Exploring Portugal - wine tasting - May 7

Exploring Portugal - wine tasting

Portuguese wines are one of the best values in the wine world today.
It's not just about port these days, so come experience something new in your glass.
Note: Participants must be 21 years of age

Cost: $25
May 7 = 7:00-8:30 PM
Workshops held at Franklin Liquors 363 East Central St, Franklin, MA
Franklin Liquors', Mark Lenzi, will be your guide

Register now  https://reg.abcsignup.com/

Exploring Portugal - wine tasting - May 7

FHS girls lacrosse top Medfield 15-6

Via HockomockSports, we share the results of the FHS sports action on Monday, Apr 22, 2019

Girls Lacrosse = Franklin, 15 @ Medfield, 6 – Final
– Franklin raced out to a 10-3 lead at halftime and never looked back for a victory on the road at Medfield. Senior Annie Walsh had a team-high nine points, scoring five goals and adding four assists while junior Erin Walsh also scored five goals with two helpers. Annie Walsh and Stella Regan dominated draws for the Panthers, combining for 15 wins. Hailey Toolin and Sydney Hawkins played well defensively in front of Gianna Cameron (10 saves).

Boys Tennis = Stoughton @ Franklin – Postponed to a date and time to be announced.

Girls Tennis = Franklin @ Stoughton – Postponed to a date and time to be announced.

For the other results around the Hockomock League
https://hockomocksports.com/mondays-schedule-scoreboard-04-22-19/

FHS Panthers

Reminder: Franklin Art Association - Meeting - May 1

The Franklin Art Association will meet on Wednesday, May 1, 2019 from 6:30 to 9:00 PM at the Franklin Senior Center, 10 Daniel McCahill Street in Franklin. 

Refreshments and social time will begin at 6:30 PM, followed by a short business meeting and a demonstration by Dave Kaphammer, a pastel artist whose work has received a number of awards from the Post Road Art Center, as well as the Pastel Society of New Hampshire and the Connecticut Pastel Society.

FAA meetings are held the first Wednesday of every month, September through May, and are free and open to the public. For more information log on to www.franklinart.org

Franklin Art Association - Meeting - May 1

Tri-County NASA-HUNCH Team Designs Device to Travel to Space

Three students in the Engineering Technology Program and their instructor at Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical High School traveled to Houston, TX last week from April 15 through April 17, 2019 to present a device they designed to NASA engineers and astronauts as part of the HUNCH program.

High School Students United with NASA to Create Hardware or HUNCH is an innovative school-based program that partners NASA at Johnson Space Center, Marshall Space Flight Center, Langley Research Center, Goddard Space Flight Center, Glenn Research Center, Kennedy Space Center, and AMES Research Center with high schools in states across the nation. The partnership involves students fabricating real-world products for NASA as they apply their Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) skills as well as learning to collaborate and administer a project in teams and think creatively.

Five juniors Averi Ayre of North Attleboro; Katie Dion of North Attleboro; Colin Donoghue of Walpole; Eric Kugler of North Attleboro; and Jacob Lipson of Franklin designed, The Tool Pouch, an organized tool storage box that they hope will be used to solve a tool storage problem on the International Space Station. The project has made it to the Final Design and Prototyping Review scheduled at NASA’s Johnson Space Center at Rocket Park in Houston. If selected, their designs will likely be used by NASA astronauts in Space. This is the fourth year Tri-County’s team attended the event.

NASA began HUNCH 13 years ago with schools in Texas, and later expanded to some schools in the Midwest. In 2011, they added a school from the Northeast. NASA enlisted the help of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to identify the school, and they recommended Tri-County.

The Design and Prototyping HUNCH Program is a way for students of all skill levels to develop innovative solutions to problems posed by life on the International Space Station. Many of the projects are items personally requested by the International Space Station crew to help ease living conditions aboard the station, giving students the opportunity to really make an impact on the lives of astronauts. Other projects come from Flight Crew Systems and Operational groups at NASA that need more idea development.

Tri-County RVTHS, located at 147 Pond Street in Franklin, is a recipient of the High Schools That Work Gold Achievement Award and serves the communities of Franklin, Medfield, Medway, Millis, Norfolk, North Attleboro, Plainville, Seekonk, Sherborn, Walpole, and Wrentham.

In photo from l-r are: Eric Kugler, Jacob Lipson, Katie Dion, Averi Ayre, Colin Donoghue, and Mrs. Magas

Reminder: Training closes the Municipal Building Weds Apr 24 from 8 to 11 AM

Franklin Municipal Building will be closed on Wednesday, April 24 from 8 AM to 11 AM for internal training

Franklin Municipal Building

FPAC to present Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

On April 26 and 27 at 7:30 PM, the Franklin Performing Arts Company (FPAC) will present Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? at THE BLACK BOX in downtown Franklin. The play examines the complexities of the marriage of a middle-aged couple, Martha and George. 

Late one evening, after a university faculty party, they receive an unwitting younger couple, Nick and Honey, as guests, and draw them into their bitter and frustrated relationship. The production stars Nick Paone, Hallie Wetzell, Lucas Melfi, and Amanda Dubois.

FPAC’s production stars Hallie Wetzell and Nick Paone of Franklin as Martha and George. Wetzell holds a Bachelor of Arts in Theater from Occidental College and Master of Music degrees in Vocal Performance and Vocal Pedagogy from New England Conservatory of Music. She serves as Vocal Director for the Franklin School for the Performing Arts and has appeared in many FPAC productions. A former Equity actor, Paone has been on the drama faculty at the Franklin School for the Performing Arts and an actor and director at FPAC since 2001. 

Amanda Dubois of Woonsocket, Rhode Island will play Honey. Dubois joined the Drama and Dance Faculty at the Franklin School for the Performing Arts in 2016. Returning to Franklin for the production is New York’s Lucas Melfi in the role of Nick. Melfi is a graduate of the Franklin School for the Performing Arts and has recently been featured in FPAC’s productions of Disney’s Newsies and The Nutcracker.

Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is sponsored by Rockland Trust and the Waters Corporation. Presented as part of ArtWeek in Franklin, the performances will include talkbacks with the cast of four, including director Nick Paone. For tickets and more information, visit www.theblackboxonline.com or call the box office at 508-528-3370.

FPAC to present Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

What is the story with 278-280-300 West Central St?

On the Town Council agenda for the meeting Wednesday, April 24, 2019, there is an Executive Session scheduled to discuss two items, one of which is a current lawsuit concerning the Planning Board and developer Joel D’Errico around his proposal for property at 278-300 West Central St.

I went back into the Town and Franklin Matters archives to pull together the relevant meeting notes as the subject property was proposed for a zoning bylaw change in 2016, approved, and then is now under consideration for a proposal to change it back. In the middle of this is the long story (yes, settle in) and read along as the developer meets with the Planning Board several times in 2017 and into 2018 before being rejected and then attempts to comeback with a revised proposal later in 2018.

Why would these parcels get their zoning changed and now three years later be proposed to get their zoning changed back to what it was? Good question.

I did become interested when it came up for discussion during the March 13, 2019 Town Council meeting. My notes were captured as follows:

Zoning Bylaw Amendment 19-837: Zoning Map Changes from General Residential V to Single Family Residential IV, an area on or near West Central Street- Referral to the Planning Board (Motion to Refer Zoning Bylaw Amendment 19-837 to the Planning Board- Majority Vote (5)) 

Joel D'Errico with story on the proposal for the propertyAttny Cerel alerted the Council that there is a suit against the Planning Board and they should be cautious in their response to Mr D'Errico 

Mr Marguerite speaks in favor of the R5, he has a deal with Mr D'Errico 

motion to approve, seconded, passes 4-3 (simple majority due to the presence of 7)Hamblen, noDellorco, noKelly, noCasey, Jones, Mercer, Earls all yes

So the Zoning Bylaw Amendment 19-837 moved to the Planning Board for the second time. Let’s step back into 2016 and follow what happened to get us to this point.


Zoning Bylaw Amendment 16-753

Planning board meeting to review proposed Zoning bylaw amendment 16-753 and voted against it by 4-0
https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/minutes/april_25_2016.pdf

Public hearing at Town Council
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2016/04/franklin-ma-town-council-agenda-apr-27.html

From official Town Council Apr 27, 2016 meeting minutes
https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/minutes/minutes_04-27-2016_0.pdf

Zoning Bylaw change 16-753 was continued as first reading at Town Council Meeting May 11, 2016
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2016/05/franklin-ma-town-council-agenda-may-11.html

From official TC Meeting May 11, 2019 minutes
https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/minutes/minutes_05-11-2016_0.pdf

Zoning Bylaw change 16-753 at second reading/vote to approve
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2016/05/franklin-ma-town-council-agenda-may-25.html

TC Meeting May 25, 2016
https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/minutes/may_25_2016_tc_meeting_budget_hearing_0.pdf

After the zoning change is approved in May 2016, we find nothing in the Planning Board records until October 2016

Proposal for 278-280-300 West Central St

A discussion on the proposal with no vote or formal submittal at this time
https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/minutes/october_17_2016_1.pdf

A full year goes by before the proposal is officially brought forward

Planning Board - Initial hearing Oct 30, 2017
https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/minutes/october_30_2017.pdf

Planning Board hearing continued Dec 4, 2017
https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/minutes/december_4_2017.pdf

Planning Board hearing continued Dec 18, 2017
https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/minutes/december_18_2017.pdf

Planning Board hearing continued Jan 22, 2018
https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/minutes/january_22_2018.pdf

Planning Board hearing continued Feb 5, 2018
https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/minutes/february_5_2018.pdf

Planning Board hearing continued Feb 26, 2018
https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/minutes/february_26_2018.pdf

Planning Board hearing continued on March 12, 2018
https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/minutes/march_12_2018.pdf

Planning Board hearing continued to April 9, 2018 for site density study
https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/minutes/april_9_2018.pdf

Hearing continued to April 23, 2018 for full hearing, at which the hearing is closed
https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/minutes/april_23_2018.pdf

Nothing until the June 18 meeting, and a schedule for vote at July 9, 2018 meeting
https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/minutes/june_18_2018.pdf

Planning Board vote on special permits July 9, 2018 meeting denies Special Permits
https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/minutes/july_9_2018.pdf

Planning Board September 10, 2018 meeting - discussion on re-submitting as there have been ‘substantial and material’ changes
https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/minutes/september_10_2018.pdf

Planning Board September 24, 2018 meeting - further discussion on whether it can be resubmitted
https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/minutes/september_24_2018.pdf

Planning Board October 15, 2018 meeting further discussion and request to submit, no decision without a submittal
https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/minutes/october_15_2018.pdf

Planning Board January 7, 2019 meeting - item resubmitted, public hearing opened
https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/minutes/january_7_2019.pdf

Planning Board January 28, 2019 - hearing continued, then voted against allowing the resubmittal
https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/minutes/january_28_2019.pdf

Zoning Bylaw Amendment 19-837
Current proposal to change subject property from SFR V back to SFR IV in 2019
https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/mai/files/10l._zoning_map_amendment_19-837_-_town_council_submittal_-_02142019_1.pdf

First meeting of referral to Planning Board March 13, 2019
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2019/03/live-reporting-legislation-for-action.html

See my notes as reported in the beginning of this story.

The Planning Board was scheduled to review this item per their April 8, 2019 agenda
https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/agendas/april_8_2019.pdf

There are no published minutes for the Planning Board meetings after January 2019.

What is the story with 278-280-300 West Central St?