This sassafras tree is showing the range of colors it has.
If you have a good photo of the fall foliage and want to share it here, please send it along and you'll be listed with the photo credit.
Friday, October 11, 2013
Sassafras in color
Colors of this season are becoming more abundant.
This sassafras tree is showing the range of colors it has.
If you have a good photo of the fall foliage and want to share it here, please send it along and you'll be listed with the photo credit.
This sassafras tree is showing the range of colors it has.
If you have a good photo of the fall foliage and want to share it here, please send it along and you'll be listed with the photo credit.
Farmers Market - Town Common - noon to 6:00 PM
The Farmers Market is open every Friday through the end of October.
Stop by to get fresh produce!
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| farmers market sign downtown |
Stop by to get fresh produce!
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| farmers market on a sunny day |
Library: Doggie Tales
The Franklin Library program scheduled for weds Oct 16th is going to the dogs. Yup, doggie tales. Reading to your dog.
The details in the flyer seem to indicate this will be a series of events in the program "Doggie Tales". You'll get to meet the dogs and their handlers from Pawsitive Touch.
This was re-posted from the Franklin Library webpage
http://franklinpl.blogspot.com/2013/10/doggie-tales-meet-greet_10.html
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| doggie tales |
The details in the flyer seem to indicate this will be a series of events in the program "Doggie Tales". You'll get to meet the dogs and their handlers from Pawsitive Touch.
This was re-posted from the Franklin Library webpage
http://franklinpl.blogspot.com/2013/10/doggie-tales-meet-greet_10.html
Thursday, October 10, 2013
"contrary to the theory of 'smart growth'"
The Milford Daily News updates the vote that the Planning Board needed to do over due to some procedural issue violations with the original vote.
Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x980104331/Franklin-Planning-Board-opposes-Cook-s-Farm-zoning#ixzz2hJNeUns9
I copied the Housing Section from the recently approved Master Plan to let you read and see how many of the Master Plan objectives are met by this zoning bylaw change. You can find the full Master Plan document online here http://franklinma.virtualtownhall.net/pages/FranklinMA_Planning/masterplandoc/doc
Goals and Objectives
Policy Statement: Support in-fill housing practices and provide for all affordability options,
giving Franklin’s residents the opportunity to maintain a decent standard of living.
Franklin recently created a Housing Plan which was adopted in 2008 by the Commonwealth.
This plan helped the Housing and Circulation Sub-committee form the goals and objectives
listed below.
Goal 1: Provide the appropriate mix of housing alternatives that meet the needs of Franklin based employment.
Objective 1.1: Assess current and projected employment within the Town, and propose policy and zoning changes to assure adequate workforce housing is provided.
Objective 1:2: Encourage development of a mix of rental and owner-occupied housing units that are affordable to Franklin’s workforce.
Objective 1.3: Encourage development of workforce housing in areas of Town where property is underutilized or needs redevelopment, and where walking distance of Rail service is available.
Please refer to Goal 1 in the Land Use section of this document.
Objective 1.4: Create zoning that would allow for workforce housing in appropriate areas of Town
Goal 2: Support development of affordable housing opportunities for low, moderate and middle-income households. (See Appendix H: 2011 Affordable Housing Strategy – Program Recommendations)
Objective 2.1: Seek adoption of Chapter 40R: Smart Growth Zoning Overlay District, in appropriate area of town.
Goal 3: Assure residential developments requiring special permits are concentrated where adequate utilities are available and where proposed project impacts will not significantly impact roadway circulation level of service.
Objective 3.1: Evaluate housing development plans to assure proposed projects utilize existing infrastructure in the most cost effective manner, and where capacity can be sufficiently increased in the most cost effective manner, as well as encourage 10% affordable housing in any new residential development.
Goal 4: Encourage, rezone as required, and support housing appropriate for expected future demographics.
Objective 4.1: Support the development of housing opportunities for seniors and the elderly.
Objective 4.2: Change zoning to allow for the expansion of “in law” apartments in the existing single family homes.
Objective 4.3: Encourage the development of smaller housing units to better meet the needs of a younger generation of households.
Goal 5: Encourage future housing developments to take advantage of public transportation resources, including the MBTA commuter rail, and GATRA bus service.
Objective 5.1: Promote mixed-use, Transit-Oriented Development in appropriate areas.
Please refer to Goal 2 and related objectives in the Land Use section of this document.
Objective 5.2: Encourage development of housing near public transportation, including the MBTA stations in Downtown Franklin and the Forge Park Station.
Goal 6: Support sustainable development, renewable energy and recycling initiatives, low impact development, and other “Green” activities during all public and privately funded housing developments (Refer to Section 9 of the Open Space and Recreation Plan (OSRP), Objective 4.3 and subsequent actions.)
Objective 6.1: Seek adoption of Community Preservation Act (CPA) (Refer to Section 9 of the OSRP, Objective 4.2 and subsequent actions).
Please refer to Natural, Cultural & Historic Resources Objective 5.4.
Upon second look, the Planning Board on Monday voted not to endorse zoning legislation allowing a specific development on the Cook’s Farm property.
The five zoning bylaw amendments, taken together, create a new residential district for Cook’s Farm that permits several single-family units on one parcel, provided the developer meets certain requirements.
If accepted by the Town Council, the district could be used for similar developments.
Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x980104331/Franklin-Planning-Board-opposes-Cook-s-Farm-zoning#ixzz2hJNeUns9
I copied the Housing Section from the recently approved Master Plan to let you read and see how many of the Master Plan objectives are met by this zoning bylaw change. You can find the full Master Plan document online here http://franklinma.virtualtownhall.net/pages/FranklinMA_Planning/masterplandoc/doc
Goals and Objectives
Policy Statement: Support in-fill housing practices and provide for all affordability options,
giving Franklin’s residents the opportunity to maintain a decent standard of living.
Franklin recently created a Housing Plan which was adopted in 2008 by the Commonwealth.
This plan helped the Housing and Circulation Sub-committee form the goals and objectives
listed below.
Goal 1: Provide the appropriate mix of housing alternatives that meet the needs of Franklin based employment.
Objective 1.1: Assess current and projected employment within the Town, and propose policy and zoning changes to assure adequate workforce housing is provided.
Objective 1:2: Encourage development of a mix of rental and owner-occupied housing units that are affordable to Franklin’s workforce.
Objective 1.3: Encourage development of workforce housing in areas of Town where property is underutilized or needs redevelopment, and where walking distance of Rail service is available.
Please refer to Goal 1 in the Land Use section of this document.
Objective 1.4: Create zoning that would allow for workforce housing in appropriate areas of Town
Goal 2: Support development of affordable housing opportunities for low, moderate and middle-income households. (See Appendix H: 2011 Affordable Housing Strategy – Program Recommendations)
Objective 2.1: Seek adoption of Chapter 40R: Smart Growth Zoning Overlay District, in appropriate area of town.
Goal 3: Assure residential developments requiring special permits are concentrated where adequate utilities are available and where proposed project impacts will not significantly impact roadway circulation level of service.
Objective 3.1: Evaluate housing development plans to assure proposed projects utilize existing infrastructure in the most cost effective manner, and where capacity can be sufficiently increased in the most cost effective manner, as well as encourage 10% affordable housing in any new residential development.
Goal 4: Encourage, rezone as required, and support housing appropriate for expected future demographics.
Objective 4.1: Support the development of housing opportunities for seniors and the elderly.
Objective 4.2: Change zoning to allow for the expansion of “in law” apartments in the existing single family homes.
Objective 4.3: Encourage the development of smaller housing units to better meet the needs of a younger generation of households.
Goal 5: Encourage future housing developments to take advantage of public transportation resources, including the MBTA commuter rail, and GATRA bus service.
Objective 5.1: Promote mixed-use, Transit-Oriented Development in appropriate areas.
Please refer to Goal 2 and related objectives in the Land Use section of this document.
Objective 5.2: Encourage development of housing near public transportation, including the MBTA stations in Downtown Franklin and the Forge Park Station.
Goal 6: Support sustainable development, renewable energy and recycling initiatives, low impact development, and other “Green” activities during all public and privately funded housing developments (Refer to Section 9 of the Open Space and Recreation Plan (OSRP), Objective 4.3 and subsequent actions.)
Objective 6.1: Seek adoption of Community Preservation Act (CPA) (Refer to Section 9 of the OSRP, Objective 4.2 and subsequent actions).
Please refer to Natural, Cultural & Historic Resources Objective 5.4.
Eat at Panera today, help the FHS soccer teams!
Help raise funds for the FHS soccer teams. Print the attached flyer and have a meal at Panera on Thursday, October 10th. 8am - 8pm - breakfast, lunch, or dinner!
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| Panera Bread |
A portion of proceeds for items purchased with the flyer presented will go to FHS Soccer Boosters.
Feel free to send this flyer to all your friends!
* You must bring the flyer for FHS Soccer Boosters to get credit. They will not accept a picture on a smartphone. This flyer is valid only at Panera Bread at 270 Franklin Village Drive, Franklin, MA
In the News: workforce training grants, river cleanup volunteers needed
Workforce training grants to create jobs in Franklin, Ashland, Southborough
As part of state-wide workforce grants, about $400,000 will be spent at companies in Ashland, Franklin and Southborough to train more than 600 employees and create 50 new jobs in the MetroWest and Milford region.
Volunteers needed for Blackstone Valley Riverways cleanup
The Blackstone River Watershed Association (BRWA) is sponsoring a river cleanup on Sunday, Oct.20, from 1 to This event will be held rain or shine.
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Yes, Franklin has an app for that!
Ever wanted to use a smartphone app to report a pothole or street light out? Franklin has joined the Commonwealth Connect app originally introduced by Boston. You can find the app in the iTunes Store or Google Play Store.
Don't have a smartphone? You can still report a problem by going online to the Franklin webpage here
http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_DPW/General_Pages/report_an_issue
I installed the app for my Android device last night. It was quick and easy to do. You also set up an account to report an issue and receive notification on the status of the issue.
The notification of the new app was posted to the Franklin webpage on Tuesday
http://franklinma.virtualtownhall.net/Pages/FranklinMA_News/01BCD505-000F8513
Don't have a smartphone? You can still report a problem by going online to the Franklin webpage here
http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_DPW/General_Pages/report_an_issue
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| Franklin goes online to report a problem |
I installed the app for my Android device last night. It was quick and easy to do. You also set up an account to report an issue and receive notification on the status of the issue.
 |
| Franklin smartphone app |
The notification of the new app was posted to the Franklin webpage on Tuesday
http://franklinma.virtualtownhall.net/Pages/FranklinMA_News/01BCD505-000F8513
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