Franklin Annual Report - 2020: Planning Board

The Planning Board, as established by MGL. Ch. 41 sec.70, is responsible for “…making plans for the development of the municipality, with special reference to proper housing of its inhabitants.” The Board is charged with administering the State’s Subdivision Control Law (MGL. 41 Ch.81K) and the local subdivision rules and regulations (Chapter 300). The Board makes recommendations to the Town Council on Zoning By- Law amendments and may at its own discretion adopt new subdivision regulations. The Board is also designated as the permitting authority for various site plan and special permit submittals under the Town’s Zoning Bylaw (Ch. 185). The Board receives recommendations from the Design Review Commission on building design, elevation, and signage for commercial site plan permits, and from the Conservation Commission on wetland related issues, and works closely with the Planning & Community Development and Public Works Departments.

In FY2020, the Planning Board reviewed and issued decisions for several projects throughout the year. Some of the major projects were located on Grove Street. At 186 Grove St, a new business re-located to the site. At 176 Grove St, the Planning Board approved a 150,000 sq/ft warehouse for product distribution. Also at 162 Grove St and 164 Grove, the Planning Board received applications for Retail Marijuana. A Marijuana Cultivation site was approved at 160 Grove Street. All sites included associated paved access drive, landscaping, lighting, utilities and stormwater infrastructure.

The Planning Board reviewed and approved a 35,000 sq/ft Marijuana Cultivation building at 105 Constitution Blvd for the use of growing and processing of non-medical marijuana.

The Planning Board received a submittal for a 59-single family subdivision located at the end of Bridle Path and Kimberlee Lane. There was also approved a large scale solar farm proposed off of Maple Street in Bellingham, next to MapleGate Country Club.

In March of 2020, we found ourselves with the a new challenge, COVID-19. The Planning Board delayed public hearings for 6 weeks, to allow time to prepare for the remote Public Hearings. Once the Planning Board began remote hearings, using a Zoom platform, the Board added several additional meetings dates to accommodate the applicants. The Planning Board has continued holding meetings remotely throughout this pandemic. The Planning Board accepted six (6) Form H - Certificate of Completions. Acceptance of a Form H indicates all work has been completed according to Site Plans or Subdivision Plans previously approved by the Planning Board. The Planning Board also received (10) ten Special Permit applications including Marijuana Cultivation, and Retail Marijuana, as well as several multi-family developments. 

The table below is a summary of Planning Board Activity during the 2020 Fiscal Year.

Preliminary Subdivisions Total FY 2020 1 Definitive Subdivisions 2 Definitive Subdivision Modifications 1 81-P Plans (ANR) 5 Site Plans 4 Site Plan Modifications 3 Limited Site Plan 5 Limited Site Plan Modifications 1 Special Permits 10 Street Acceptance Recommendation 8 Certificate of Completion 6 Zoning Bylaw Amendments 6 Bond Releases 3 Scenic Road Permit 1

 

The Planning Board held public hearings on several proposed Zoning Bylaw changes including changing where solar farms can be built and updating the Water Resource map. The Planning Board has also reviewed and recommended several zoning map amendments. The Planning Board is currently reviewing zoning districts all over Town and cleaning up the zoning map, to ensure that parcels have one zoning district. The Board continues to help property owners make the desired changes and improvements to their properties while fostering responsible growth and development in the Town of Franklin.

The Planning Board typically meets twice a month on Mondays at 7:00 PM in the Municipal Building. All Board meetings are open to the public, and are televised via Community Cable Access.

Planning Board Membership

The Planning Board consists of five members and one associate member. The associate member participates in all hearings but only votes on Special Permits if one of the members is unable to act. The Board members are elected and serve 4-year terms. 

Below is a list of current Planning Board members:
Anthony Padula, Chairman
Joseph Halligan, Vice Chairman 
William David, Clerk
Gregory Rondeau 
Rick Power

Respectfully submitted, 

Anthony Padula, Chairman

Visit the Planning Board on the Town of Franklin page to find meeting agenda and other information  https://www.franklinma.gov/planning-board

The full Annual Report can be found online:

https://www.franklinma.gov/town-clerk/files/town-franklin-annual-report-2020

Prior Annual Reports can be found online

https://www.franklinma.gov/town-clerk/pages/annual-reports

Franklin Annual Report - 2020:  Planning Board

wfpr.fm: More Perfect Union - 028 - Biden & The Vaccine; What Does It Mean

"In this episode, the group talks about the Biden administration's efforts to roll out the vaccine and mitigate the virus in a timely fashion, how virus misinformation hurts these efforts, and the problems still at play with the coronavirus."

Direct link ->  https://player.captivate.fm/episode/01b9e9b6-7ff5-43d8-b97a-589856b20e77

wfpr.fm: More Perfect Union - 028 - Biden & The Vaccine; What Does It Mean

Mass Reboot Episode 7: Love (audio)

"DURING A NORMAL summer, Honey Goodenough, a puppeteer, clown, and educator, would be busy teaching and performing, with little time to spend online dating. And in 2019, Goodenough, having given up on finding a life partner, was trying to get pregnant on her own through fertility treatments.

Enter COVID-19.

As the pandemic shut down Goodenough’s in-person work and the fertility clinic, a friend set her up with the dating app Coffee Meets Bagel. There, she met Kenneth Dyer. Their first date: a seven-hour Zoom conversation. 

.... 

The couple told their story on Mass Reboot, a Codcast series examining how COVID-19 affected Massachusetts, in an episode focused on love. With in-person dating options seriously curtailed by the pandemic, the podcast found that COVID-19 has drastically changed how people meet, date, and break up"

Listen to this Mass Reboot Episode on love in the time of COVID-19.

https://soundcloud.com/massinc/mass-reboot-episode-7-love

Mass Reboot Episode 7: Love (audio)

CommonWealth Magazine · Mass Reboot Episode 7: Love

"there isn’t a single US county where a full-time minimum wage worker can afford a modest two-bedroom rental"

"Nearly half of American workers do not earn enough to rent a one-bedroom apartment, according to new data.

Rents in the US continued to increase through the pandemic, and a worker now needs to earn about $20.40 an hour to afford a modest one-bedroom rental. The median wage in the US is about $21 an hour.

The data, from the National Low Income Housing Coalition, shows that millions of Americans – from Amazon warehouse workers to cab drivers to public school teachers – are struggling to pay rent. For the poorest Americans, market-rate housing is out of reach in virtually all of the country."

Continue reading the article online (subscription maybe required)

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/aug/12/housing-renter-affordable-data-map

Guardian graphic. Source: National Low Income Housing Coalition. Note: In 2021 dollars

Sales tax-free weekend starts Saturday in MA

"It should be a big weekend for television and appliance sales in Massachusetts — the annual sales tax holiday starts on Saturday.

This weekend, shoppers can buy most retail items without paying 6.25 percent in sales taxes, as long as those items cost less than $2,500 each. That means consumers could save as much as $156 per item if they buy on Saturday or Sunday.

Consumers can purchase as many of those products as they want, sales tax-free, even if the total bill exceeds $2,500, according to the Massachusetts Department of Revenue. Certain items are not eligible for the tax exemption, including meals, cars, boats, and utilities. Tobacco and marijuana products, as well as alcoholic beverages, are also excluded."

Continue reading the article online (subscription maybe required)

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/08/13/business/sales-tax-free-weekend-starts-saturday-massachusetts-heres-what-you-need-know/ 

A customer shops in the appliance department at a Lowe's in Hialeah, Florida. This weekend in Massachusetts, shoppers will get a 6.25 percent sales tax reprieve.JOE RAEDLE/GETTY

Franklin Annual Report - 2020: Senior Center

The Franklin Senior Center is located at 10 Daniel McCahill Street and is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM The Center provides programs, services and activities along with outreach, information and referral to serve the needs of older adults, people with disabilities and their families. Social services assistance is available to all adult residents in Franklin.

The Senior Center offers health and wellness, nutrition, social service coordination, socialization, recreation, transportation, educational and cultural programs, a supportive day program, respite care and volunteer and intergenerational opportunities.

The Center’s mission is to enhance the independence and quality of life for Franklin’s older adults by:
▪ Identifying the needs of this population and creating programs that meet those needs.
▪ Offering the knowledge, tools and opportunities to promote mental, social and physical well-being.
▪ Advocating for relevant programs and services in our community.
▪ Serving as a community focal point for aging issues and as liaison to local, state and Federal resources for older adults.

Highlights
This proved to be the most challenging year we have weathered, given that the COVID-19 crisis forced the closure of our building to the public in March of 2020. Our focus quickly shifted to assuring that elders – those most at risk - were able to obtain food, supplies and other critical services. As we moved into April and May under the shutdown, we added several remote meetings and activities and teleconferencing groups. Staff also provided reassurance calls to our members and delivered masks and medical equipment. Our Coordinator created weekly email blasts with fun links to great ideas, performances and diversions. On June 1 we introduced the Curbside Café, offering curbside lunches to elders at a reduced rate. The following report chronicles the highlights of our year and our adjustment to the new reality of life after COVID.

The Center launched a 50+ Job Networking Program, with funding from the Massachusetts Association of Councils on Aging. The program offered biweekly, 2-
hour workshops with instruction from a certified Career Coach who reviewed networking strategies, interview role-playing, LinkedIn guidance and ongoing support. The program continued to be offered remotely after the COVID pandemic closed the Senior Center in March. The program saw 410 attendees, serving 140 unduplicated individuals with 18 sessions.

We continued our Dementia Friendly Franklin initiative, funded by the Metrowest Health Foundation and the Friends of Franklin Elders. This program offers training and support to learn how to interact sensitively and support those living with dementia so they can remain engaged in the community. It is offered to community organizations, businesses, houses of worship, schools and others. While COVID stalled progress in this program, we were able to train 13 community organizations and 445 individuals last year.

We launched the Curbside Café in June thanks to a generous grant from the Metrowest Health Foundation. The program provides freshly prepared lunches for curbside pickup for elders 60 and over at the Senior Center, at a reduced rate of $2 each.

As the shutdown continued, we shifted several programs to a Zoom format. Staff also created programs to accommodate the “new normal”, including weekly email blasts, a Quarantini Hour and a ‘Be Well’ Coffee Hour, via Zoom.

Continue reading about the Senior Center in the PDF version of the Annual Report (page 113) or the print version (#107)  https://www.franklinma.gov/town-clerk/files/town-franklin-annual-report-2020

Prior Annual Reports can be found online

https://www.franklinma.gov/town-clerk/pages/annual-reports

Visit the Senior Center on the Town of Franklin page to subscribe to the newsletter or find additional information -> https://www.franklinma.gov/fsc

Franklin Annual Report - 2020:  Senior Center

wfpr.fm: More Perfect Union - 027 - Teenagers

"In this episode, Peter opens a discussion around teenagers, Brandon Levy's recent victory in the Supreme Court, the first amendment, freedom of speech, and the laws surrounding what is and isn't allowed."

Direct link -> https://player.captivate.fm/episode/9ec4c456-4537-47d6-af10-62b13ae79f23

 

wfpr.fm: More Perfect Union - 027 - Teenagers