Q - Is it true that the town is going to tax our driveways? Sounds pretty ridiculous to me but I heard it from a trusted friend?
A - Yes and no. There is a stormwater utility fee coming that could be viewed as a tax that will apply to all landowners and the impervious coverage they have. "Impervious" simply is coverage that wouldn't allow for penetration of water into the ground. So roofs, driveways, pools, tennis courts, etc. would all count toward the impervious amount of square feet on an individual property.
While there will be a fee charged, the rate remains to be determined. There will also be credits for mitigation of stormwater. These details and others remain to be worked out.
As an example: while my driveway needs to be replaced, if I were to get it covered with some paving blocks rather than blacktop, I would likely qualify for some credit for mitigating my impervious coverage. The exact details for paving block to be used and amount of credit are among those details to be worked out.
The Town has created a stormwater page which will capture the Frequently Asked Questions, presentation documents, and other information: https://www.franklinma.gov/stormwater-division
In the first session held, March 6, it was revealed there would be more sessions as the stormwater utility fee proposal moved forward. Stay tuned to find out. We'll share as soon as we hear.
The current information sessions scheduled:
- March 11 from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at the Franklin TV Studios
- March 21 from 11 AM - 1 PM at Franklin Public Library
The schedule was posted on the Town of Franklin page
https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/uploads/storm_water_8.5_x_11_in_0.pdf
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| The Franklin Police dog, Ben Franklin, made an appearance at the stormwater information session |
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