Franklin, MA: Planning Board

The Planning Board (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 local Zoning By-Laws (Ch. 185).

The Board works together with the Department of Planning and Community Development, the Department of Public Works, and Town Administration. In addition, the Board receives recommendations from the Design Review Committee on building design, elevation, and signage for commercial site plan permits and from the Conservation Commission on wetland related issues. Two notable projects permitted this year were for a Walgreens Pharmacy, currently under construction at the former location of the “Four Corners School” at the intersection of East Central, King and Cross Streets, and a new performance center/dining hall at the Dean College campus intended to improve and expand its dance and theatre curriculum. The Franklin Center Commons project continued to move forward this year. Construction was completed on the 15 Summer Street building in the fall of 2008. Plans for the demolition and new construction of the front building (12-36 East Central Street) are currently on hold. The town is working closely with the developer to help produce the best possible result for the final phase of this important project in the downtown.

The Board has, and will continue to focus on updating the existing zoning by-laws to more accurately define the needs and goals of the town. This year, the Board reviewed and made recommendations for amending the non-conforming buildings, structures, and uses by-law, which was subsequently approved by the Town Council in December 2008. The Board will also continue 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 7:00PM in the Town Hall. All Board meetings are open to the public, and are televised via Community Cable Access.

This year, the Planning Board saw a significant decrease in the number of applications presented.

Planning Board Activity
(July 2008 through June 2009)
Definitive Subdivisions and
Modifications- 1
Preliminary Subdivisions 0
81P Plans 5
Site Plans 5
Limited Site Plan Modifications 14
Special Permits 6

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. Two seats will be up for election in November 2009.

Current Planning Board members:

Tony Padula, Chairman
Board member since November, 1999

Ron Calabrese, Vice Chairman
Board member since November, 2005

Joseph Gill, Clerk
Board member since January, 2008

Mark Denommee
Board member since November, 2007

Gregory Ballarino
Board member since November, 2007

Joseph Halligan
Associate Member since January, 2008

Please visit our website for additional information including application forms, and regularly posted agendas and meeting minutes at:

http://franklinma.virtualtownhall.net/Pages/FranklinMA_Bcomm/planning

Respectfully submitted,
Anthony Padula, Chairman

In the November 2009 Town election, Padula and Halligan were elected to the full member spots. John Carroll was also elected as an associate member. Effectively, Halligan moved from associate to full member to replace Joe Gill and Carroll replaced Halligan as the associate member.

From the 2009 Town of Franklin Annual Report. This is available in a printed version at the Municipal Building or online at the Town website here.


This was originally posted on Franklin Matters on January 6, 2010. An understanding of the Planning Board process will be helpful in the next couple of weeks as the supermarket proposals get reviewed in that forum.


Franklin, MA

In the News - teens arrested

Michael J. Gabriel, 17, of 10 Concord St., was charged with possession of a Class B substance with intent to distribute, possession of a Class C substance with intent to distribute, speeding, failing to stop for police, driving to endanger, a lights violation and a marked lanes violation, police said.

Franklin teen faces charges

from The Milford Daily News News RSS by Melanie Graham/Daily News staff

------

Nicholas E. Barrows, 19, of 8 Jannie Drive, Easton, was charged with trespassing and carrying a dangerous weapon on school grounds, police said.

According to a spokesman for the college, Barrows is not a student at the school and therefore, was trespassing when Dean College public safety found him around 1:30 a.m. on Thursday.

Teen charged with having knives on Dean campus

from The Milford Daily News News RSS by Melanie Graham/Daily News staff

Franklin, MA

Mailer on 2 new supermarkets coming to RT 140

Already mentioned here is the Planning Board meeting scheduled for Monday March 22, where the Big Y application for a special permit will be continued.

This flyer arrived via the mail today:

The link referenced for the Environmental Notification Form (ENF) filed with the State can be found here: http://www.env.state.ma.us/mepa/mepadocs/2010/031010em/opur/enf/14550.pdf

The MA Environmental Protection Agency home page can be found here:
http://www.env.state.ma.us/mepa/home.aspx


Franklin, MA

Charter revisions - lessons learned

We seem to be close enough to finding out what the final charter revisions will look like to reflect on what we can and should learn from this process to improve it for next time. I won't get into the nature of the changes themselves but stick to the process as observed over the past couple of years.

1 - Situation: Not everyone knows of the two methods to change the charter.

One method is with a elected Charter Commission and one is with a citizens committee appointed by the Town Council. 

Both groups effectively do a study, solicit opinions, do some fact finding, and make a recommendation on what should be changed.

The prior charter changes were performed under the elected Charter Commission process. Hence, a number of folks remember this as "the way it was done last time."

The current charter revisions were made under the appointed citizens committee process and complicated by the Town Council using a subcommittee of members to fine tune the results. 

In both cases, the voters of Franklin have the final say.

Is either process better than the other? There are pros and cons to each.

The major similarities are a group does a study, makes some recommendations, and bottom line the voters still have to accept the changes by voting in a general election.

Lesson Learned: In the beginning, the Town Administrator/Town Council should make a clear explanation of the process chosen and why, and provide periodic reminders on what is being done and why. Or at least ensure that the committee (or committees) involved have a detailed communication plan as part of their objectives.

 

2 - Situation: Different level of understanding of what was done and being done in the committee and subcommittee work process.

Given the length of time taken by the first committee and lack of periodic updates back to the Town Council to ensure that all were kept abreast of what was going on. The folks coming recently to the issue were unaware of all that had gone before. There was a stack of documents, meeting notes, research, etc. produced or obtained by the Citizens committee. The final report of recommendations from the citizens committee could have done more to bring the level of effort to the table.

The second subcommittee also could have done better with their report. Given that the first had produced such output, they chose not to go that route and should have more clearly stated their rationale for doing so in their recommendation drafts.

Lesson Learned: The detailed communication plan (referenced above) should address this.

3 - Situation: The level of detail in the report needs to be understandable by the average citizen. 

For example, the technical changes need to be spelled out why they are "technical" so that the common folk can understand. Those heavily involved in the day to day operations already know, as this is what they are dealing with, while the rest of us have no clue. It does come down to determining whose line of argument we agree with. One where we can see and fully understand the logic or one where the money line sounds great but in reality means nothing. Emotions need to be kept of out business discussions. They only create problems by clouding or distracting from the issue at hand. 

Lesson Learned:  The detailed communication plan (referenced above) should address this in two ways; one by making periodic updates and two by addressing the level of detail in the final report itself.

4 - Situation: The Citizens Committee and the Council subcommittee addressed different items. 

The citizens committee did acknowledge that technical changes were needed to be made but left that work for someone else to do. The subcommittee did get into those details. The recommendations on the Town Clerk and Treasurer/Collector were heavily debated within the Citizens committee and also within the subcommittee. The subcommittee added the Board of Assessors, Board of Health and constables into the mix where the prior committee left them alone. There should have been a better explanation of what each did and why.

Lesson Learned:  The scope and objectives of the committee should be clear to the committee and to everyone else as to what they should be addressing and why. If there are changes to the scope, the change should be acknowledged in one of the periodic reviews and either approved as an accepted change or not.

5 - Situation: The final report discussion ended up being this convoluted mess, with emotions and sides drawn, arguments made by tossing about sound bites without substance. It becomes really hard to make sense of the issue because of the claim that 'voters are being left out'. Wrong! As mentioned above, when all is said and done, whatever the recommendations turn out to be, the voters will get their say at the ballot box.

Lesson Learned: With a better starting point, a clear explanation of the process chosen and why, periodic updates on what is being done and why, scope changes reviewed and approved or denied before the final report, the final report should have a better reception enabling a fair and open discussion on its details. 

Franklin, MA

In the News - Garelick, Dean

According to a press release issued today by the DEP, a DEP investigation found Garelick operating its wastewater pretreatment system with improper staff coverage.

Additionally, the company discharged pollutants into the Charles River Pollution Control District, a wastewater treatment facility.

DEP fines Franklin's Garelick $15,000

from The Milford Daily News News RSS by GateHouse Media, Inc.

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

Q: When will it be finished?

A: Kelly: This fall. When they return (on Labor Day), we'll be feeding them in the dining room.

Work progresses on new Dean College building

from The Milford Daily News News RSS by Ashley Studley/Daily News staff

Franklin, MA

Town Council Mtg Smry 03/17/10

The collection of posts from the Town Council meeting on Wednesday, March 17th can be found here:

• Live reporting - closing
• Live reporting - charter changes
• Live reporting - Legislation
• Live reporting - Town Council

Franklin, MA

"We're streamlining the process"

Planning and Community Development Director Bryan Taberner asked the town to remove its special permit requirement and add acres of land for bio-tech use.

"If we don't have that extra layer of red tape, we're much more able to attract companies," Taberner said.

The approved bylaws add 11 parcels - 87 acres - to the Forge Hill area and eliminate one from the Franklin State Forest.

Franklin eases red tape for biotech firms moving to town

by Ashley Studley/Daily News staff


Franklin, MA