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.
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| Town Administrator Letter with ZBA Appointments - Jan 21, 2026 Town Council meeting |
PDF of this memo ->
J Williams volunteer form
I Carter volunteer form
The complete Town Council agenda (including remote participation info)
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