BEN's Bulletin: Budget and Stobbart's

Seeking opportunities for smart new growth!

BEN's Bulletin (03/24/25)   Weather and agendas are heating up! With Franklin's budget constraints, it is increasingly important for the community to find smart opportunities for new tax revenue that doesn't place further strain on the Town's expenses.  Interested in what's happening at the state level? Join our partner organization Abundant Housing Massachusetts for their Statewide Policy Webinar next Thursday. As always, please join our monthly meeting (every third Thursday at 7pm) at Franklin TV or virtually at the following link: meet.ben4franklin.org. Key Agenda Items This month, we're sharing expanded thoughts on the proposed housing development at 444 E Central Street ("Stobbart's") as well as providing the regular BEN's Take on upcoming meetings. Click HERE for live links to the agenda items.   Stobbart's Nursery (444 E Central Street) On Thursday, the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) will have a public hearing on a proposed 264-unit "Friendly 40B" affordable housing development, across five buildings and a clubhouse, on the site of Stobbart's Nursery on E Central St. The project was endorsed by the Franklin Town Council and advances Master Plan goals. Here are a few quick reasons why BEN believes the project would make Franklin stronger: Promotes affordability Increases the supply of smaller units, which are in high demand and offer more attainable housing options for young professionals, seniors, and working families. 25% of units are deed-restricted as affordable, ensuring more residents can live and work in Franklin without being priced out. Supports neighborhood vibrancy and community connections Brings new residents to support businesses along East Central Street, strengthening the increasingly mixed-used commercial corridor. Location near other housing developments and the future bus route transforms the stretch into a connected and accessible neighborhood. Strengthens Franklin's financial health Generates significantly more tax revenue than single-family homes without the added infrastructure costs (road maintenance, etc.). Provides much-needed revenue to help Franklin address budget challenges and maintain high-quality public services.  MYTH-BUSTING: Many opposed to new homes cite the costs of education and emergency services. In fact, projects like these generate substantially more revenue than incremental additional service costs. Ensures sustainable growth and preservation Develops housing in an already built-up and serviced area, preventing further sprawl and preserving open spaces. Transit- and commercial- accessible location reduces car traffic and promotes pedestrian activity. What We're Consuming How Mass. can streamline homebuilding (Boston Globe) State commission on housing production targets single-family zoning, other sweeping reforms (Boston Globe) Finding the Fit: How Parking Policies Shape Our Neighborhoods and Determine Housing Outcomes (Metropolitan Area Planning Council) Recovery Playbook: Back to Downtown & Main Street (Jonathan Berk) Reach out with any comments or questions. Thanks! The BEN Brigade Know someone else who may be interested in this content? Please share! Newsletter Sign Up Ben 4 Franklin, 23 Hutchinson St, Franklin, MA Send free email today

Economic Development Subcmte gets updates on MBTA Community status and Nu-Style brownfield (audio)

FM #1343 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 1343 in the series. 

This session of the radio show shares the audio recording of the Economic Development Subcommittee (EDC) held on Wednesday, December 18, 2024 in the Council Chambers. 

All 4 members of the subcommittee participated in Chambers (Hamblen, Sheridan, Frongillo & Chandler).

Quick recap

• The Nu-Style project history is laid out in the presentation doc, progress is being made but complicated by the split of ownership of the properties involved. Especially as the building on the Town property that needs to come down is adjoining to the neighboring property building which has structural issues. Grant money is primarily being used for remediation work, additional grants are being sought to complete the work required.

• After all the zoning bylaw changes made for the Franklin For All project and specifically to meet the MBTA Community requirements,  we may finally be there. The last paperwork was submitted to the State and an answer is expected hopefully to confirm we do meet (actually exceed) the requirements. The timeline on the changes including the critical zoning changes is included in the presentation doc (shared below)

Motion to adjourn, passes 4-0 

The recording of the meeting runs about 55 minutes.   Audio link -> https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1343-economic-development-subcmte-mtg-12-18-24/

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Franklin TV broadcast is available for replay ->  https://www.youtube.com/live/AcTwbyEEB9s?&t=91

The agenda doc ->   https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif10036/f/agendas/_2024-12-18_edc_agenda.pdf 

Presentation doc ->   https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1JJz3RhlTZXN7gA8Ux2O8wSqFxhUDFYnC/edit?usp=drive_link&ouid=101938843903614700481&rtpof=true&sd=true

My full set of notes in one PDF ->  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DqhtXZdJneqbD0nDshW3iqBbgB9R1PRX/view?usp=drive_link 

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We are now producing this in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) or 102.9 on the Franklin area radio dial.  

This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin but we can't do it alone. We can always use your help.

How can you help?

• If you can use the information that you find here, please tell your friends and neighbors

• If you don't like something here, please let me know 

• And if you have interest in reporting on meetings or events, please reach. We’ll share and show you what and how we do what we do

Through this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements. I thank you for listening.

For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.org/ or www.franklin.news/

If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com

The music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana"  c. Michael Clark & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission.

I hope you enjoy!

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You can also subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters audio on iTunes or your favorite podcast app; search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"

Nu-Style property photo

MBTA Community status summary

Economic Development Subcmte hears of grant for Nu-Style clean up, discusses GR 5 & cannabis overlap zoning modification (audio)

FM #1007 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 1007 in the series. 

This session of the radio show shares the audio recording of the Economic Development Subcommittee held on Wednesday, June 7, 2023 in the Council Chambers with all 4 members participating in the Council Chambers.

Quick recap:

• Nu-Style property now has $600K from two sources; $100K from ARPA funds, and a new grant received for $500K. Thanks to Brian Taberner who has continued to write for grants for this brownfield project and persisted in that effort

• General residential zoning changes initially proposed to increase the impervious coverage for the property and for the property plus parking would be increased as well as reducing the setbacks required for multi-family 

• Discussion around what percent the amounts should be, was currently, initially proposed to increase to 35, 45. 

• Amendment to change to 50, 60, second; after discussion amendment revised to be 45,55, seconded, passes 3-1 (Jones no)

• Recommendations as amended to move to the Council, passes unanimous 4-0

• Cannabis overlay district; this is literally only a house cleaning of the map itself, nothing else in the bylaw changes. As businesses changed, this allowed for other changes with restrictions removed

The recording of the meeting runs just under 1 hour.   audio file -> https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1007-economic-development-subcmte-mtg-06-07-23

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The agenda doc also includes remote participation info ->   

https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif10036/f/agendas/edc_meeting_agenda_-_june_7_2023.pdf

Franklin TV YouTube video ->  https://www.youtube.com/live/UbMxtOXP6ms?feature=share 

My notes captured via Twitter during the meeting (in 1 PDF file)

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZCa5NThqjXcxviE57inxIZMM7ycfnT9B/view?usp=drive_link 

--------------

We are now producing this in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) or 102.9 on the Franklin area radio dial.  

This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin but we can't do it alone. We can always use your help.

How can you help?

• If you can use the information that you find here, please tell your friends and neighbors

• If you don't like something here, please let me know

Through this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements. I thank you for listening.

For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.org/ or www.franklin.news/

If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com

The music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana"  c. Michael Clark & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission.

I hope you enjoy!

------------------

You can also subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters audio on iTunes or your favorite podcast app; search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"

Economic Development Subcommittee - Agenda for June 7, 2023  Meeting at 5:45 PM

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