Article 25 would allow billboards up to 80 feet tall

When an alert Town Meeting Member read her Warrant for the upcoming Fall Town Meeting (starting Oct ober 27), she was interested to see Article 25, a proposed zoning change creating an Outdoor Advertisin g District along the Mass Pike and the intersection with Route 9. The new zoning would allow illuminated billboards up to 80 feet tall, with face size 12 feet tall and 48 feet wide, on the major highways of Framingham's west side. She thought some of the nearby residential neighbors would be interested to see this as well, and she was correct.

Comments from residents

Here is what concerned residents are saying:

"I don't think having billboards that light up and are flashing/moving adds much to the appearance of the Town.  Maybe it's just me.... Can you imagine the light show on a cloudy/rainy night?  Those on Goodnow won't have to worry about getting lost in the dark. I can't figure out why we keep doing things like this to neighborhoods that abut business/commercial areas. "

"That currently is pure woods that shields us all from the pike. That is only one yard's length away from houses on Goodnow and the end of Gates. Plus, aside from our neighborhood, do we really want Framingham to be the eyesore of the western suburbs? There are no billboards between here and Boston and none that I can recall headed further west on the Pike; currently the Pike drive is tree-lined and very pretty, so billboards in Framingham will stand out like a sore thumb."

"Please tell me we are not going to let this happen......"

"It is a losing situation no matter where they face. I will see them from my deck/kitchen/2nd floor. The lights very well could illuminate the back of my house... Framingham does not need what scenery it has left covered up by billboards...Imagine the trees that will have to be cut for this!... it sets a precedent for possible expansion of billboards in the future. With the new signage height restriction on Route 9, I thought they were trying to do the right thing."

"Notice that this is LESS THAN ONE DRIVEWAY'S LENGTH away from Goodnow/Gates homes! Visible to those on the even side of the road too! It also starts an awful precedence of building on the 27 acres of woods that protects us from the pike. It looks like they will have to cut down a lot of trees beyond the marked blue lines so that people can see the billboards too."

"Enough with the commercialism. 'Welcome to Framingham!'  Argh."

Public Hearing Monday, October 26

For more information see the warrant pdf, starting on page 48. The Planning Board will hold a public hearing on the proposed Outdoor Advertising District on Monday, October 26, 2009 at 7:45 p.m. in the Blumer Community Room, Memorial Building, 150 Concord Street, Framingham. The Legal Notice for the hearing can be read here. And to join the discussion, register and/or log in and the link to Discussion will appear in the main menu.

TOWN MEETING UPDATE

Town Meeting referred Article 25 back to the Board of Selectmen and the Planning Board for further study.

November is NaNoWriMo

National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo, is a literary blast! A blast of words, that is, and they don’t need to be all that literary, either. Every year since 1999, intrepid authors around the globe have supported each other as they pour out 50,000 words of fiction in a month-long writing marathon. That’s less than 1700 words/day, just a couple hours for the prolific, and young writers set their own word goals. It’s all about quantity, not quality: type now, polish later. Or never, if you prefer!

Last winter, through the Framingham Reads Together program, over a thousand people shared the book Three Cups of Tea and came together to hear author Greg Mortenson’s inspiring presentation. This time, instead of reading together, we will be writing together, along with over 100,000 other novelists and would-be novelists around the world. The Framingham Public Library is providing extra copies of NaNoWriMo founder Chris Baty’s funny and inspiring book No Plot? No Problem! (check it out), and offering meeting rooms. We will also have weekly write-ins, time and place still TBA. The Kick-Off meeting is October 28, 7-8 pm, in the J Program Room of the Framngham Public Library, Main Branch, 49 Lexington Street, Framingham.

Have a novel you’ve been meaning to write? There’s no time like November! Both words begin n-o-v-e; it seems almost inevitable. For more information visit NaNoWriMo.org (our region is United States :: Massachusetts :: Framingham/Metrowest), join the Facebook group NaNoWriMo Framingham, or contact me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Sudbury River between Watson Place and A Street

67 A Street Costs Only 5% Lower

Framingham DPW engineers are focusing on the 67 A Street location for a new Saxonville sewage pumping station, due to the higher projected costs and number of river crossings needed to build on the existing Watson Place site. However, the costs are less than 5% apart : $12,000,000 for Watson Place versus $11,600,000 for A Street. In their Saxonville Pump Station Location Alternatives Evaluation, project designers SEA Consultants point to the lower neighborhood impact of the Watson Place location. If the pumping station is built on the A Street parcel it will require a significantly deeper wet well than the Watson Place site, involving 1-2 weeks of blasting in a residential zone. Whether blasting would also be needed at Watson Place is not mentioned.

Wild and Scenic?

While the street facade of the proposed facility has residential features to help it blend into the neighborhood, the back and sides are unadorned. Chair Carol Spack pointed out at the September 24 Planning Board Meeting that the back side may visible from across the Sudbury River, and its appearance should be considered as well. The view from the river itself has not yet been mentioned, despite its Wild and Scenic designation beginning only yards away. Although planning appears to be moving inexorably toward the A Street location, Watson Place might be worth another look.

Gasoline Tank Gone, Diesel Stays

On September 21, the DPW submitted a new plan to the Planning Board eliminating the proposed gasoline tank, but keeping the 5000 gallon diesel tank and dispensers for fueling trucks. While on-site diesel fuel for the backup generators may be needed, Planning Board Director Jay Grande questioned the need for the dispensers so close to the River at the September 24 meeting. According to Grande, "The tank is a necessity. The dispenser is where you have risk, because when you fuel you can have spills. I think the dispenser posees a separate risk."

What About Odor?

Since the proposed facility is for pumping rather than treatment, SEA does not expect odor problems. "We consulted with one of the pre-eminent odor guys in the country," the SEA Consultants representative stated. By adding additional nutrientsto the flow upstream, constant air flow, charcoal filters and a single vent facing the river, SEA Consultants suggest the production and release of sulfides with their distinctive odor should be kept to a minimum.

For more information, see these articles by John Hilliard in the MetroWest Daily News:

Framingham Planning Board to review pumping station proposal

Fuel options worry wastewater plant's neighbors

The Public Hearing for the Saxonville wastewater management facility has been continued to October 8 and 15.

A Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection order requires the Town of Framingham to contruct a new wastewater pumping facility in the Saxonville area, and according to Framingham Department of Public Works and SEA Consultants engineers, the 67 A Street site remains the best option, despite its residential zoning and its location abutting Framingham High School and the Sudbury River. At the September 10 Planning Board public hearing, neighbors and Planning Board members learned that the plan includes fuel tanks for refueling DPW trucks during snow storms, and that construction will block access to the sidewalk from Concord Street to the high school and is expected to take up to 2 years, including 2-4 weeks of blasting.

In their presentation, the DPW and consultants explained that the 67 A Street location remains the best option, due to its low elevation and because other potential sites are too small, would require more river crossings, and/or would necessitate taking private land by eminent domain. 67 A Street is owned by the Town of Framingham, and according to the MetroWest Daily News is controlled by the School Committee, whose permission is needed for construction to go forward.

The engineers got an earful, however, as residents, planning board members and the director of the Framingham Board of Health all weighed in. Among the concerns:

• Odor
• Vibration
• Blasting
• Truck and plow noise
• Construction noise and dirt
• Planned fuel tanks on site
• Pedestrian safety near a school
• Visual degradation of historic area
• Broken promises during the high school renovation
• Lack of information

The Planning Board, like the School Committee, asked for the location of a similar facility in the area for comparison purposes, and requested the DPW to provide written answers to their concerns.

Opportunities for Public Input

The public comment period remains open until September 22, and the Planning Board hearing is continued to September 24 at 7:45 pm. The plans will also be discussed at the Board of Health meeting on September 15 at 7 pm in the Framingham Public Library, Main Branch, Lower Level Meeting Room; and at a Conservation Committee public hearing on September 16 at 9 pm in the Blumer Room, Memorial Hall.

Update:

The Conservation Commission public hearing has been continued to Wednesday, September 30, at 7:45 pm.

A new sewage pumping station is planned for A Street, just down the hill from the high school parking lot, and directly across from the residences at 30-36 A Street. According to project manager Jim Barsanti, the A Street Wastewater Management Facility will eliminate the need for three existing pumping stations, replace some active pumping with gravity flow, and is required for compliance with Massachusetts wastewater treatment standards.

The facility is to be set back 35 feet from the roadway and equipped with the latest in odor-reducing technology, in order to minimize its impact on the neighborhood. When asked if there was a similar facility in the area, Mr. Barsanti suggested the pumping station at the intersection of Fenwick and Central Street. A visit to that intersection on a hot summer day revealed a moderate whiff of sewage, but the technology will be more advanced in the new and much larger facility.

The Planning Board will hold a public hearing on Thursday, September 10, at 7:45 pm in the Blumer Room, Memorial Building, 150 Concord Street.