Traffic Study updated for Madalene Village Proposal

"OK a couple things to update everyone on.

TRAFFIC: We got a traffic update based on our request that the original traffic study, which was done in December of 2015, be done again to reflect traffic based on activity on sports fields.

What we learned was that while there's significantly more traffic (!), it's still considered acceptable. It changes the "level of service" in the area from a grade of A to a grade of B. I've attached it in case you're interested.

THURSDAY: The developer intends to ask for a continuance, so we've learned. That's not official yet, per the Woislaws. If they ask for a continuance, the Woislaws would like to organize a meeting for anyone who's interested in establishing next steps and staying organized. We'll keep you posted. But as of now, the next meeting is still tentatively scheduled for July 28 at 7:35 p.m.

Thanks, everyone!"

Christopher Parish

Stop Madalene Village sign found along Wachusett, Cottage and Peck Sts

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0wjbnXDBhczNkdLRlRqMmJGU0E/view?usp=sharing

Related posts:

http://www.franklinmatters.org/2016/07/madalene-village-proposal-revised.html

http://www.franklinmatters.org/2016/05/madalene-village-zba-hearing-continues.html

http://www.franklinmatters.org/2016/04/the-need-for-housing-outweighs-local.html

"the proposed project does not comply with the MA Wetlands Protection Act regulations"

"Hello all, thanks so much to those who were able to make it to last night's meeting. For those who didn't, here's a couple small tidbits. 

The GZA presented the results of their review of the plans, in which they offered several issues with the developer's proposed plan. It should be noted that this review was done mostly on the old plan (40 units) and not the new unit (32 units). I've attached this document for your reading pleasure (it's actually pretty interesting.) 

Among the issues was a concern that the proposed project does not comply with the MA Wetlands Protection Act regulations as well as several local bylaws. This is expected to be a significant hurdle. 

The developer presented its new plans, explaining a re-routing of the stream, a reduction in units, and an easement on Peck Street. Due to concerns by the fire chief, some of the 6-unit buildings were reduced to 4 units. 

The Woislaws, as usual, did a great job of speaking on behalf of the neighborhood, offering our concerns. If you haven't done so yet, buy a yard sign from the Woislaws; only $5! 

Another concern brought up was a sewer tie-in that could pose some significant problems. The location of a tie-in could be problematic; if it's on town land, the town would have to give them permission. 

The next meeting is in two weeks; July 28 at 7:35 p.m. Hope to see you all there!"

Christopher Parish
Shared from the Facebook page

The Zoning Board of Appeals meeting is available for replay
http://view.earthchannel.com/PlayerController.aspx?PGD=franknma&eID=375

Stop Madalene Village

Madalene Village - proposal revised

The proposal for Madalene Village has been modified and is scheduled for the next Zoning Board of Appeals meeting on Thursday, July 14.

The updated diagram showing the revised proposal can be viewed here
(shared by members of the Facebook group  https://www.facebook.com/groups/savesprucepondbrook/)

The Zoning Board of Appeals meeting agenda for July 14
http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_ZBAAgendas/Agendas%202016/07-14-16%20ZBA%20Meeting.pdf

sign from one of the neighbors

Madalene Village - ZBA hearing continues May 19

The continuation of the hearing on the developer's proposal for Madalene Village is scheduled for Thursday, May 19 at 7:50 PM. The Zoning Board of Appeals full agenda for this meeting can be found here

http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_ZBAAgendas/Agendas%202016/05-19-16%20ZBA%20Meeting.pdf


7:50 PM 

21 Peck Street and 180 Cottage Street, Madalene Village - MV Cottage Development LLC Applicant is seeking a building permit to construct a 40 unit townhome style development. The building permit is denied without a comprehensive permit from the ZBA.

map of proposed development

The listing of exemptions being sought from the ZBA

"the need for the housing outweighs the local concerns"

The Zoning Board of Appeals on Thursday, April 21, 2016 opened the hearing on Madalene Village. After hearing the comments and concerns from several neighbors the ZBA authorized the hiring of a traffic study and an attorney to help them process the proposal.

The ZBA attorney just hired to assist with the Madalene Village proposals, turned to the audience and provided an overview of the regulations around the 40B legislation. One key concept is 

"the need for the housing outweighs the local concerns"

------

The following letter was submitted to the ZBA and summarizes the multiple concerns of the neighbors:

"The abutter community has many concerns with the Madalene Village development proposed for the 3.87 acre parcel of land abutting Cottage and Peck Street. As we have spoken to town officials and neighbors and reviewed the documentation provide by the developer, we have uncovered grave concerns with the proposal that would adversely impact the current residents of our neighborhood and also negatively affect the interests of the greater Franklin community. 

Our concerns fall into the broad categories of environmental and conservation, safety of current residents, safety of future residents, health issues and matters of integration into the existing neighborhood. They are as follows:"

a view of the 'intermittent drainage ditch' or stream from Peck St.

Continue reading the full set of arguments in the embedded document:



The 40B resources on the MA.gov site can be found here
http://www.mass.gov/hed/community/40b-plan/

The Zoning Board of Appeals page on the official Town of Franklin website
http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_ZBA/index

Madelene Village scheduled for ZBA meeting - Apr 21

Madalene Village is a proposal to build a 40 unit condominium development along a stream by Fletcher Field with one entrance on Peck St and the other on Cottage. The Zoning Board of Appeals will hold a hearing on the proposal Thursday, April 21 at 7:40. (ZBA meeting starts at 7:30 PM). A group of neighbors affected by the project are planning to participate.


Background documentation on the proposal:

1. Civil Engineering Plans for the development
2. The contact info for the development team
3. A 7/17/15 letter from the Town of Franklin to MassHousing citing the town's concerns about the project
4. A 12/18/15 letter from the Town of Franklin to MassHousing reiterating their concerns
5. A 2/12/16 site approval letter from MassHousing

The stream in question as seen from Wachusett St looking toward Fletcher Field

SAVE OUR NEIGHBORHOOD!
SAVE SPRUCE POND BROOK!
STOP MADELENE VILLAGE DEVELOPMENT
ATTEND THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS MEETING AND BE HEARD

Neighborhood Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/533620563465404/

In the News: deputy Town Administrator, complaints about permit

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin

Jamie Hellen, operations assistant to the town manager, is leaving Town Hall to become the deputy town administrator in Franklin. 

Hellen was appointed by Town Manager Norman Khumalo in 2012. He'll work in town until the end of the month. 

During his tenure, Hellen has been involved in many special projects, including planning for the town's 300th Anniversary Celebration and helping with the historical commissions. His day-to-day responsibilities include making sure Khumalo's and the selectmen's priorities are being met, he said.

Continue reading the article online here (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20151217/NEWS/151216196/1994/NEWS

Several townspeople complained Thursday night to the Zoning Board of Appeals about what they claim was a lack of transparency in the town's approval of a group home on Plain Street. 

The board, though, decided to uphold the building commissioner's decision to issue a permit. 

At issue is an eight-bed building - set to house clients of the state Department of Developmental Services - under construction at 21 Plain St. Dave Patterson, a neighbor, had appealed the issuance of the building permit.

Continue reading the article online here (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20151217/NEWS/151216179/1994/NEWS

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

In the News: ZBA approves apartments, high tech lab at high school

The Zoning Board of Appeals has approved a building permit for a sprawling apartment complex on West Central Street. 

The proposed development, Weston Woods, would include three apartment buildings — comprised of mostly one-bedroom units — and a clubhouse at 1330-1342 West Central St. Developer Acme Jazz LLC will offer 70 of the 280 apartments as affordable housing. 

The decision on the project came late last month, during an untelevised meeting.Acme Jazz has now filed its plans with Conservation Commission seeking to move forward with construction.

Continue reading the article
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20150520/NEWS/150529715/1994/NEWS

Related posts on the proposed development
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2015/03/zoning-board-of-appeals-march-19-agenda.html
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2015/04/280-unit-apartment-building-at-1330.html

high tech labs

The science laboratories at Franklin High School rival those at any top research university — and students have a local biotech corporation to thank for that. 

Inside each lab, the microplate readers, digital dry baths and bacterial transformation kits, among other pieces of equipment, were donated to the newly-opened high school through a partnership with ZeptoMetrix Corporation, located at Kenwood Circle. 

The company visited the school Monday with local officials to recognize the district’s STEM program and shine a light on the town’s goal of attracting similar companies.

Continue reading the article
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20150519/NEWS/150516594/1994/NEWS

280 unit apartment building at 1330-1342 West Central Street

At 7PM Thursday evening (April 30th) the Franklin Zoning Board of Appeals will be deciding on whether or not to issue a building permit for a monstrosity of an apartment complex in Franklin. The proposed complex will be located close to the intersection of rt140 and South Maple Street in Bellingham (see photo), an area that has significant traffic issues as is.

The meeting is at the Franklin Municipal Building. Both Franklin and Bellingham residents are welcome, and a strong presence is crucial to having our voices heard.

Since the land is privately owned, development is inevitable. However, the complex needs to be scaled down to a more reasonable size so as to minimize the impact to that all ready traffic-congested area.

Please try to attend the meeting, and please share the info.
(the photo depicts the total area of the proposed proposed project - the photo was edited to add an orange arrow/text to point out Garelick Farms.)

http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20150323/NEWS/150328942

Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA)
Agenda item

1312 and 1330-1342 W. Central St – Acme Jazz, LLC Applicant is seeking a building permit to construct a 280 unit multi – family development. The building permit is denied without a comprehensive permit from the ZBA.

The full agenda for the ZBA meeting can be found here
http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_ZBAAgendas/Agendas%202015/04-30-15%20ZBA%20Agenda.pdf

"instructing its attorney to draft a favorable decision"

The 280 unit apartment complex touted for the Bellingham end of RT 140 apparently is going through. 70 of the 280 units would be available as affordable housing.

“We’ve tried to be very responsive to every concern and issues that has been raised,” said Mark Vaughn, the attorney for the project. 

The developer also had to make concessions for a historical structure on the site — the fifth oldest property in town, according to the Historical Commission. The commission will allow Acme Jazz to demolish the existing structure, but requested a marker signifying the historical importance of the property. 

Early on, town officials in Franklin and Bellingham (the development sits near the border between the two communities) were concerned about increased traffic on Rte. 140. 

In response, Acme Jazz agreed to widen the roadway for a new westbound left-turn lane for vehicles entering the site. And the developer pledged to extend the sidewalk on the south side of Rte. 140 into Bellingham and build a new sidewalk at the entrance to the property.

Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20150323/NEWS/150328942/1994/NEWS

The background info on the plan can be found here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2015/03/zoning-board-of-appeals-march-19-agenda.html

Zoning Board of Appeals - March 19 - Agenda item on 280 unit apartment complex

via the network:


"Recently it was found out that a developer has gone before the Franklin Zoning Board of Appeals to obtain a permit to build a 280 unit apartment building at 1330-1342 West Central Street. This enormous complex would be next to (and sort of in front of) where Pump It Up used to be. While it is inevitable that the parcels will be developed at some point, to build something of this scale will only make the existing - and significant - traffic issues worse. 

In fact, Franklin's own report lists 1376 West Central Street as one of the top 20 locations for the highest number of vehicle crashes. (page 6, http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_Planning/masterplandoc/docs/elements/C.pdf)

West Central Development

Here are photos of the proposed complex. The yellow highlighted area is what the complex will encompass. The photo has been edited, an orange arrow and the text "Garelick Farms" was added on the right side of the photo.



Help is needed to get this project scaled down to a reasonable size. 

Please attend the next Zoning Board of Appeals meeting on Thursday, March 19, and please pass this info on to others."



Note the agenda for the 2/26/15 ZBA meeting shows:

DUE TO LACK OF QUORUM – AGENDA HAS BEEN CONTINUED TO MARCH 19, 2015


2/26/15 agenda doc

3/19/15 agenda doc

In the News: Lincoln St health facility, new wireless for commuter rail

In the Milford Daily News we find two articles of interest today:

The proposal for 138 bed nursing home on Lincoln St has drawn opposition from the neighbors as it is zoned for a residential area. Franklin's Fire Chief Gary McCarragher has also come out against the facility as the fire dept response time to that area would not be sufficient to ensure quality service. The MDN article can be found here

"Unfortunately, the department’s ability to respond in a timely manner to this area is not good, as the closest fire station to this property is our Headquarters facility on West Central Street," he said. 

According to McCarraher, it generally takes the department nine to 11 minutes to respond to the area — "well outside the response parameter recommended by the American Heart Association for cardiac arrest emergencies."

You can read the full article here
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20140725/NEWS/140727817/1994/NEWS


The MBTA has announced a new deal to provide wireless on the boats and trains. There would be free wireless offered as well as a premium offer at $15/month. Would someone pay for higher band width to cover the commute time? Time will tell. The more interesting piece in this day and age of rapid change is that the deal is for 22 years.

Under a 22-year license agreement, inMOTION will install, operate, and maintain a neutral, private, and dedicated WiFi network on all MBTA passenger coaches and ferries. 

Riders will have free access to the internet, as well as a live television feed. Premium WiFi service, which allows customers to stream data and video, will be available for $15 per month. The MBTA will receive 7.5 percent of net revenue received from the WiFi program.

You can read the full article here
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20140724/NEWS/140728235/1994/NEWS

Zoning Board of Appeals - Agenda - July 24

The published agenda for the Zoning Board of Appeals meeting scheduled for Thursday July 24 can be viewed in this document:




Agendas for the Zoning Board of Appeals can be found on the Franklin website
http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_ZBAAgendas/Agendas%202014/


Note: email subscribers will need to click through to Franklin Matters to view the document

Franklin Municipal Building

Should a nursing facility be located in a residential area?

From a reader:

I love your emails. I was wondering if you could help spread the word about the Athena Health proposed 138-bed nursing facility at 864 Lincoln St. 

The location is currently a residential rural zone 1, the faculty would need a zoning ordinance to proceed. 

Only those with property touching the proposed site were notified of the meeting.

agenda item - Athena Health

The Zoning Board of Appeals agendas can be found here
http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_ZBAAgendas/Agendas%202014/


The video of the meeting is not yet available for replay. If someone knows what occurred at the meeting, please let me know.

Update:

I did go to the meeting.
Many voiced opposing opinions.
The board continued until July 24 at 7:30.
They requested a full traffic study be done on Lincoln St.
The fire chief sent a memo but was not in attendance. The memo opposed the building permit as it would put addition strain on the Emergency Response which would affect all residence. He also cited poor response times for that area of Franklin would put home residents at at potential risk.

Annual Report 2013: Zoning Board of Appeals

Continuing our series of sections from the Annual Report of 2013 for Franklin, MA we have the Zoning Board of Appeals

The Zoning Board of Appeals currently consists of three (3) members and two (2) associate members appointed by the Town Administrator, subject to the confirmation by the Town Council, for terms of such length and so arranged that the term of one member shall expire each year. There is currently one (1) opening for an associate member. The members would like to take this opportunity to thank Barbara Curran for her 13+ years of dedicated service and also welcome Sean Slater as an Associate Member to the Zoning Board of Appeals. 

The Board of Appeals holds Public Hearings, as advertised, for Variance(s), Special Permits (including gravel removal), Findings and Chapter 40B applications. The Board also renders determinations on land use and zoning issues. All necessary forms and applications may be obtained through the Building Inspection Department and via Board of Appeals website at http://www.franklin.ma.us. 

The Zoning Board of Appeals meets in Town Council Chambers at the Franklin Municipal Building on Thursday evenings usually twice a month, at 7:30pm. The calendar may be viewed via website at http://www.franklin.ma.us. 

All meetings are open to the public. The Board has been very active this fiscal year and the following agenda is a list of all applications filed, indexed and recorded with the Town Clerk.  

Respectfully submitted,
Franklin Zoning Board of Appeals 

Member Since
Bruce Hunchard, Chairman 1991
Robert Acevedo, Vice Chairman 2003
Timothy Twardowski, Clerk 2010
Philip Brunelli, Associate Member 2009
Sean Slater, Associate Member 2012
Nancy Danello, Administrative Secretary

Franklin, MA Municipal Building

The full annual report can be obtained from the Town Clerk's office (hard copy) or viewed and/or downloaded from the Franklin website here
http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_Clerk/annual/2013report.pdf

Annual reports of prior years can also be found online at
http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_Clerk/annual/

Annual Report 2012: Zoning Board of Appeals

The Zoning Board of Appeals currently consists of three (3) members and one (1) associate member appointed by the Town Administrator, subject to the confirmation by the Town Council, for terms of such length and so arranged that the term of one member shall expire each year. There are currently two (2) openings for an associate member.

The Board of Appeals holds Public Hearings, as advertised, for Variance(s), Special Permits (including gravel removal), Findings and Chapter 40B applications. The Board also renders determinations on land use and zoning issues. All necessary forms and applications may be obtained through the Building Inspection Department and via Board of Appeals website at http://www.franklin.ma.us.

The Zoning Board of Appeals meets in Town Council Chambers at the Franklin Municipal Building on Thursday evenings usually twice a month, at 7:30pm. The calendar may be viewed via website at http://www.franklin.ma.us. All meetings are open to the public.

The Board has been very active this fiscal year and the following agenda is a list of all applications filed, indexed and recorded with the Town Clerk.


Respectfully submitted,

Franklin Zoning Board of Appeals (Member Since)

Bruce Hunchard, Chairman (1991)
Robert Acevedo, Vice Chairman (2003)
Timothy Twardowski, Clerk (2010)
Philip Brunelli, Associate Member (2009)
Barbara Curran Administrative Secretary


From the Town clerk page on annual reports. This comes from the 2012 report
http://franklinma.virtualtownhall.net/Pages/FranklinMA_Clerk/annual/

"duel entrances in and out were the preferred option"

For those shopping at Stop & Shop, using the points for gas purchases meant going to the Shell Station on RT 140. There are plans in the process of gaining approval for a Stop & Shop gas station to be located at the empty lot on the corner of Grove St and RT 140. The Planning Board will continue their hearing on Dec 17th with Zoning Board and Conservation Commission approval required as well before they can begin.

Stop & Shop has proposed a gas station with five fueling islands that can service 10 vehicles at a time. Near the pumping stations, the company has said it wants to build an attendant’s kiosk with an attached restroom. Underneath the facility will be two gasoline tanks (diesel won’t be available): one holding 30,000 gallons of fuel the other 8,000 gallons. 

The gas station would be located about a quarter mile from the Stop & Shop supermarket at 40 Franklin Village Drive. 

Should the Planning Board — which met on Monday to discuss the proposal during a public hearing — approve the design plan and issue the company a special permit, Stop & Shop has indicated that it would look to begin construction sometime in the spring.

Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x719501777/Franklin-Stop-Shop-gas-station-proposal-closer-to-approval#ixzz2EAmQAW5r

Where would the gas station be located? On the empty lot at the corner of Grove St and RT 140 according the the address and the map.



View Larger Map

In the News - Eagles Nest

Franklin Zoning Board OKs Eagles Nest changes

by Brian Benson, Daily News staff

Franklin, MA

"They just don't want me to vote on the project"

Attorney Gary Hogan said that state laws require Mullaney to disclose the conflict with the town clerk before the first public hearing, which was held in September. But, he filed the form on Oct. 26, Hogan said, so now he wants Mullaney to recuse himself from the vote on the project.

"He did the right thing but my position is that it wasn't filed timely and I think he's tainted as a consequence of that," said Hogan, who represented Eastern Management and Development LLC.

Franklin official asked to recuse himself from voting

from The Milford Daily News News RSS by Brian Benson/Daily News staff

Franklin, MA