City Council Newsletter for October 2022
Hi everyone,
Welcome to my City Council newsletter for October 2022. Feel free to forward this to anyone else who might be interested.
Anyone is welcome to subscribe by visiting here: https://www.steineredtech.com/newsletter/
Nobscot Rezoning Update
There is a state law that allows any person to propose a change in local zoning with only 10 signatures of registered voters in that city. A developer collected more than 10 signatures in support of a proposal to change the zoning of the parcels in the map above which is basically the 26 acres bounded by the back of the houses on Livoli Road, Edgell Road, and Edmands Road plus a few parcels on the East side of Edgell Road. The City Council was bound by that same state law to refer the proposal to the Planning Board which we did.
These parcels are currently zoned so development would generally be limited to homes on 1-acre plots or houses that are closer together in exchange for preserving open space. The proposal would change the zoning to match what was developed with Nobscot plaza in mind ie 3-4 story apartment buildings with a small amount of retail on the 26 acres. It doesn’t mean that all the parcels would be developed but it would put them in play. For comparison, the Buckley apartments is on 6-7 acres so it would potentially be a ton of apartments with a few stores.
This is bad enough but the proposed map includes the homes of people who were not aware of the proposal, it includes a park, forested areas, and it includes 82 Edmands and 874 Edgell which had been forested but were clearcut for a school for autistic children. That project is stuck in court and it seems like the school owner, RCS, is close to moving on.
So, there needs to be a public discussion about the future of that area of Nobscot. We need to think creatively about what could go there, what the neighbors want to be balanced with the interests of the city as a whole balance with what a developer will build. That public and open discussion should start soon – because it hasn’t happened yet.
We can all say that the proposal is a non-starter but this proposal is first a failure in the way it was developed. Rumors had been swirling about the idea and apparently, the developer was meeting with various influential people trying to gain support. I would love for everyone who has spoken to the developer to own up to it as some have done.
Instead of this backroom dialogue, the developer should have engaged in an open and transparent dialogue about the future of Nobscot – and should have listened to residents about their needs as well. While this bad idea is being put to bed, we should start over and have a broad discussion about our vision for the future of Nobscot.
In terms of next steps, the Planning Board will need to advertise for a public hearing and that will take a few weeks. As soon as I have a date (likely 11/17) for the public hearing I will post it here with a link to participate on Zoom.
State Election Day: November 8
This fall we have an important statewide election and I would encourage all eligible voters to participate!
There is more information on the races including sample ballots on the Framingham City Clerk website.
If you are unsure of your district, you can use this map to check. District 3 includes everyone in precincts 19, 20, and 21, and we all vote at Brophy Elementary School. For more detailed information, check out this page that I put together.
New Flashing Crosswalk at Edgell and Frost
Thank you to the Traffic Commission for approving a flashing light for the Edgell crosswalk at Frost Street. This crosswalk is heavily used and is very dangerous due to the cars speeding down Edgell, especially coming from the Nobscot intersection. The crosswalk light or rectangular rapid flashing beacon (RRFB) should do a better job warning drivers of crossing pedestrians.
City of Framingham Spooktacular
From the city: are you ready for our SPOOKTACULAR 🎃 tomorrow? We can’t wait to see you and all of the creative costumes! Come by City Hall from 4pm – 6:30pm for trick-or-treating, popcorn, and some activities/a performance by the Framingham Public Library!
Nobscot rendering Water Street facing SW
Nobscot Plaza:
It was exciting to finally see some progress on the Nobscot intersection and movement on a developer for the entire plaza project. The key thing is going to be close oversight of the project design and implementation.
For detailed information on the updated plaza design, check out the Planning Board’s meeting materials:
https://webapps.framinghamma.gov/WebLink/Browse.aspx?id=1709483&dbid=0&repo=Framingham
By the way, if you didn’t get to see the historic chapel move down Edgell Road in Spring 2020, here is a brief video for you to check out:
Framingham Police Department Medication Takeback Day
The Framingham Police Department and Medical Reserve Corps have once again partnered to offer the public the opportunity to safely dispose of unwanted/expired prescriptions, including pills, liquid medications, patches, and ointments. The general public is welcome to drop off these items FREE of charge and do so anonymously.
WHAT: A FREE, anonymous, collection for any unwanted/expired medications. The event is City sponsored and run by the Framingham Police Department and Medical Reserve Corps.
WHERE: City Hall parking lot. Enter lot on Union Ave. This is a one-way, drive through collection.
WHEN: Saturday, October 29 | 10AM – 2PM
WHO: This event is open to the general public and is anonymous.
WHY: This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—both pose potential safety and health hazards.
Thanks for reading my newsletter! As always, feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns.
–Adam
asteiner@framinghamma.gov
508-207-3508 (c)