DPW Notice - Paving Schedule for August 9, 2022 (East Central, Ruggles, Lewis, corner of Chestnut & RT 140)

DPW Notice - Paving Schedule for August 9, 2022

Will impact East Central Street, Ruggles Street and Lewis Street.

Notice from the Franklin Department of Public Works

Paving will begin on Tuesday, August 9, 2022 and will impact the areas from East Central Street to Ruggles Street and Lewis Street.

Delays are anticipated. Please seek alternate routes and proceed with caution in construction areas.

Shared from -> https://www.franklinma.gov/home/news/dpw-notice-paving-schedule-august-9th-2022

DPW Notice - Paving Schedule for August 9, 2022 (East Central, Ruggles, Lewis, corner of Chestnut & RT 140)

DPW Notice - Mill & Overlay Project to continue Wednesday, August 3, 2022

DPW Notice - Mill & Overlay Project to continue August 3, 2022

• Sections of Beaver Street near the recycling center, 
• Union Street near the Common 
• the intersection of King / Chestnut/ East Central (Route 140) will be impacted.

Notice from the Franklin Department of Public Works

Our road improvement program continues tomorrow. Areas that will be "Milled & Overlaid" (i.e. remove top inch and half of asphalt fix manholes and drains structures then repave with new asphalt) are sections of Beaver Street near the recycling center, Union Street near the Common and the intersection of King / Chestnut/ East Central (Route 140).

This work is expected to cause significant traffic delays especially at the intersection of King / Chestnut/ East Central (Route 140)! 

As always, please seek alternate routes and proceed with caution in construction areas.

Shared from Town of Franklin DPW ->  https://www.franklinma.gov/home/news/dpw-notice-mill-overlay-project-continue-tomorrow-august-3rd-2022

DPW Notice - Mill & Overlay Project to continue Wednesday, August 3, 2022

Franklin Residents: Road construction alert for work on 140/Main St in Norfolk

"The Town of Norfolk will begin roadwork on Main Street (beginning at the Franklin town line), which will impact traffic for Franklin. This work is projected to begin Monday, August 10th. Please see the attached map for detour information."

Franklin Residents: Road construction alert for work on 140/Main St in Norfolk

https://twitter.com/TOFranklinMA/status/1287827718621614081?s=09

What does 103 teachers look like?

Photos of the teachers who raised awareness on RT Tuesday afternoon before the School Committee meeting.


The Boston 25 video brief on the article:
https://www.boston25news.com/news/local/hundreds-march-support-103-franklin-teachers-who-were-laid-off-last-week/SY2JL7QSDJHW5EMGGI46BMBISA/

Note: there is a difference between "notification" and "cuts". The School Committee has not yet voted to approve either the 25 or 50 cuts that would be required to balance the budget (depending upon the planning scenario used). These notifications were made in advance of the date required per contract.

The details on the budget will be figured out over the next several months due to the fluid situation. This is not like prior years where once the budget was set, it was rarely changed. Town Administrator Jamie Hellen expects to make several revisions to the budget for FY 2021.

The discussion at the School Committee meeting did not reveal when the budget vote would be scheduled, only that there was still work to do.

The FY 2021 school budget page
https://www.franklinps.net/district/school-district-budget/pages/fy-2021-budget 

The FY 2021 budget collection for the Town of Franklin 
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2020/06/fy-2021-budget-collection.html

What does 103 teachers look like? - 1

What does 103 teachers look like? - 2

What does 103 teachers look like? - 3

Road Construction Alerts

If you missed listening to DPW Director Cantoreggi's interview, there are a couple of road construction projects underway to be aware of.

1 - State paving work on RT 140

From Lewis St to the Wrentham line RT 140 is being repaved via "mill and overlay". The top surface has been ground up during overnight work the past week and should be paved this week. The work is scheduled for overnight.

State paving work on RT 140 - 1

State paving work on RT 140 - 2

2 - Franklin waterline replacement work on Lincoln St 

From Maple St to Brook St, the water line will be replaced by a contractor for Franklin DPW using the funding plan for water line replacements.

Franklin waterline replacement work on Lincoln St - 1

Franklin waterline replacement work on Lincoln St - 2

Franklin waterline replacement work on Lincoln St - 3

To listen to the interview with DPW Director "Brutus" Cantoreggi
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2020/03/fm-231-franklin-ma-dpw-director-robert.html 
 

Franklin Residents: Road work scheduled on Rt 140 - overnight on 3/30 and 3/31

Road work scheduled on Rt 140

Mass DOT will be milling and paving a section of Rt 140 in Franklin between Lewis Street and the Wrentham line. This is scheduled to occur on Monday, March 30 and Tuesday, March 31 at night. 

Shared from Twitter:
https://twitter.com/TOFranklinMA/status/1242876106379857921
 

The section would run from about CVS on one end to the Franklin Country Club on the other end

MassDOT: Rt 140 Road Construction Status Update

Rt 140 Road Construction Status Update

9/24/19

The Town had received many inquiries as to when the road work will be completed on State Highway Route 140 at the Exit 17 off ramp intersection. The Town has contacted the state to receive this update.

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) is anticipating completion of paving Rt 140 by the end of this week or early next week, weather dependent.

The pavement will need to cure for 3 days before painting and striping. Once the pavement has been striped, paving of Apron/Entrances will commence.

The state is looking at completing the entire project within roughly two weeks. 



This was shared from the Town of Franklin page
https://www.franklinma.gov/home/news/rt-140-road-construction-status-update

In the News: Franklin curbside pickup fees to rise; Fall construction alert - Rtes. 16 and 140 near Milford Regional Medical

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

Franklin curbside pickup fees to rise

"Trash and recycling fees are going up due to international struggles with plastic disposal. 

Town councilors approved a rate hike of $32 on March 20, raising the average annual cost for curbside trash and recycle pickup to $240. The council also voted to raise the price of stickers in 2020 from $25 to $35 for the transfer station on Beaver Street. 

Franklin recycles about 3,600 tons of waste a year. The cost will rise to $55 a ton in 2020, $20 more a ton than the town currently pays. The town sold around 240 stickers last year, but is considering either eliminating the option or increasing the 10-day fee to $25. 

In the last year, China has been sent massive amounts of plastic waste for recycling purposes. According to NPR, about 106 million metric tons, or roughly 45 percent of the world’s plastic ready for recycling, was exported to China. Inundated with the waste, the country decided at the start of last year to decline any more shipments."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20190326/franklin-trash-recycling-fees-increasing

Note: The first of two votes to approve the rate increase was held on March 20. The second vote is scheduled for a future Town Council meeting before becoming effective July 1. While the fee is increasing, we are still below where the fee was in 2005.

Due to global market issues for recycling, proposal to increase curbside fee

Construction alert: Rtes. 16 and 140 near Milford Regional Medical Center

"The planned facelift for one of Milford’s most heavily traveled roads remains on track to begin this fall. 

The half-mile stretch of Rte. 16 from just past the Milford police headquarters to the Hopedale town border will receive a long-awaited upgrade. The project will focus on the intersection of Rtes. 16 and 140 near Milford Regional Medical Center. The intersection is a regular spot for traffic backups and will be widened to make way for dedicated turning lanes, which should ease the turning radius for large trucks and tractor-trailers. 

“You cannot get through that intersection if someone is taking a left turn,” said Highway Surveyor Scott Crisafulli. “It’s too small.” 

New modern traffic signals with preemptive control for emergency vehicles approaching the intersection are part of the project."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20190325/milford-rte-16140-intersection-project-includes-new-signals-bike-lanes

“They really are great sandwiches”

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

"Foodies are getting excited about a new sign that popped up on Rte. 140 in Franklin on Wednesday afternoon, teasing a new place to eat. 

Jersey Mike’s Subs plans to open a shop in the plaza at 471 West Central St., the company’s corporate office confirmed. The company did not provide an opening date. 

Franklin will be the company’s second Massachusetts shop, the other being in Marlborough. 

Some folks are familiar with Jersey Mike’s classic Italian sub and grilled chicken cheesesteak."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20181214/jersey-mikes-sub-shop-is-coming-to-franklin

Twitter profile image for Jersey Mike's

Twitter = https://twitter.com/jerseymikes
Webpage = https://www.jerseymikes.com/

Midas is coming soon to Franklin

In January 2015, one of the items before the Planning Board was the addition of a Midas Muffler service on the second of three lots where Wendy's currently is located.

Construction is underway. These photos were captured on my walk on Saturday.

Midas sign

Midas sign

construction underway

Planning Board meeting Jan 5, 2015
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2015/01/live-reporting-planning-board-jan-5-2015.html

In the News: state police alert on scams, eagle scouts recognized, development along RT 140, MCAS argued for

Massachusetts State Police issued a scam warning on their official Facebook page Thursday. According to the posting, scammers pretending to be members of the state police or affiliated with the police are calling people and soliciting money for drug prevention and intervention programs. 

The scammers may claim to be part of a narcotics unit, police said.

Continue to read the article online here (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20150917/NEWS/150916356/1994/NEWS

Boy Scouts Patrick Cunniff, Jonathan Tomaso and Joseph Kroon, from Troop 99 of Franklin, were honored at an Eagle Scout Court of Honor on Aug. 1 for achieving the highest rank in Boy Scouts. 

Each scout completed a community service project that benefited the community: Cunniff worked with the Franklin Girls Softball Association to build four dugouts at the Remington-Jefferson fields; Tomaso constructed a walkway between the front and back entrances to the Benjamin Franklin Classical Charter Public School benefiting both charter school students and St. Mary Parish CCD students; and Kroon, sponsored by the Town of Franklin, built an arched foot bridge over a stream on the disc golf course at Dacey Fields.

arched foot bridge at Dacey Field disc golf course

Continue to read the article online here (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20150917/NEWS/150916212/1994/NEWS

"There will be several different buildings," he said. "There's a gas station and, adjacent to that, a lube place and at least one restaurant. There will be several other retail spaces as well." 

According to Taberner, the developer has not labeled all of the proposed buildings, meaning it is uncertain which businesses will occupy them. 

Taberner said the board has requested more information from the developer, and would likely be considering the project for some time. He said he did not know how long the process might take. 

"The matter was continued to the next Planning Board meeting," he said. "It could be two, three, four or five - I have no idea how many meetings it might take."

Continue to read the article online here (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20150917/NEWS/150916038/1994/NEWS

In a meeting with the Daily News editorial board on Wednesday, Pioneer Institute’s Jamie Gass and Tom Birmingham, former Senate president and co-author of the Education Reform Act of 1993 which created the MCAS, cautioned against switching from the long-standing test. Instead, the pair recommended working within the current system for better results. 

After education reform went into effect, Birmingham said the state set and met new standards that have pushed school performance to the top in the nation. If Massachusetts signs on to the PARCC test, Birmingham said he worries standards will drop to accommodate students in other PARCC states that don't have tests as rigorous as those in Massachusetts. 

“Before you outright jettison what has been coincident, at least, with our historic, unprecedented education success stories … I think you should bear in mind the words from the Hippocratic Oath, which is first, do no harm,” Birmingham said. “I’m fearful that if we do jettison MCAS and replace it with something else that is yet completely untested, we are inviting regression in terms of our education success.”

Continue to read the article online here (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20150917/NEWS/150915990/1994/NEWS

Info on MCAS can be found here   http://www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/

Real time reporting: Planning Board - Sep 14, 2015

I did real time reporting and my Storify summary can be found here

screen grab of 150 Emmons property proposed layout

Downtown triangle signs

On the triangle, if you have driven by this week maybe you saw one side of the sign.

If you didn't go back the same way, maybe you did not see the other side of the sign

With the eventual reconfiguration of this intersection to allow two way traffic on Main St, I expect these signs will go away. I recall from one of the preparation meetings, there is a plan for the historical water trough. It wasn't always here and can be re-located.

I hope it finds a good place. It is one of the connections to where I grew up, down the road a piece in Pawtucket, RI.

Two hurt in head-on crash on Rte. 140 in Franklin

Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:

Two hurt in head-on crash on Rte. 140 in Franklin

via Wicked Local Franklin News RSS by Jessica Trufant/Daily News staff on 1/17/13

Two people were injured, one of them seriously, in a head-on crash on Rte. 140 near Franklin Village Thursday night, police said.

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• Subscribe to Wicked Local Franklin News RSS using Google Reader
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Franklin's Wendy's new and improved (video)

The new Wendy's opened on RT 140 here in Franklin has made the news as it is one of the first of 10 stores and one of two in MA to convert to this new format.

Reminder: Public Hearing - Thursday, Jun 28, 7:00 PM

The MassDOT will hold a public hearing on the RT 140 and Downtown Project on Thursday, Jun 28 at 7:00 PM. The hearing will be conducted at the Municipal Bldg in the 3rd Floor Training Room. (Note due to this choice of location in the Municipal Bldg, the hearing is not likely scheduled for broadcast via cable.)

Additional info on the public hearing can be found in this official notification



Why a public hearing?
The project is funded by the State of MA and hence MassDOT has controlling interest. The project delays are primarily due to the State schedules. Franklin was granted the funds at $1 M per year and waited for the $5 million total was accumulated before beginning the detail planning on this project.

"asked for a waiver on two restrictions"

This plan eliminated a second drive-through proposed earlier, but asked for a waiver on two restrictions: one that prohibited left turns out of the property, and another that prohibited the restaurants being open during breakfast hours. It also asked for permission for, but didn't commit to building, increased square footage for one of the buildings, from 2,360 square feet to 5,280 square feet. 

"Doubling the size of a building doesn't come under a limited site plan, in my opinion," said Planning Board member Joseph Halligan, before the board took a vote that would have forced Daddario to create a full site plan, instead of push his project forward with a limited plan. 

An initial vote to require a whole new plan came out in a tie. 

After vehement disapproval from the applicant and Ballarino, and a suggestion of compromise from the Town Planner Beth Dahlstrom, the board reconsidered the decision. 

The board then voted to use the limited site plan, but not approve it until a further traffic study was examined and to limit the building size for now. 

The hearing was continued until July 25, when the board will vote on reconsidering the restriction on left turns.

Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/archive/x1498054749/Franklin-board-hears-changes-to-development-plan#ixzz1Rsl9DT4O

Mailer on 2 new supermarkets coming to RT 140

Already mentioned here is the Planning Board meeting scheduled for Monday March 22, where the Big Y application for a special permit will be continued.

This flyer arrived via the mail today:

The link referenced for the Environmental Notification Form (ENF) filed with the State can be found here: http://www.env.state.ma.us/mepa/mepadocs/2010/031010em/opur/enf/14550.pdf

The MA Environmental Protection Agency home page can be found here:
http://www.env.state.ma.us/mepa/home.aspx


Franklin, MA