BEN's Bulletin: Downtown Walk & Talk on Saturday, May 2

Join our Jane's Walk THIS Saturday (5/2)! ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­  

BEN's Bulletin (04/28/26)   The sun's coming out and so are we! This bulletin focuses on this Saturday's Jane's Walk, in partnership with Congress for a New Urbanism New England.  As always, join our monthly meeting every third Thursday at 7pm at Franklin TV or virtually at the following link: meet.ben4franklin.org. Jane's Walk - Saturday, May 2 Join our fourth annual walking discussion of downtown Franklin! The free event is part of an international series in memory of social activist and placemaker Jane Jacobs. The ~1.5-hour tour will explore how land use decisions impact the look and feel of streets and neighborhoods, celebrate culture, highlight history, and promote economic development.  The walk will start at Franklin TV (23 Hutchinson Street) at 10:30am. Parking is available on site. All are welcome, including paws and wheels! This year, we will be joined by regional planning professionals from Congress for a New Urbanism (CNU) New England! Stick around after the walk for pizza, refreshments, and further reflections! For further information and to RSVP, visit ben4franklin.org/janes-walk-2026. Jane Jacobs (1916-2006) was a writer, urbanist, and activist who championed a community-based approach to city-building. Despite no formal training as a planner, her 1961 book, The Death and Life of Great American Cities, introduced ground-breaking ideas about how cities function, evolve, and fail that have become conceptual pillars for today’s architects, planners, policymakers, activists, and other city builders. Jacobs lived in Greenwich Village until 1968, where she helped push back on car-centered urban planning and invigorated neighborhood activism. Jane's Walk was founded in 2006 by a group of Jacobs’ friends and colleagues as a way to honor her life and activate her ideas. Over the next decade, the movement saw rapid global uptake by urban activists around the world. The movement continues to grow every year and has now reached over 500 cities! CNU New England is the regional chapter of CNU, the nation's leading organization promoting walkable, mixed-use neighborhood development, sustainable communities, and healthier living conditions. CNU have met nationally since 1993, with the New England chapter starting in 2004. Its members include public and private sector leaders, community activists, and multidisciplinary professionals.  What We're Consuming OPINION: Market Rate Housing for $100,00 Per Unit? (Franklin Observer) Aging into uncertainty: Baby boomers feeling crushed by housing crunch (Boston Globe) Penciling Out: Navigating the Boston/Massachusetts Climate & Affordable Housing Context (Boston Society For Architecture) The Return of the Townhouse (City Journal) 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

Join this year's Jane's Walk for conversation and reflection with neighbors! - May 2 at 10 AM

Join Building Equitable Neighborhoods (BEN) for Franklin on Saturday, May 2nd for our fourth annual walking discussion of downtown Franklin! The event is part of an international series in memory of social activist and placemaker Jane Jacobs.

Join this year's Jane's Walk for conversation and reflection with neighbors! - May 2

The ~1.5 hour tour will begin at 10:30 AM from the Franklin TV studio (43 Hutchinson St, Franklin, MA). Parking available.

map of the walk, heading clockwise

All are welcome, including pets and wheels!

Join us for refreshments and continued discussion after the walk!

This year, we will be joined by regional planning professionals from Congress for a New Urbanism (CNU) New England!

More info at ben4franklin.org/janes-walk-2026

Town Council moves 4 zoning bylaw changes to 2nd reading and entered into Executive Session before 9 PM (audio)

FM #1715 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, numbers 1715 in the series. 

(L-r) Chloe Bowser, Ted Cormier-Leger

This session shares part of the Franklin (MA) Town Council meeting held on Wednesday, April 1, 2026. The Council held this session as scheduled beginning at 6 PM. 8 members participated, 7 in Chambers, 1 remotely, hence all votes were recorded via roll call. 

The meeting recording runs 2 hours and 27 minutes

Audio link - https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1715-franklin-ma-town-council-mtg-04-01-26/

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The Franklin Matters recap -  https://www.franklinmatters.org/2026/04/town-council-moves-4-zoning-bylaw.html 

The Franklin TV video is available for replay - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N84cGZK_Ua4 

The agenda doc - https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_04012026-2229  

My full set of notes in one PDF - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jwviXzblwRVMwA3wkzuZcJlRE3tyZmsI/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 out. 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"

Join this year's Jane's Walk for conversation and reflection with neighbors! - May 2

Join Building Equitable Neighborhoods (BEN) for Franklin on Saturday, May 2nd for our fourth annual walking discussion of downtown Franklin! The event is part of an international series in memory of social activist and placemaker Jane Jacobs.

Join this year's Jane's Walk for conversation and reflection with neighbors! - May 2

The ~1.5 hour tour will begin at 10:30 AM from the Franklin TV studio (43 Hutchinson St, Franklin, MA). Parking available.

All are welcome, including pets and wheels!

Join us for refreshments and continued discussion after the walk!

This year, we will be joined by regional planning professionals from Congress for a New Urbanism (CNU) New England!

More info at ben4franklin.org/janes-walk-2026

MBTA community progress report

"Adopted in 2021, the MBTA Communities Act required cities and towns served by the MBTA to allow multifamily housing "as of right" in reasonably sized districts, near transit where feasible, and without restrictions that exclude families with children.

An Early Look at the MBTA
Communities Permitting Pipeline

After five years of planning, discussion, local meetings and implementation, "An Early Look at the MBTA Communities Permitting Pipeline", examines a state-compiled list of more than 100 developments, totaling almost 7,000 homes, that have entered the permitting pipeline in these new zones. One potentially surprising finding - despite its transit-oriented name, the majority of housing inspired by the Act is happening outside of walking distance from transit stations. 

The report looks at how many of these projects are likely to move from permitting into construction and eventual occupancy; where housing is being built relative to transit and walkable centers; how effectively as-of-right zoning is reducing permitting risk and delay; and what these early signals imply about the law’s likely long-term contribution to housing production in Massachusetts.

The report page on Boston Indicators also features an interactive map of MBTA Communities-related projects to date."

Find the report page - https://www.tbf.org/news-and-insights/reports/2026/january/mbta-communities-pipeline-report

Download the report - https://www.tbf.org/-/media/indicators/boston-indicators-reports/report-files/2026/mbtac_012726_v2.pdf

Boston Globe: "Here are the 12 communities that haven’t passed a new state-approved housing plan yet"

"Five years after it began, the fight over a controversial state housing law is nearly over.

The final compliance deadline for the MBTA Communities Act — the 2021 law that requires cities and towns served by the T make room for more multifamily housing — came and went at the end of 2025. And after a series of sometimes-bruising local fights, 165 of the 177 cities and towns the law covers have passed zoning intended to comply with it.

The remaining noncompliant towns are: Carver, Dracut, East Bridgewater, Freetown, Halifax, Holden, Marblehead, Middleton, Rehoboth, Tewksbury, Wilmington, and Winthrop.

That just 12 communities are considered out of compliance represents significant progress for Governor Maura Healey’s administration, which embraced the nearly-passed law when Healey took office in 2022."

Continue reading the article online with this 'sharing' link ->

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/05/07/business/boston-housing-mbta-communities-law-towns/?s_campaign=sharetool_copypaste_view

Note: the map is 'inaccurate' at least as far as Franklin is concerned. While we have made zoning changes, there are a couple of technical changes out for Planning Board approval to come back to the Town Council for approval to bring us into full compliance. We were almost there when the whole MBTA community thing started due to the work we had already begun with Franklin For All.  Prior maps usually were shown as compliant, or pending, or not. We were in the pending status previously.

Town Administrator Letter with ZBA Appointments - Jan 21, 2026 Town Council meeting

January 16, 2026

To: Town Council

From: Jamie Hellen, Town Administrator

RE: Appointments - Zoning Board of Appeals

I am asking the Town Council to ratify my nomination appointments of Jennifer Williams and Isabella Carter as At-Large members of the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA).

Robert “Archie” Acevedo resigned from the ZBA on January 7, 2026 with a term nearing expiration on June 30, 2026. I am nominating Isabella Carter to fill this vacancy with the expectation she will be reappointed in June 2026 for a full three year term through 2029.

Bruce Hunchard’s 3-year term expired on June 30, 2025; however his term was extended through the completion of the ZBA’s final decision on the 444 East Central St. project. The current term for this vacated seat expires on June 30, 2028. I am nominating Jennifer Williams to fill this term.

Membership on the ZBA is challenging and board members are faced with some extremely difficult and divisive decisions to make. As I have already reported, this one Board receives scarce interest to serve and we have had very few people apply to be on the ZBA. Furthermore, the board requires technical knowledge, deep interest in these issues and a deep commitment to learn on their own personal time. The ZBA oversees a complicated, dense and deep set of issues that are affected by federal, state and local laws, case law and with potential significant consequences to the community, private property owners, residents, and commercial businesses.

Bruce and Archie have served the ZBA for 34 and 22 years respectively and have done an exceptional job. Their service to the Town is greatly appreciated by all of the staff, and sadly, often goes underappreciated by the general public. While I am firmly aware of the concerns in the community surrounding members of the ZBA, at times, there is no mix or words that I could come up with to commend Bruce and Archie's combined 56 years of volunteer service to the town. It is the end of an era. They deserve far more respect and appreciation than condemnation. There is no question Bruce and Archie have helped people in Franklin at a far greater level than not. Their decisions have helped

 

small businesses, commercial businesses, and thousands of residents. They have helped generate significant tax levy and tax base over the decades. They have an intimate knowledge of federal, state and local laws. Their expertise and institutional knowledge will be missed.

That said, the community clearly desires a new ZBA. If these nominations are approved this evening, the town will have very intelligent, thoughtful, considerate and engaged members on the Zoning Board of Appeals. I am hopeful that with new membership, our organization can steer the community toward greater understanding of the complex web of laws and case law that many times defines the final decision of the Board, enhance transparency and easier access to complicated materials and address concerns from residents. This does not mean residents will always see the decision they want. But we hope to provide a better experience to residents who choose to engage with the ZBA.

The volunteer forms and resumes for both Jen and Isabella are included in the agenda packet for the January 21st Town Council meeting.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Town Administrator Letter with ZBA Appointments - Jan 21, 2026 Town Council meeting

PDF of this memo ->

https://ma-franklin.civicplus.com/DocumentCenter/View/8131/5a--Appointments---Jen-Williams-and-Isabella-Carter---ZBA

J Williams volunteer form

https://ma-franklin.civicplus.com/DocumentCenter/View/8126/5ai-1---Jen-Williams

I Carter volunteer form

https://ma-franklin.civicplus.com/DocumentCenter/View/8127/5aii-1---Isabella-Carter

The complete Town Council agenda (including remote participation info)

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_01212026-2101

Planning Board Candidates Discussion with BEN4Franklin 10/30/25 (audio)

FM #1564 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 1564 in the series. 

This session shares the discussion co-hosted by BEN 4 Franklin and Franklin Matters with the Planning Board Candidates.  We had our discussion virtually via the Zoom platform on Thursday, October 30, 2025.

 

Hosted by members of BEN 4 Franklin: Cobi Frongillo, Kimberly Mu-Chow, Gino Carlucci, Ndoumbe Ndoye, & Maxwell Morrongiello

• Planning Board candidates: Mark Mucciarone, Erik Steltzer

• Planning Board Associate candidate: William Lee, IV

Recorded & edited by Steve Sherlock, Franklin Matters/Franklin Public Radio

The recording runs about 45 minutes, so let’s listen in.

Audio link ->  https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1564-planning-brd-candidates-discussion-with-ben4franklin-10-30-25/

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Visit BEN 4 Franklin's website to learn more about the group. Sign up for the newsletter, join the monthly meetings (3rd Thursday of the month at 7 PM at Franklin TV Studio) 

BEN 4 Franklin

https://ben4franklin.org/    

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

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 out. 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 it!

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

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

2025 Town of Franklin Biennial Election

4 hour plus Town Council meeting?? try our 30 minute condensed recap (audio)

FM #1485 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 1485 in the series. 

This session of the radio show shares our “Town Council Quarterbacking” with Town Council Chair Tom Mercer. We had our conversation via the Zoom Conference Bridge on Monday, July 28, 2025. Our conversation condensed the Town Council meeting of July 23, 2025.

We focus on two questions:

• ok, what just happened? 

• What does it mean for Franklin residents and taxpayers?

Discussion items: 

Fire Department - Swearing In of New Firefighter / Paramedic 

• i. Jeffrey Wolcott, a backfill for an existing & funded position

Annual Reappointments and New Appointments of Boards and Committees Members 

• i. See “Committee Appointments” in packet for member names

ABCC Transactions

• New Section 12 Restaurant All Alcoholic Beverages License and Approval of Xiao Xia Zhang as the Manager - Kojo Asian Fusion LLC d/b/a Kojo, Located at 28 East Central Street, Franklin, MA 02038.

• License Modification - Change of Location of a Section 15 Wine and Malt Beverages Package Store License: The Little Shop of Olive Oils Inc. d/b/a The Little Shop of Olive Oils,, Located at 5 Main St., Franklin, MA 02038

Legislation for Action

• Resolution 25-27: FY26 Community Preservation Appropriation of Funds - Capital 

Friendly 40b

• Resolution 25-49: Franklin Town Council Support for Proposed GL Chapter 40B Affordable Housing Project at 202 Washington Street Pursuant to DHCD’s Local Initiative Program (LIP)

Residential Commercial Kitchens

• j. Zoning Bylaw Amendment 25-938: Residential Commercial Kitchens - A Zoning Bylaw to Amend Chapter 185, Section 3 of the Code of the Town of Franklin

• Zoning Bylaw Amendment 25-939: Residential Commercial Kitchens - A Zoning Bylaw to Amend the Franklin Town Code at Chapter 185, Attachment 8, Use Regulations Schedule Part Vii: Accessory Uses - Referral to the Planning Board

New Service Fee

• Bylaw Amendment 25-940: A Bylaw to Amend the Code of the Town of Franklin at Chapter 82, Fees, Municipal Service, by Adding a New Service Fee: Residential Commercial Kitchen - First Reading. Moved to 2nd

Resolution 25-50: Adoption of Local Initiative Program “Friendly 40B” Policy, 

• Motion to Amend, fails 4-5

• Motion to table and deliberate at a future meeting, Seconded. Nondebatable - Via roll call, passes 5-4 to be tabled for later date (Yes - Sheridan, Frongillo, Pellegri, Hamblen, Mercer; No - Cormier-Leger, Chandler, Jones, Dellorco)

Crossing Neighborhood Zoning District

• Zoning Bylaw Amendment 25-929: Creation of the Crossing Neighborhood Zoning District - A Zoning Bylaw Amendment to the Code of the Town of Franklin at Chapter 185, Section 4,Districts Enumerated - Referral to the Planning Board Motion to referral, second 

• Next 6 votes all relate to this one, all 6 moved to Planning Board, to return to Council likely in September

EV Charging Stations

• Bylaw Amendment 25-936: A Bylaw to Amend the Code of the Town of Franklin at Chapter 73, Departmental Revolving Funds (EV Charging Stations) 

• Bylaw Amendment 25–937: A Bylaw to Amend the Code of the Town of Franklin at Chapter 82,Fees, Municipal Service (EV Charging Stations) 

Acceptance of Gifts

• Resolution 25-51: Acceptance of Gifts - Senior Center ($1,646), Veterans’ Services ($400), Fire Department ($1,025), Police Department ($1,000), Recreation (AED)

TOWN ADMINISTRATORS REPORT

• Research forthcoming on alcohol license handling. Options for other than the Council 

• Local aid cut $231,000 from final State budget; Further pressure next year, Aug 11 Finance Cmte

• Raeleen Gallivan has a new position elsewhere closer to her home

• Amy Frigulietti has a new position in Yarmouth

The conversation runs about 33 minutes Audio link -> https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1485-town-council-quarterbacking-07-28-25/

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The Franklin TV video for replay -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Dc10zX_m3k 

The agenda docs and supporting material ->   https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_07232025-1829 

My full set of notes: 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HG6gba9gs32QQmenYy89A426iD-eGNLd/view?usp=drive_link 

Audio link ->  https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1484-town-council-mtg-07-23-25/ 

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

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!

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

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

4 hour plus Town Council meeting?? try our 30 minute condensed recap (audio)