Coming Soon: The Bruce Freeman Rail Trail
Sisitsky Administration Purchases CSX Land | 188 Concord Street to Become Municipal Building | Update on Nobscot | Climate Action Survey | Boston Globe Features Framingham | The Week Ahead
The holidays are in full swing around Framingham. It is always fun to see the old Shoppers World Toy Soldiers deployed in nearly every neighborhood. There are 36 Soldiers at 30 locations throughout Framingham. Parks and Rec are running a virtual scavenger hunt on Facebook leaving clues of where to find the soldiers. A final list of locations will be published on December 23. Have fun finding them!
Last Friday was the Christmas Tree lighting at the Memorial Building. I love how it has turned into a block party! We need more community events like this in Framingham. Santa arriving on a fire truck put a huge smile on so many young and old faces alike. What a fun way to usher in the season!
Now onto the news…
Sisitsky Administration Purchases CSX Land
A few issues ago, I wrote that Mayor Sisitsky announced the city had negotiated to purchase an old CSX rail line for the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail. On Monday a ceremony was held in Nevins Hall celebrating the purchase with the Mayor signing the purchase agreement.
An end and a beginning… Monday’s event marked an end to a twenty year process, but started the clock on the next stage of the project. Several of the original group of citizens who first proposed the idea back in 2002 were in attendance. Much kudos to those individuals who planted the seed to where we are today. This was truly a team effort between community activists, the Mayor’s Office, Council and legislative partners, especially Senate President Spilka and Congresswoman Katherine Clark.
The signing marked the beginning of an 180 period for the city to do its due diligence with an environmental survey and study. After that is complete, the city receives the deed.
Let’s talk money…The purchase agreement is for 3.5 miles of land for $5 million. Financial support announced by the Mayor on Monday included from Massachusetts Environmental Protection Agency to fund phases 1 & 2 of the environmental study for $490,000 and Congresswoman Clark secured $500,000 for part of the construction. The Solomon Foundation was on hand to announce their commitment of $40,000 to fund a trails project manager for the next year to help the city make further progress on the BFRT.
What is the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail?: The BFRT follows the old New Haven Railroad Framingham & Lowell line. It is a 26 mile route that travels through Lowell, Chelmsford, Westford, Carlisle, Acton, Concord, Sudbury and Framingham. Sudbury is currently working on their phase of the project.
But there is more exciting news…Framingham is the newest addition to the East Coast Greenway. Worcester was originally on the route, but the Greenway decided to switch course and to go to Framingham due to the fact we are quickly becoming the Hub of Trails in MetroWest. The East Coast Greenway connects 15 states and 450 cities and towns for 3,000 miles from Maine to Florida. This is very exciting news! Not only are rail trails a great place for recreation, but have many health, economic and transportation benefits for a community.
Next steps: Mayor Sisitsky said the BFRT was one of his top priorities when he was sworn in as Mayor in January. The city now begins the next stage of environmental studies, once the deed is secured, then they will start the design stage. There is no exact timeline when that will begin. But stay tuned. Momentum appears to be finally on the city’s side.
188 Concord Street to Become Municipal Building
For years there has been discussion around the Memorial Building, space for city employees, and where should be the seat of government in Framingham. The Sisitsky Administration plans to solve this issue by purchasing 188 Concord Street.
What will the building be used for? 188 Concord Street is next door to the Memorial Building. Some city offices will move into the space, and the extra space will be needed when much needed renovations to the Memorial Building begin. Also, the building will house a regional public safety dispatch center. This center combines Framingham Police & Fire, and includes Wayland, Holliston and Sudbury dispatch.
Solving the parking problem… included in the purchase is the parking lot behind the building. The city plans to build a parking garage to provide more space for parking for city offices, police, the new justice center and general downtown parking. This would be a huge resolution to an ongoing downtown issue.
How much is this going to cost? According to a memo in Tuesday night’s Council agenda packet, the Mayor is requesting to borrow $2 million for the purchase of the building, and the parking lot is a gift to the city. Once the Council signs off on the purchase, the Mayor will sign the agreement. A closing is expected in mid-February.
Additionally, the Mayor hopes to use Community Preservation Act funding for the renovation of the Memorial Building. There is grant money and 911 funding available for the public safety dispatch center.
An important piece of Downtown… this building of a municipal campus and the possible building of a regional justice center at the old Danforth Building will firmly leave the Concord Street - Union Avenue block of Downtown as the center of government. Personally, I think this is great. It shows Framingham’s government is putting their words into action. Downtown is a critical and important section of our city that needs our investment and attention to continue its growth and vibrancy.
Update on Nobscot
Time to follow up on the big Nobscot development news from the fall.
Background: 15 residents sent a petition to the City requesting roughly 26 acres between Edmands Road and Edgell Road be rezoned for development. This petition came out of the blue, causing confusion and debate about the future of Nobscot Village, zoning and Framingham.
On the Council agenda… A public hearing about the petition is scheduled for Tuesday’s meeting. However, a lawyer on behalf of the petitioners has requested a continuance from the Planning Board.
The request: The Planning Board was scheduled to hold a hearing on November 17, with the Council doing the same on December 6. The request is to continue the public hearing to January 2023. During this time, according to the letter in the agenda packet, the petitioners plan to hold neighborhood meetings with residents about their proposal.
Stay tuned.
Have You Taken the Climate Action Survey?
The City of Framingham is embarking on a Climate Action Planning process that will identify and prioritize actions to reduce our community's carbon footprint and improve local resilience to climate change.
Take the survey here: https://mapc.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_7PV8IGmmPZiqUN8
Boston Globe Features Framingham
The Boston Globe’s On the Street series highlights communities in Greater Boston, and last week Framingham got the feature. Worth a read about the history of Downtown and its future, and a second article about an exciting program for our teachers in Framingham Public Schools.
It’s the sort of debate playing out in cities all over Greater Boston, even if it’s not heard much in this corner of the Metro West region, where, Wallace notes, the “sleepy suburbs” around Framingham seem content to stay that way. His city, though, has always been a place unafraid of change.
“That defines what kind of a community we are,” said Wallace. “And we’re trying very hard to become a multicultural, multilingual community today.”
The Week Ahead
Dec 6, 2022 6:00 PM: Keefe School Committee: Budget Subcommittee
Dec 6, 2022 6:00 PM: Council: Appointments Subcommittee
Dec 6, 2022 7:00 PM: Council - Regular Meeting
Dec 7, 2022 7:00 PM: School Committee
Dec 7, 2022 7:00 PM: Conservation Commission
Dec 8, 2022 2:00 PM: Edgell Grove Trustees
Dec 8, 2022 7:00 PM: Human Relations Commission
Special Shout Out
Congratulations to Framingham Sustainability Coordinator Shawn Luz for receiving the 2022 Leading By Example Award for an individual’s contribution to municipal sustainability efforts today at the State House.
As always, please keep your emails with comments, suggestions and questions coming. Please feel free to share this and any issue of The Ham’er with people who would be interested.
See you next week!