Master Plan Update Committee Chairman's Remarks

Over the next couple of days, sections of the Master Plan Update "final draft" will be shared to prepare for the Public Hearing scheduled for Thursday, Nov 14. The presentation and hearing will begin at 6:30 PM in the 3rd Floor Training Room of the Municipal Building. Franklin TV is scheduled to broadcast the event (and record for future viewing).

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Dear Friends and Neighbors,

The City officially known as the “Town of Franklin” has a rich and storied history, having been incorporated on March 2, 1778. We are proud to be the first municipality in the country named after Statesman and Founding Father Benjamin Franklin. Our town is home to significant landmarks, such as the birthplace of Horace Mann, the father of public education, the historic Red Brick School, and the first public library in the United States. Today, Franklin continues to stand out, having been recognized as the second safest place to live in the USA and the safest place in Massachusetts in 2019 by Neighborhood Scout.

In order to maintain Franklin's status as “one of the best places to live and raise a family,” as noted by Family Circle magazine in 2007, and in accordance with Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 41, § 81D, the Town Council has taken proactive steps to guide our future. In line with this, resolution 23-37 was approved by the Franklin Town Council to establish a thirteen-person Master Plan Update Committee. This committee is made up of representatives from various town boards and commissions as well as citizen members, all working together to ensure our town’s growth is both thoughtful and strategic.

The Master Plan Update Committee has been tasked with reviewing the current Master Plan, analyzing data and community feedback, and identifying key challenges and opportunities Franklin will face over the next decade. By focusing on areas such as housing, transportation, economic development, sustainability, public services, and recreation, our committee is crafting a visionary roadmap that will guide the town’s future growth and development.

To support this effort, we have established five subcommittees that address specific aspects of the Master Plan: Land Use and Zoning; Housing and Economic Development; Community Services, Facilities, and Circulation; Open Space, Recreation, and Natural, Cultural, and Historic Resources; and Sustainability. Each subcommittee has been actively engaging with the community and town stakeholders to gather feedback and revise goals and objectives that align with the town’s long-term vision. I wish to thank all of the members of the Master Plan Committee for the countless hours they devoted to making this process run efficiently and successfully.

At every step of this process, we have prioritized the core values that define Franklin: our commitment to education, preservation of natural resources, and a forward-thinking approach to growth and development. At the same time, we remain mindful of the challenges ahead—balancing growth with the preservation of our town’s unique character, maintaining fiscal responsibility, and ensuring we address the evolving needs of our residents.

Your participation has been essential in shaping this plan. Your ideas, concerns, and vision for Franklin’s future have played a pivotal role in ensuring this Master Plan reflects the collective aspirations of our community.

 

On behalf of the Master Plan Update Committee, I want to express my sincere gratitude for your engagement and continued support. Together, we are shaping the future of our town, and I am confident that Franklin will continue to grow in ways that reflect our shared values, priorities, and hopes for the future.

Respectfully submitted,

Councilor Glenn F. Jones

Master Plan Committee Chairman

The full Master Plan Update final draft report can be found on the Town page ->

https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif10036/f/uploads/franklin_master_plan_final_draft_report-nov2024.pdf

Master Plan Update Committee Chairman's Remarks

Franklin Public Schools Announces Draft Reorganization of Schools Alignment for 2025-2026

"Franklin Public Schools is excited to share a link to view a story map introducing you to the 2025-26 district configuration.  This map will show the upcoming recommendation for the school boundary line between the North and South Elementary Schools. There is a search-by-address feature located on the top left side of the map where an address can be searched to find the elementary zone associated with that address.  

This story map will also provide a brief introduction to each school in the new district configuration, including the in-district specialized programs at each building, projected enrollment, and full administrative team."

Find the storymap -> https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/ef906f094b35486490d41d43ef2c24dc

The School Committee meeting scheduled for Sep 24 will include a presentation and discussion on the redistricting process. This is the proposal and may get adjusted before voting on the "final: alignment at a future School Committee meeting in October. 

If you missed the audio recap with the 2 Dave's we did discuss this topic and timeline -> https://www.franklinmatters.org/2024/09/dave-dave-recap-school-committee-and.html

Franklin Public Schools Announces Draft Reorganization of Schools Alignment for 2025-2026

Comprehensive Housing Needs Assessment ** 2021 Town of Franklin - Housing Production Plan - Public Review Draft **

Organization of Plan
This Housing Production Plan (HPP) provides a Comprehensive Housing Needs Assessment, a summary of Affordable Housing Goals, and a description of Implementation Strategies the Town will utilize to meet its goals.

This HPP contains the following major elements:

1.    Comprehensive Housing Needs Assessment
2.    Affordable Housing Goals
3.    Implementation Strategies

 

A short summary of each Element is below.

Comprehensive Housing Needs Assessment
The Comprehensive Housing Needs Assessment performed includes an analysis of most recent available housing and demographic data, development constraints and limitations, infrastructure capacity, and projection of future population and housing needs. The assessment was utilized to develop the Goals in Section 2, and the Strategies in Section 3. 

 

Below are a few important findings:

• Franklin has experienced a 48% increase in population over the past 25 years
• By 2030, residents over 65 years of age are expected to make up approximately 23.2% of Franklin’s population, compared to 8.2% in 2000.
• Franklin is home to 11,941 households, up from 10,995 in 2010 (8.6% increase). Franklin’s average household size is 2.69, and its average family size is 3.22.
• Franklin's median household income has increased 13.24% since 2015, and 37.25% since the 2010 Census.
• Franklin's 2019 median household income of 122,607 is 50.96% higher than the State-wide average
• The number of households making over $200,000 has more than tripled (218.5% increase) since compared to 13.2% of all Massachusetts households.
• Nearly 39.3% of households in Franklin earn $150,000 or more, compared to 23.4% state-wide. The vast majority of Franklin’s housing stock (80.65%) is owner-occupied.
• Approximately 1,295 housing units were constructed in the last 10-11 years, representing an 11.4% increase.
• According to Zillow in January 2021 the median price of a single family home in Franklin was $549,000, compared to $531,000 state-wide, and $310,000 country-wide.
• There were 3,167 single family homes on the market in Massachusetts at the end of February 2021, down 68.4% from the previous year.
• The low inventory of homes for sale is not only in Massachusetts, but throughout the country. According to Redfin.com, during January 2021 there were 696,312 residential homes for sale in the United States, less than 50% from the previous year.

According to the Massachusetts Association of Realtors, February 2021 housing supply numbers represented the “lowest number of single-family homes and condominiums for sale since MAR began reporting the data in 2004”. Housing supply is very low, and housing prices are very high.
 

Find the full copy of the Housing Production Plan

https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/uploads/franklin_housing_production_plan_-_may_2021_public_draft.pdf

Info on the public comment period

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2021/05/2021-draft-housing-production-plan-open.html

Plan Development and Public Participation

Public Hearing - 2021 Draft Housing Production Plan - June 2

Public Hearing - 2021 Draft Housing Production Plan

The Franklin Municipal Affordable Housing Trust will hold a Public Hearing on Wednesday, June 2 at 6:30 PM via the ” Zoom” platform to present the highlights of the Town’s 2021 Draft Housing Production Plan. Residents can visit the Town Website (franklinma.gov) and click on the Town Calendar for up to
date information on how to access the meeting. Residents can access the document at the Department of Planning and Community Development’s web site: www.franklinma.gov/planning-communitydevelopment. 

Feedback from the general public is a critical component of the planning process. Written comments should be forwarded to the Department of Planning & Community Development, Housing Development Plan Comments, 355 East Central Street, Franklin, MA 02038-1352, or send by email to
planning@franklinma.gov. 

The Public Comment period runs until 6/25/2021. If you have any questions,
please call 508-520-4907.

Submitted by,

Maxine Kinhart
Department of Housing & Community Development

Shared from the Town of Franklin page ->    https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/agendas/notice_of_public_hearing_-_housing_production_plan.pdf

Direct link to plan ->   https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/uploads/franklin_housing_production_plan_-_may_2021_public_draft.pdf

or view/download a copy of the plan here ->   https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZrXMOVhhJyr8azMPeftcqIuoHRo7jmKR/view

Public Hearing - 2021 Draft Housing Production Plan - June 2

FPS: Draft Policy - New Resident Procedures

On the agenda for discussion at the School Committee meeting on Tuesday, Oct 9 is a new policy draft. The policy establishes procedures for new residents looking to register their children to attend school in Franklin.





This policy is currently in draft. It will require review and approval before becoming effective.

All the existing policies can be found online in the Schools section of the Franklin webpage
http://franklinschool.vt-s.net/Pages/FranklinCom_Emanual/index

Financial Planning Committee Charter - DRAFT

Draft: For discussion purposes only

Financial plan

• Develop a 3 year budget that reflects a range of feasible economic scenarios and funding choices that may be required o Develop metrics to measure and report the town's financial and operational health

Build trust in the process

• Involve key town committees, department, and others to ensure an inclusive process o Achieve buy-in from a critical mass of town leaders for the current situation and recommended course of action

Education and outreach

• Better understand the views of citizens at large, including conventional wisdom that may not be supported by facts o Educate citizens regarding the town's financial health and financial outlook, including as necessary, the need for future overrides

Recommend one or more courses of action to ensure town finances support the overall goals of the town