Franklin, MA Developments

kingofsheeba

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Because why not? New Condos off of 140
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Hilton Hotel progress off of King Street
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I believe the last picture is of a now stalled hotel.

Franklin has seen a number of larger scale housing developments built in the last several years.
 
When the town repaved the road, they only replaced the sidewalk on one side of the street. As you get farther up the hill, the sidewalk disappears on both sides. Those who live in the area want to know why.

“It just completely stops and it’s just kind of a bizarre transition,” Bertoldi said. “For us it’s really just a safety issue, but I think there’s also potential of lowering property values.” 7 Investigates discovered that Richard Lane should have sidewalks, as town regulations require them on at least one side of every residential road.

“We don’t necessarily have to abide by that. What I mean by that is you can go out and there are so many roads in town that do not have sidewalks for various reasons,” said Brutus Cantoreggi, director of the Franklin Department of Public Works.

When asked why the town doesn’t put in a sidewalk on just one side, Cantoreggi cited limited funding. Cantoreggi said skipping the sidewalks has saved the town a lot of money.

“A rough estimate is $1.3 million per mile for a sidewalk — just the sidewalk, never mind the whole roadway,” he said. “We try to spend funds where the most people get the biggest bang for their tax dollars.” But the taxpayers on Richard Lane feel like they got short-changed.

“The poles are in the right spot, there’s room for it, and again, we’re not even asking for it on both sides. One side is acceptable to us,” Bertoldi said. “If we are owed a sidewalk, we should get a sidewalk.”Frustrated residents have started a petition to restore the sidewalk, but so far, the town is not budging.
This sidewalk dispute is occurring in a neighborhood I spent a lot of time in growing up. A family member of mine has lived on an adjoining street since 1959. The street that now lacks sidewalks (Richard Lane) is a small residential street that dead ends at a cul-de-sac. It's a small street, but kids love to play there because the street is sloped and curved (it's fun to skateboard and ride bikes down the hill). There's also an elementary school within walking distance of this neighborhood. There were sidewalks on both sides of the street for 40 years, but now there's no sidewalk on either side of the street. Other streets nearby (Eldon Drive, Janie Avenue, Schofield Drive) went from having sidewalks on both sides to having a single sidewalk on one side. It's not a large or busy neighborhood by any means, but it's still jarring and disappointing to see a street go from sidewalks on both sides to no sidewalks at all. Suburban towns don't usually take sidewalks or pedestrian safety seriously, but Franklin used to be good at building sidewalks. Several streets in Franklin got new sidewalks on both sides of the street in the '90s and early aughts. But apparently, pedestrian safety isn't a priority in Franklin anymore like it seemingly was just a few decades ago.
 
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The Town of Franklin has received a significant boost toward its efforts to support affordable housing for seniors. Officials announced that Franklin has been awarded an $850,000 federal Community Project Funding grant, which will contribute to the construction of a new road leading to the Franklin Ridge Senior Affordable Housing Project.

According to The Franklin Observer, this grant will be combined with previously secured state funding to help build the Veterans Memorial Drive Extension, which will provide necessary access to the upcoming housing development. Town records indicate that while public funds are being used for infrastructure improvements, the housing project itself is being privately funded.
Franklin Ridge [Veterans Memorial Drive] - 60 units (100% affordable)
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Franklin Ridge [Veterans Memorial Drive] - 60 units (100% affordable)
In March, construction began on Franklin Ridge, a 60-apartment development aimed at allowing local seniors (age 62 and older) to downsize from larger homes and remain in town affordably, while freeing up housing for younger families seeking to call Franklin home.
Over the past 11 years, the project has overcome a series of “curve balls,” including the COVID pandemic, financing challenges, inflation, and rising costs triggered by tariffs, said Franklin Town Administrator Jamie Hellen. Partnering with a local affordable housing developer, JNJUHL and Associates, the town hopes that the apartments will be finished by late 2027.
[...]
Located on 6.5 acres near shops and town amenities, the three-story complex will have 54 one-bedroom rental apartments, and six two-bedroom units. The development will include community spaces and an on-site social services coordinator, and will be 100% electric-powered and feature solar panels.
The apartments will be available to income-eligible residents — at 60% or below of the area median income. The rents will be calculated based on the renters’ income and the federal limits, developer Jon Juhl said. There will also be a 70% preference for local residents, the highest percentage allowed under state law.
The project received significant town buy-in over the past decade. The Franklin Municipal Affordable Housing Trust provided the land for the project, which also received $500,000 in seed money from the town and another $360,000 in Community Preservation Act funds. The project also received state and federal funding, including an $850,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and funding through the MassWorks Infrastructure Program.
 
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