🔨 No Dice on Dover
Community Electricity Report Card | Public Art Project Needs You | New 55+ Survey | Community Events | Civic Week Ahead
Don’t get blown away by the wind, Framingham!
Huge congratulations to the Framingham High Drama Company! Their production of Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse is sending them to the Massachusetts Educational Theatre Guild State Finals. Finals take place at the Back Bay Events Center in Boston on March 26-28. FHS performs in the final slot at 4pm on Saturday, March 28.
Let’s support our students! You can purchase tickets at ticketstage.com/METG.
NEWS & UPDATES
1.| ZBA to Developer: Nice Try
The Dover Amendment is a powerful tool in Massachusetts. It is a 1950 state law that lets nonprofit educational and religious institutions bypass local zoning. Build a school? Sure. Build staff apartments and call it educational? The Framingham Zoning Board of Appeals isn’t buying it.
What happened: The ZBA voted 3-0 on Wednesday, March 11, to overrule Building Commissioner Fred Bray’s November decision that a proposed 47-unit housing development at 334-358 Salem End Road qualified for Dover Amendment protection. The project would have housed employees of the New England Center for Children (NECC), a Southborough residential school serving children with autism.
Why it matters: The Dover Amendment, when it applies, lets a developer skip most local zoning requirements. The Salem End Road parcel sits in a single-family neighborhood. Without the exemption, a 47-unit apartment building isn’t getting built there. This vote — for now — stops it.
The Case Against: Neighbors David Abramson and Joseph Bonanno, represented by attorney Neil Glick, argued the project failed on two fronts:
The property was originally owned by Pure Life Development, a for-profit company. It was sold for $1 to Health Education Charitable Foundation Inc. just before the application. The newly formed foundation is a Waltham outfit with no website, no apparent programs, and an address shared with the Pure Life developer. Glick called it “a hastily formed empty shell entity.”
The housing would be open to any NECC employee — including security guards, custodians, and office workers — not just teachers or direct educational staff. There is no educational activity planned on site.
“There is no, repeat, no educational activity that will take place on the proposed housing project.” — Neil Glick, attorney for abutters
The case for: NECC’s attorney David Michel argued the 20-year lease NECC signed is what matters under the Dover Amendment — not who owns the property. He also noted that if NECC ever vacates, any new use would need to qualify independently or go through standard zoning. He pointed to guidance from Attorney General Andrea Campbell supporting NECC’s interpretation.
What they said: “This is just an employee benefit that NECC wishes to provide in order to better recruit its employees. It has no direct connection to the program that NECC has as its core.” — ZBA Chair Stephen Meltzer
Board member Kristina Johnson agreed that the housing was “not related to serving as the core of primary education use.” Board member Lap Yan put it more bluntly: “It’s not an absolute necessity. New England Children have operated over 55 years without this thing.”
What’s next: NECC’s attorney to a MetroWest Daily News reporter his clients are “deeply disappointed” and that “everything is on the table” — which likely means an appeal is coming. Stay tuned.
2.| Framingham Community Electricity: Year One Report Card
Good news from the sustainability file: One year into Framingham’s municipal electricity aggregation program, the city is reporting more than $1.6 million in savings for residents and businesses.
Quick refresher on what this is: Framingham Community Electricity pools residents and businesses together to negotiate electricity supply rates, giving people access to pricing they couldn’t get individually while also boosting renewable energy content.
By the Numbers:
~19,321 participating accounts — about two-thirds of all electric accounts citywide
95% of participants are in the Framingham Standard Green option, which includes more renewable energy than the state minimum
17,000+ residential accounts enrolled; nearly 2,000 non-residential accounts
The cost: Current prices for Framingham Standard Green and Framingham Basic are lower than Eversource Basic Service — but Eversource rates are fixed through July 31, 2026. Future savings cannot be guaranteed after that.
Interested? More info at FraminghamCommunityElectricity.com or the city’s website.
3.| Community Art Project Wants Your Brushstrokes
Framingham and Natick have teamed up on a participatory public art project called A Home for Future Generations, created by Brazilian-American artists Julia Csekö and Raquel Fornasaro and funded through a Mass Save Community Education Grant.
What it is: A series of painting workshops happening this spring at schools, libraries, faith organizations, and community events. Participants’ artwork becomes part of two permanent public installations — one in Framingham, one in Natick — shaped like homes and featuring murals and community-painted shingles illustrating an ‘Energy Conservation Journey.’
Coming up in Framingham:
Thursday, March 27 — Community Art Project: A Home For Our Future Generations at the Framingham Public Library, located in the Costin Room at 49 Lexington Street, Framingham. Event starts at 1:00 PM. (Registration requested at www.FraminghamMA.gov/HFGLibrary)
More details and upcoming sessions, please visit the City of Framingham website.
4.| Are You 55+? The Callahan Center Wants to Hear From You
The Callahan Center is undertaking its most comprehensive look yet at what older adults in the city actually need. The City has partnered with the UMass Boston Gerontology Institute to conduct a full needs assessment, and they want to hear from you before they start making decisions.
Why this matters: The Callahan Center serves a growing and increasingly diverse older adult population. The results of this survey will directly shape programming, services, and investments at the Center for the next five to ten years.
What they’re asking: The survey covers the big stuff — healthcare access, housing, transportation, social connection — but also the quieter concerns that don’t always make it into budget hearings. Things like: Are people able to get where they need to go? Do current programs meet your interests? What’s missing? The goal is to surface needs that aren’t always visible to City Hall.
“Our needs assessments are not just about collecting data — they are about listening with intention and translating community voice into actionable strategy.” — Caitlin Coyle, PhD, UMass Boston Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging
Who should take it: Any Framingham resident age 55 or older. About 5,000 residents received surveys in the mail, but you don’t need to have gotten one — anyone eligible can complete it. Participation is voluntary, and all responses are fully anonymous. Researchers at UMass Boston are the only ones who see individual responses; results are reported in aggregate only.
How to participate:
Online at CallahanCenter.org
Paper copies at the Callahan Center (535 Union Ave), Mayor’s Office (Memorial Building, Room 213), Framingham Public Library, and Christa McAuliffe Library. Available in English, Portuguese, and Spanish
If you got a survey by mail, return it in the prepaid envelope or drop it at any of the above locations
Questions? Call the UMass Boston Gerontology Institute at 617-287-7413 and leave a message.
5.| FY2027 Budget Hearing: Mark Your Calendar
Mayor Sisitsky will hold a public hearing on the Fiscal Year 2027 Budget on Monday, March 30 at 6 PM in the Blumer Room at the Memorial Building (150 Concord Street). Zoom option available.
This is your chance to tell the Mayor what you want the city to prioritize before the budget goes to the Council.
COMMUNITY EVENTS
DPW Neighborhood Meeting Thursday, March 19
Framingham is hosting a neighborhood meeting regarding upcoming water and sewer improvements planned for Central Street and Kellogg Street.
The meeting will take place on Thursday, March 19, at 7 p.m. in the cafeteria at Dunning Elementary School.
The project includes the replacement of approximately 15,000 feet of water mains and sewer pipes in the neighborhood.
Construction is expected to begin this spring and continue through fall 2027.
Framingham 325th Celebration Juried Photography Exhibition
The Framingham 325th Celebration Committee will host a reception to unveil the Framingham 325th Juried Photography Exhibition on Wednesday, March 18, from 6 to 8 p.m.
The reception will take place at the Memorial Building, lowest level, where the exhibit is on display.
About three dozen photographs are included in the exhibition and will be displayed along the walls outside the conference room. The exhibition will remain on view through May 2026.
There are 35 photographs from 23 amateur and professional photographers in the exhibit.
Editor’s note: I’m one of the photographers in the exhibit.
Do you think you have what it takes to be on Survivor or the Amazing Race?
Inspired by the legendary challenges from Survivor and The Amazing Race, kids will put their skills to the test through exciting mental, physical, and teamwork challenges! From solving a giant puzzle to knot tying, navigating a maze, and working together to overcome obstacles participants will take on their very own adventure.
Ages: 5–10
April 21–24, 2026 (Tuesday–Friday) from 1 to 4p.m. at Barbieri Elementary School
$185 Residents | $185 Non-Residents
Only 16 spots available. Sign up before it fills up!
The Civic Week Ahead
Monday, March 16
7:00pm: Community Preservation Committee Agenda
Tuesday, March 17
Wednesday, March 18
5:30pm: Veterans Council Agenda
6:00pm: Council Planning & Zoning Subcommittee Agenda
6:00pm: Stapleton Elementary School Council Agenda
7:00pm: Disability Commission Agenda
7:00pm: School Committee Agenda
7:00pm: Framingham Public Library Long Range Planning Committee Agenda
7:00pm: Conservation Commission Agenda
In Closing…
If you are a local organization and would like to be like to be listed in a new directory listing on The Ham’er website, please send me your information. I am putting together a page for people to learn more about local group to get more involved. More coming soon.
Believe in Framingham,
