LIVE BLOG: Framingham Town Meeting - Night 7

Framingham Patch will be live blogging at tonight’s session of Town Meeting.

Please excuse typos while the blog is in session

***

Quorum at 7:33 p.m.

Norma Shulman TMM5 - speaking about a public hearing for the Cable advisory committee on June 2 with Selectmen

Test question - Do you agree with the NFL decision?

Vote 12-57-27

7:40 p.m.

Article 30 --

Town Counsel - Barbara St Andrea with Petrini and Associates

recodification of Framingham zoning bylaws

once again - had a working group Amanda Loomis, Town Manager, Building inspectional services, planning Board, Zoning Board and standing committee on planning and zoning.

October based the first phase of the recodification - St Andrea

Working group came up with a list if goals - short medium and long term

worked on uses

definitions

table of uses

purposes of each zoning district

central business being reviewed separately

***

More definitions for uses listed in the table of uses

some definitions clarified

Lot of changes in the table of uses

some uses were deleted entirely

goals was to expend the uses to allow professional districts

amended the agricultural uses

**

why were the changes made?

Change what districts we allowed uses

made changes on allowed by right, by special permit or prohibited

deleted junk yard uses

basic use that are needed

looked at the parking

table of off street parking

will take a closer look at parking later

looked at dimensional regulations too

***

Amanda Loomis speaking - 7:50 p.m.

what is site plan review?

provides guidance to an applicant

sets clear process up front

reliance on staff expertise

permit review time expertise decreases and town protection increases

Major vs minor

minor redevelopment 3-8000 square feet

modifications to prior site plan approvals

parking lots greater than 5 spaces

parking facilities

dover amenments

major

all new construction

drive thru facilities

mixed use projects

commercial ground mounted solar

redevelopments over 8,0000

Technical review team

Design criteria - new & updates

Community character

minimize obstructed reviews

traffic and parking access

environmental impact

increase safety

make sure level fo service not below D

incorporate complete streets

land use planning supports master plan

8 p.m.

Planning Board Chair Christine Long -- held several public hearings in March and April

met with standing committee of planning and zoning

site plan review was the most critical piece that needed to be addressed

would like to delete the open space/residential development portion ...

5-0

***

Andrea Carr Evans -- standing committee planning & zoning report speaking 8:03 p.m.

met every week for month of March and part of April to go through recodification line by line and word by word.

we agreed with it as much as we can ...

it is very meticulous work -- make change sin one part of the bylaw there are ripple effects. We think we cought all them.

we do plan to continue this subcomittee through the summer and early fall. so we can bring next phase of recodification to you.

8-0-0 to support article 30.

***

Ned Price -- TMM17 -- speaking -- discuss one line here ..asking for re-assurance

table of uses -- very important and very comprehensive

page A80

any use which is not specifically authorized in this zoning bylaw shall be deemed prohibited.

if it doesn’t say you can do it means you can not do it...

looked at residential zone ... concerned about ashland -- solar farm ...

I’m assuming some one who has 10 acres of land in residential -- for own use or for sale.

***

St Andre speaking -- that is correct -- solar farm -- commercial solar installation district and would have to be at that zone. not residential.

Gloria Gellar -- TMM2 -- master plan -- defined percentage of renters in this town.

should maintain 80 % owners vs 20 % renters

Jim Pillsbury -- TMM6 -- prohibited uses

how many business affected and any grandfathering?

St Andrea -- don’t know any business effected. Any time change there is grandfather protection.

But there would be restrictions on expansions

8:10 p.m.

Deb Butler -question between limited and light manufacturing??

Steven Shoal - TMM2 -- speaking in favor of this -- speaking as the chair of planning & zoning

Judith Grove -- I rise in support

Michael Cannon TMM9 -- I personally impressed and appreciate that we have Amanda Loomis -- asset of our community

I rise in support of this .

MOVE the question -- hand vote -- passed

2/3rd vote needed

13-1 in opposition

*********

8:17 p.m.

Article 31

Zoning bylaw ...transfer of development rights

amanda loomis speaking

preservation of land for future uses

town of framingham rools

land grants

agricultural and open space cluster developments

potential for transfer of development rights

who is eligible?

giving parcel?

receiving parcel?

they can not have received a variances

they can not be a non conforming lot

The free market ...

includes the negotiations

has to be a win-win sitiation

giving parcel has to prepare a -- receivng parcel has to provide a site plan or

TDR yield plan ...

R-4 -- each lot can give 6500 square feet

this is a 1-1 ratio

***

Planning Board voted in favor

Standing committee on zoning and plannong 6-0-6 vote

agricultural committee chair Tom Hanson speaking 5-0 in support

Bill McCarthy TMM10 -- made motion to include downtown Framingham (Central business district) and light manufacturing to be included.

Moderator said the amendment is not part of the scope of the article and will not accept the amendment

Kathy Vassar - TMM1 - rise in support

Herb Chasan - TMM4 - win-win for the town - rise in support

Ed Kross I an not sure how i will vote

Moderator says just ask your questions

Editor’s Note: wi-fi crashed and I lost part of the discussion from 8:20 to 9 p.m. I will try to add back as much as I remember.

9:07 p.m.

Kathie McCarthy -- TMM10 - question the decision by moderator on the amendment

I don’t believe any neighbors -- notifications for tech park and 9/90 and TJX property

people who will be affected by this have not been notified

St Andrea speaking -- issue abutters notified -- not required by state law may be required by local law

under case law -- established in this state -- publish warrant - that is considered notice to the world

receiving parcels with a very specific list -- designated as charter 43D

Case law indictaes -- to keep within the 4 corners of the warrant.

This is a judgment article

AG’s office ould throw it out if more added.

McCarthy -- rise in strong opposition to this ...

tech park and 9/90 were brought forward - neighbors in that area were NOT notified

no one will care up there

that was not true

neighborhoods had to organize -- TM approved this - TM likes this

eye soar of some of these buildings

people are impact don a daily basis

when you add height you add impact

As Town Meeting members we are supposed to represent the residents

bottom line is our quality of life.- whether south or north side ...

you are going to becoming through the middle

they are plenty of downsides on this.

need to think about the quality of life our residents

Moderator -- you have 10 seconds

Please think of the whole town and vote no. Too many unanswered questions.

Maureen Dunne - TMM9 -- rise in support of this. Positive and interesting arrangement

two assets affected by this article -- open space and few remaining farms in Framingham.

This article will protect and enhance our assets

TMM3 - Audrey Hall speaking - rise to support this ...plus for a quality of life

if it benefits a couple of people more than others I don’t see an issue

preserve a huge part of the land in perpetuity

we are preventing sprawl, which requires investment

Vote to support it.

Always looking for ways to generate more revenue and improve quality of life and this is one of them.

Crotty -- move the question -- hand vote -- passed

2/3rd vote needed to pass

9;19 p.m.

electronic vote .

114-14-6 PASSED

****

9:21 p.m.

Motion -- article 32 and 33 discussed together and vote searately and vote on 33 first

hand vote - passed

***

preservation and revitalization of historic neighborhood

preservation of historic properties via inclusion of Centre Common Histori c District

promote investment om these buildings

these 8 properties to add to the district

***

Now a history of the village centre

importance of the area was reinformces by a railroad introduced in south Framingham

Framingham centre Common historic district

1 3 5 7 9 Vernon street

8 12 library street

931 939 and 945 Worceetr Rd

Caroline B Clark Property

Wight-Esty Block

Tilton-Wheeler store - dates to 1830

from 1935 -- hardware store

999 Edgell Road is town property

9:35 p.m.

spoke with all the land owners

public hearings on March 26 and April 9-16

landowner and abutter mailing done said Loomis

importance of rezoning -- historic designation and to rezone them

have to go to historic district commission before use

increased in allowed uses to upkeep the properties

walkable pedestrian environment

park once go to the musuem - have lunch and go to the park.

****

Planning Board chair speaking -- Christine Long --

all the property owners notified

all willing and desired for zoning to take place

4-0-1 in favor for rezoning

4-0-1 for historic

***

9’40 p.m.

Steven Shoal -- chair of standing committee on zoning and planning

decision made in 996 -- neighborhood business in front and office by the common

putting the properties in the historic district is a good buffer

voted 33 -- historic district 11-0-1

voted 32 -- zoming changes 9-0-3

think package needs to go through together.

***

9:43 p.m. TMM discussion

Kevin Crotty - rises in favor of these articles.

This is long overdue

Gloria Gellar - TMM2 -- I support this but I have a question?

FSU has been gobbled up properties .. does this prevent FSU from taking properties?

Gerry - chair of historic district -- state college has the right to take any land and do anything they would like. Considering a home rule petition to change that.

Moderator 2/3rd vote needed

hand vote -- 1-3 in opposition

article 32 -- hand vote -- unanimous

****

9:45 p.m. Article 15 -- Budget

Passes on the divisions

CFO Mary Ellen Kelley -- explaining changes on the pink sheet -- May 12 is the new one.

New number for the school department

***

Property Liability Insurance - 11% increase .. Gerry Bloom field passed

explain why pushing up the cost

4 years ago - another insurer and they wanted a 30% increase and then we got a new insurer.

clarification on why 11% increase

CFO - Kelley speaking -- claims expereince for this year is good

it is the market conditions that are increasing the rates

this is the worst case scenario

still pushing -- won’t have a final number until the end of June

broker -- all told it is a 10% increase

Trying to push back for 6-7%

Gloria Gellar -- TMM2 - wants to know if fatal shooting figured into this?

CFO speaking -- can’t discuss a particular case -- insurance liability cover significant amount of money in a settlement or legal coverage

9:55 p.m.

Deb Butler -- question -- is the property insurance includes Memorial Building?

Legal liability?

Does the insurance change with additional of skate park?

CFO - yes insurance on Memorial Building -- insured for cost of replacement.

skate park needs to be a permanet structure.

hand vote -- majority -- passed

********************

9:57 p.m.

Workers Compensation

number of employees on? - Bloomfield

CFO speaking -- very few out on extended workers compensation. some slip and falls in winter.

Moderator -- can you get that number? now or tomorrow?

CFO -- I am not going to get that number at 10 p.m. at night

hand vote -- passed -- majority needed

********************************

Unemployment insurance -- Bloomfield

Number of employees - school? town?

CFO -- I don’t have the answer on the numbers 60-65 school and 35-40 town.

I can getthose numbers for the fiscal year but not at this moment.

Bloomfield -- will there be unemployed town employees.

CFO -- we have actually gone down ... people who leave voluntariy and file for unemplpyment temporrailty

majority is the school - they have more employees.

Hand vote -- PASSED

Total bottom line - $32 million

Hand vote -

Passed

Ottaviani -- adjourn

10:01 p.m.