Interested in helping shape Franklin’s commercial areas?
The Town is seeking residents interested in serving on the Design Review Commission (DRC), which reviews signage, landscaping, lighting, and exterior building design for commercial projects throughout town.
From the Town of Franklin 2025
ANNUAL REPORT OF DESIGN REVIEW COMMISSION
The Design Review Commission (DRC) was established in 1998 when the Town Council adopted a new Zoning Bylaw that established a sitting Design Review Commission. The 1997 Master Plan recommended that Franklin should adopt design standards to re-establish a sense of traditional New England villages. The design standards would assist in shaping the community as a whole, as well as establish a commercial appeal of individual establishments and businesses. The Commission is responsible to interpret the Design Guidelines to establish a sense of character in commercial and industrial areas and in sign installations so as to enhance the appearance of the Town.
The DRC consists of 5 regular members and 2 associate members. All members are residents and volunteers with varying backgrounds who are appointed by the Town Administrator and ratified by the Town Council. The Commission is currently composed of Samuel L. Williams, Chairman; Andrew Pratt, Vice Chairman; and members: Derek Russell Darvish and Kyle Galvin. James Bartro is an Associate member.
The DRC has approval authority on signage and offers recommendation input to the Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals on Site Plans. The Commission strives to preserve and enhance the visual and physical attributes of signage and site plans so that the features within the Town represent features included in the Guidelines.
During FY 2025, the commission reviewed a total of 52 DRC Applications. There were 47 Sign approval applications and 5 Site Plan recommendations. Members review the applications according to the Sign Guidelines and issue approval of retail and industrial signage projects, as well as make recommendations on site plans that includes design and facades, materials, colors, lighting plans, and landscaping plans. The landscaping plan should include, among other things, plantings from the Best Development Practices Guidebook. The Best Development Practices Guidebook, the Design Review Guidelines and the Sign Guidelines can be found on the Design Review Commission’s webpage at https://www.franklinma.gov/design-review-commission.
Design Review meetings are being conducted remotely via the Zoom platform. In an effort to allow and encourage citizen engagement and to comply with the open meeting law regulations, citizens are able to dial into the meeting using the provided phone number (Cell phone or landline required) or participate via a Zoom link embedded in the meeting agendas. Meetings are held at 7:00 pm via Zoom on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month except December where only one meeting is held. Dates, times, meeting agendas and meeting minutes are posted on the Town’s Design Review webpage.
Respectfully submitted,
Samuel L. Williams, Chairman
The PDF of this section can be found
The full annual report can be found
