Monday, January 9, 2017

Should the sidewalk snow removal bylaw be rewritten or removed?

Town Council is considering disabling the bylaw on sidewalk snow removal for retail areas. Given that as currently written it is reported to be unenforceable; should it be (1) rewritten or (2) removed?

 There is a poll widget on the Franklin Matters page in the top right corner. Please record your answer there and feel free to elaborate in the comments here.

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 From the Town Code  http://ecode360.com/10434215?highlight=sidewalk#10434215

§ 147-1Time limit for removal.

Owners of premises in which business may be conducted and which premises abut a public way shall, within 12 hours after a snowstorm, remove all accumulations of snow and ice from the sidewalk in front of said premises.

§ 147-2Violations and penalties.

[Added 12-9-1987 by Bylaw Amendment 87-114]
Whoever violates the provision of § 147-1 above shall forfeit and pay for each violation a fine not exceeding $25.

taken on a walk Sunday morning, approx 12 hours after the storm ended

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FHS strong performances at Frosh-Soph Indoor meet

Some sports and FHS highlights via the Twitterverse
















Girls Fr/So 4x400 relay takes 1st with a 4:14
Girls Fr/So 4x400 relay takes 1st with a 4:14


The complete performance results from the MSTCA McIntyre Meet on Sunday can be viewed here



or here (PDF)
http://www.mstca.org/Winter_Season/Winter%202017/fslargeperflist.pdf


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Register O'Donnell Highlights 2016 Norfolk County Real Estate Activity



Norfolk County Registry of Deeds

Register O'Donnell Highlights 2016 Norfolk County Real Estate Activity

While 2016 was in may ways a tumultuous year, both nationally and internationally, Register of Deeds William P. O'Donnell also reported it was a solidly impressive one for the local Norfolk County real estate market.

Register O'Donnell noted, "A review of 2016 showed a strong across-the-board performance when it came to Norfolk County real estate. During the year, the number of residential and commercial properties sold increased 4%."

In addition, the total volume of residential and commercial sales in 2016 came in at $9.1 billion, an impressive 12% increase year over year. The average sales price, for both residential and commercial, was $775,031, an increase of 8% over 2015.

Another positive economic indicator was the 167,600 land documents recorded, a 6% increase from the prior year. "These numbers indicate that Norfolk County remains a desirable location to raise a family and secure gainful employment," noted O'Donnell.

The year 2016 was also a robust one for real estate financing in Norfolk County. A total of 35,159 mortgages were recorded, representing an 11% increase from 2015. Total mortgage financing closed at $19.3 billion, a 5% increase from the previous year. Register O'Donnell stated, "Clearly, a strong economy in eastern Massachusetts, coupled with low interest rates, were the key factors."

Norfolk County residents continued to avail themselves of the protections provided by the Homestead Act. A total of 12,573 Homesteads were recorded in 2016, a 4% increase over 2015. O'Donnell noted, "A Homestead provides limited protection against the forced sale of an individual's primary residence to satisfy unsecured debt up to $500,000. I urge homeowners who have not recorded a Homestead against their primary residence to consider this valuable consumer protection tool."

One note of concern in an otherwise bright market was foreclosure activity. A total of 294 foreclosure deeds were filed in Norfolk County in 2016, compared to 250 in the previous year. In addition, Notice to Foreclose Mortgage, the first step in the foreclosure process, also increased by 3.7%. Register O'Donnell noted, "These numbers are quite sobering. While one foreclosure is one too many, there is a silver lining in the 4th quarter of 2016, the Registry saw significant reductions in the number of Notice to Foreclose Mortgage filings. I am cautiously hopeful these trend lines will continue."

The Registry continues to partner with Quincy Community Action Programs at (617) 479-8181 x-376 and NeighborWorks Southern Mass at (508) 598-0950 to help anyone who has received a Notice to Foreclose Mortgage from a lender. Another option for consumers is to call the Massachusetts Attorney General's HomeCorps program at (617) 573-5333.

Register O'Donnell concluded, "Norfolk County real estate market experienced solid growth in 2016. A strong economy in eastern Massachusetts, coupled with low interest rates, propelled consumers to spend on housing, even in light of the reduced inventory. In 2017, it will be interesting to see if this activity can be sustained, especially in light of the increase in interest rates by the Federal Reserve."

To learn more about these and other Registry of Deeds events and initiatives, like us at facebook.com/NorfolkDeeds or follow us on twitter.com/NorfolkDeeds and/or Instagram.com/NorfolkDeeds.

The Norfolk County Registry of Deeds, located at 649 High Street, Dedham, is the principal office for real property in Norfolk County. The Registry is a resource for homeowners, title examiners, mortgage lenders, municipalities and others with a need for secure, accurate, accessible land record information. Residents in need of assistance can contact the Registry of Deeds Customer Service Center at (781) 461-6101, or on the web at www.norfolkdeeds.org.

Register William P. O'Donnell
Norfolk County Registry of Deeds
phone: 781-234-3336
Norfolk County Registry of Deeds, 649 High Street, Dedham,, MA 02026-1831

Sent by registerodonnell@norfolkdeeds.org in collaboration with
Constant Contact

screen grab of Norfolk Deeds webpage
screen grab of Norfolk Deeds webpage

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Sunday, January 8, 2017

Franklin MA: Planning Board - Agenda - Jan 9, 2017

The agenda for the Planning Board meeting scheduled for Monday, Jan 9 2017 has been posted to the Town of Franklin webpage

 http://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/agendas/january_9_2017.pdf
I had missed that the development for the Pond St property was already in public hearing mode. The full agenda can be viewed here (PDF window)


or here
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0wjbnXDBhczbTd1NXliQUcxTWc/view?usp=sharing

site of the former Franklin sewer works (photo from a walk in Sep 2015)
site of the former Franklin sewer works (photo from a walk in Sep 2015)

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Important Cultural District Planning Meeting - Jan 19 - 7:00 PM

The Town of Franklin’s Department of Planning and Community Development invites you to attend a meeting at 7:00 p.m. on January 19, 2017 to hear an update on plans for a Cultural District in Downtown Franklin.

The Cultural District Steering Committee has worked hard for more than two years to draw attention to Franklin’s great cultural resources, advocate for creation of the Franklin Cultural District, and organize the annual Franklin Cultural Festival.

The Committee and Town staff are looking for your input regarding the creation of a state designated Cultural District and related management issues, as well as support for ongoing and potential cultural activities.

Input and ongoing involvement of all Franklin organizations and individuals is desired to develop a strong partnership consisting of cultural organizations, historical and community organizations, non-profits, private businesses, government agencies, educational and faith based institutions, and individual artists. All are encouraged to participate in this partnership.

Anyone in need of additional information should contact the Town of Franklin’s Department of Planning and Community Development.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Bryan W. Taberner, AICP

Director of Planning and Community Development
355 East Central Street
Franklin, MA 02038-1352
Phone: 508-520-4907
Fax: 508-520-4906
Email: btaberner@franklin.ma.us
When: 
Thursday January 19, 2017, 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.

Where: 
Franklin Municipal Building
355 East Central Street, Town Council Chambers

Arts Happen Here in Franklin, MA!
Arts Happen Here in Franklin, MA!

Note: I am volunteering my time and effort as part of the Cultural District Steering Committee to make this happen for Franklin.

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FHS wrestling takes 3 more wins on Saturday

Via the Twitterverse







https://twitter.com/FHSWrestle
Franklin Wrestling


"In a matchup of unbeaten perennial state wrestling powers in the finals of the inaugural Redhawks Duals tournament, Franklin snapped a tie when Mike Racca won by pin at 120 pounds in the final match to lift the Panthers to a championship win by a 35-29 score over host Natick on Saturday. 
The score was tied 29-29 as each team won seven matches heading into the decisive matchup at 120 pounds. 
"It was a great match with hard-fought wrestling and a lot of fun," said Franklin coach Carmine Colace. 
"It was a great match," said Natick coach Bob Anniballi. "They are one of the best Division 1 teams (in the state)."
Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/sports/20170107/schools-franklin-wrestling-topples-natick-in-redhawks-duals-tournament
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In the News: Kutil and the road to UMass Dartmouth; sledding map

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

"It gets a bit complicated, with a dose of personal conflict on Alicia Kutil's part, if one is to trace the back roads that ultimately placed her at UMass Dartmouth. 
"I wanted to go far away," said the ex-Franklin High basketball star. "I wanted to go to some pretty school down south." A slew of local colleges recruited the six-footer. She didn't even bother opening the letters. She sent video to a bunch of Division 3 schools down south. 
The University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Virginia was one of them. The basketball coaches liked what they saw of Kutil. She visited the campus, and enrolled. All good, so far. 
Then it wasn't good at all, and the change didn't take long."
Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/sports/20170107/franklins-kutil-finds-right-fit-at-umass-dartmouth



"By the time the storm Saturday ends, most of the area will have a decent coating of snow and cold enough weather to keep it around for a few days. 
In other words, the conditions are ripe for sledding. Check out an interactive map created by Millis woman Sharon Aigler for all the best sledding hills in the area, at hollistonmedway.communitykangaroo.com/sledding. 
The hills are also ranked by difficulty: small hills, large hills and intense thrill hills. 
Aigler, who runs the Community Kangaroo website, said she created the map with crowdsourced suggestions to solve a common problem."
Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20170107/check-out-this-map-of-best-sledding-spots-in-metrowest

screen grab of sledding map
screen grab of sledding map

Fin the interactive version of this map online
http://hollistonmedway.communitykangaroo.com/sledding/
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