-13%. Question then becomes, what should our goal be (besides remaining above 10%)?
• 2 items approved to enable the respective water and sewer connections for the Franklin Ridge project as mentioned earlier.
• The last item in legislation was acceptance of additional fund for senior Center etc.
• Interesting point in the Town Administrator's Report. The homerule charter request to exempt the town from paying for legal notices in print newspapers was signed by the Governor. We have an email alert process for any one with an email address to enable notification of such legal notices

My full set of notes (in one PDF) can be found online

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1S-qr25XiQvmFi_gBNBvjrwUaeoK2ZukH/view?usp=drive_link

Screen grabs of the presentation on housing (40b) ->    https://photos.app.goo.gl/pR2DTs2eaifKxWFo9

key summary from presentation on housing (40b)

Public Hearing on MA ADU regulations - In person or via Zoom - Jan 10 at 10:00 AM

Public Hearing on MA ADU regulations 

"Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) draft regulations have been created to provide clarity on the new ADU law. EOHLC is looking for comments and feedback on the draft regulation starting December 20 until January 10. 

A public hearing, with options for in-person or remote participation, will take place on January 10, 2025 at 10:00 AM. The public hearing will be held at 100 Cambridge Street, 2nd Floor, Boston, MA or virtual via ZOOM. 

Please register in advance to attend in-person or online. Please visit: Mass.gov/ADU.

Shared from -> https://www.instagram.com/p/DD0C86TKv13/

Comment Period Opens on Proposed Accessory Dwelling Unit (#ADU) regulations for Mass

Proposed Accessory Dwelling Unit (#ADU) regulations for Mass

Secretary Ed Augustus Jr. (@MA_EOHLC) posted  Mon, Dec 09, 2024:

#EOHLC is excited to invite you to comment on proposed Accessory Dwelling Unit (#ADU) regulations.  

We look forward to engaging with stakeholders on this important tool to help meet our growing #housing needs. 

Please visit https://t.co/5BJc6SsKWX for more information.

Shared from -> https://t.co/EX15aa5rTx

For more info on ADUs -> https://www.mass.gov/info-details/accessory-dwelling-units

What is an "accessory dwelling unit", or ADU?

"Forty-five years ago, Betty Szudy and her wife, Maggie Roth, both 70, bought a Craftsman bungalow in Oakland, Calif. In 2017, at the same time their son and his wife were fruitlessly searching for an affordable apartment in the neighborhood, California was liberalizing its housing laws to encourage so-called accessory dwelling units, or A.D.U.s.

So, the family looked into building one. The parents now live in the main house and the adult children in the A.D.U. — in this case, a once-decrepit garage transformed into a 400-square-foot studio with a kitchen and bath.

The arrangement makes it simple to share meals, planned or spontaneous, and to pick up items for the other household at Trader Joe’s. “I love having them around,” Ms. Szudy said.

“It made total sense,” she said. “The idea of having a family compound, being close but having separate spaces.”

Continue reading the article at the New York Times (subscription maybe required)

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/29/health/elderly-housing-adu.html

Vona da Silva, left, lives in an accessory dwelling unit, or A.D.U., next to a house occupied by her daughter, Pia da Silva, right, in Portland, Ore. Credit...Tojo Andrianarivo for The New York Times