OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Framingham City Council Meeting - October 21, 2025: Specialized Building Code Hearing and Special Permit Authority Debate

City Council — Tuesday, October 21, 2025
BodyFramingham, Massachusetts
SessionCity Council
DateTuesday, October 21, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:38:38

Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

The City Council is the sole legislative body of the city of Framingham and is therefore responsible for passing city ordinances.

0:07

The City Council is made up of 11 members who exercise the legislative powers of Framingham.

0:12

Two of these members are known as counselors at large, and nine members are known as district counselors.

0:16

The city council serves as a link between the citizens of Framingham and their municipal government.

0:21

Counselors help constituents by connecting them to resources, services, and city departments.

0:25

And also serve as advocates for all Framingham residents.

0:29

The following city council coverage is brought to you by the government channel, a service of the City of Framingham.

1:09

Just one quick announcement.

1:10

Number 18 on the agenda.

1:13

Upon the request of chair and council awarded discussion regarding MCI Framingham, that's being moved to November 18th, because we're trying to get some folks from the state out here to talk to us about what they really intend on doing over at um the former prison.

1:25

So that's if anybody's here for that, we didn't want you to be sitting here.

1:29

And then when it came up, be disappointed with us.

1:44

Thank you.

1:45

For public participation, we allow everybody to publicly participate.

1:49

It's three minutes.

1:50

If the item is on the agenda, we ask that you wait.

1:52

Well, we we ask you that you have to wait until the agenda item comes on and we read it off.

1:57

That's when you'll speak.

1:58

First speaker is Phil Altman.

2:00

Mr.

2:00

Altman.

2:01

Three minutes, sir.

2:03

Thank you very much.

2:04

I have a quick proposal for a downtown Framingham Arts and Social Center.

2:11

It would be kind of like a clubhouse meeting place.

2:15

My location I was idea was the old fire station on Holler Street.

2:22

Now I have heard from Tracy and Liora that that building is booked up, but I wanted to quickly present this in case something changes.

3:51

But I have no idea.

3:55

But I could be totally wrong.

3:58

And I think uh and I think the city should approach getting market for this building.

4:07

It's a nice old building, and uh whether it's my idea is a good one or some other idea is a good one, but uh it's a valuable property.

4:18

Thank you very much.

4:19

Thank you, Mr.

4:19

Altman.

4:20

So the next speaker um is uh is Cynthia Villanueva, but it's the opt-in building code, so you'll wait till that's on the agenda.

4:26

Um Ken Weiss, same thing.

4:29

Donna is for the special permit granting authority, same thing.

4:31

Wait till it's on well, it's got it's on the agenda.

4:33

It's on the agenda.

4:34

We don't do it in public participation.

4:35

We do it when it's passed public input.

4:40

What?

4:41

What's your second?

4:42

We didn't close the public hearing according to council law.

4:45

Okay.

4:47

Um, same thing with is it Russell and then Larry Stewart, so I know where they all stand.

4:51

Okay.

4:52

Next order of business.

4:53

Anybody else for public participation with something that's not on our agenda this evening?

4:56

Seeing none, Mr.

5:00

So that's wow.

5:02

I want to get yelled at because it'll probably happen in about five minutes, but that's okay.

5:06

Next order of business, um, proclamation citations.

5:09

We have a joint proclamation recognizing Sean Lutz, sustainability coordinator for his recent sustainability leader of the year award.

5:15

This is a citation, or this is a proclamation actually, this is where everybody signs it.

5:19

October 20th, 2025, honoring Sean Lutz is this Oh.

5:22

That was for the other guy.

5:23

Sorry about that.

5:24

Three minutes.

5:27

Whereas the City of Framingham is deeply committed to advocating sustainability, environmental stewardship, and innovation in municipal operations and community engagement.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Energy Efficiency█████████████████████████████████33%
Procedural█████████████████████21%
Zoning██████████████████18%
Building Codes██████6%
Public Health█████5%
Affordable Housing█████5%
Personnel Matters████4%
Arts And Culture███3%
Community Engagement██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Framingham City Council Meeting - October 21, 2025

The Framingham City Council met on October 21, 2025, to conduct a public hearing on the opt-in specialized building code, debate a proposed amendment to make the council the special permit granting authority for large developments, and approve several appointments. The meeting featured extensive public comment and council deliberation, with both items continued to the November 18 meeting.

Consent Calendar

  • Proclamation: Recognized Sean Lutz, Sustainability Coordinator, for being named Sustainability Leader of the Year by the Northeast Renewable Energy Coalition at its October 2, 2025 gala. Lutz thanked the municipal team and partners.
  • Citation: Recognized Common Thread Theater Company for its years of live theater in downtown Framingham.
  • Appointments (unanimously approved):
    • Mary Ann Thatchell reappointed to the Community Preservation Committee through June 30, 2028 (9-0).
    • Rick Ancotell, Stephen Joyce, and Andrew Rokes appointed to the Workers Protection Advisory Committee for staggered terms through 2026, 2027, and 2028 respectively (10-0).
    • Michelle Gonzalez (Women, Children & Families Commission) through 2028 (10-0).
    • Kevin Durazzo (Cushing Memorial Chapel Advisory Committee) through 2028 (10-0).
    • Ben Gustis and Subie Morothy (Bicycle Pedestrian Trails Committee) through 2028 (10-0).
    • David Anson and Kevin Walsh (Conservation Commission) through 2028 (10-0).
    • Donna Silva (Elderly and Disabled Tax Fund Committee) through 2028 (10-0).
    • Rebecca Glenn (Human Relations Commission) through 2028 (10-0).

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Phil Altman proposed a downtown Framingham Arts and Social Center at the old Holler Street fire station, noting the building is a valuable asset.
  • Cynthia Villanueva (read statement on behalf of Framingham Democrats Committee) urged adoption of the specialized building code, citing climate leader status, health benefits, and consumer protection.
  • Ken Weiss (District 3 City Council candidate) spoke in favor of the code, citing personal experience retrofitting his home and the benefits of pre-wiring.
  • Rick McKenna (Executive Director, Framingham Economic Development Corporation) read a statement recommending deferral of the specialized code to allow for additional study on affordability, development costs, and stakeholder engagement.
  • Larry Stout (District 3 resident) passionately urged passage, calling delays harmful and noting the code's importance for health and climate.
  • Aaron Ellsworth (Chair, Framingham Sustainability Committee) strongly urged adoption, citing data from DOER, climate leader grant opportunities, and Framingham's leadership.
  • Judy Grove (Energize Framingham) presented a petition with over 350 signatures supporting the code, emphasizing future-proofing and energy bill savings.
  • Donna Kilcoin (North Apple Door Road) argued for council oversight on large projects, stating the charter mandates council involvement and that it would attract quality developers.
  • Ron Chick (Central Street) urged support for council oversight, citing accountability, transparency, and proper planning.
  • Ken Weiss (candidate) expressed concern that council oversight could lead to developer influence in elections and challenge for small candidates. Councillor Long rebutted, stating ethics and that similar risks exist for all boards.
  • Rick McKenna (FEDC) opposed the special permit amendment, arguing the planning board has the necessary expertise and that adding a layer would deter development.

Discussion Items

  • Opt-In Specialized Building Code (Order 2025-06501): The council held a public hearing on adopting the municipal opt-in specialized building code, which would add energy efficiency requirements for new construction. Presentations were made by Lisa Cunningham (Zero Carbon MA) and Alexander Gard-Murray (Passive House MA). Cunningham explained the code's four key features: pre-wiring for electrification, solar on mixed-fuel buildings, all-electric for homes over 4,000 sq ft, and passive house for multifamily over 12,000 sq ft. Gard-Murray detailed health, resilience, and cost benefits of passive house, noting 2-3% upfront cost increase often offset by incentives. Council debated: Councillor Long expressed concerns about added costs, loss of local control, and the need for input from the building department and trades. Councillor Bryant supported the code, emphasizing health, indoor air quality, and the urgency of climate action. Councillor Cannon questioned the potential for auto-adoption of future state amendments and called for a study on affordability and construction impacts. City Solicitor Fallon confirmed that adoption would lock in future amendments unless rescinded. Public comment overwhelmingly favored adoption. The council voted 8-2 to continue the hearing to November 18, 2025.

  • Special Permit Granting Authority (Order 2025-006003): Proposed amendment to make the city council the special permit granting authority for mixed-use, multifamily, and other large developments with a gross floor area of 75,000 sq ft or more. Council debated the appropriate threshold and the role of the planning board. Councillor Long advocated for a higher threshold (125,000 sq ft). Councillor Cannon raised concerns about the lack of administration representation (Sarkeesian absent). Councillor King argued the council is capable of handling policy decisions on large projects. City Solicitor Fallon clarified that the 90-day decision clock starts when the public hearing is closed, not from the hearing date. Public comment was split: Donna Kilcoin and Ron Chick supported council oversight for accountability; Ken Weiss and Rick McKenna opposed, citing expertise and development delays. The council voted 9-0 to continue the item to November 18, 2025, to allow for further discussion with the administration.

  • Council Subcommittee Minutes: The chair reported on issues with the PZ subcommittee minutes from June 16, noting that approved amendments were not all accurate. The minutes will be reconsidered at the next PZ meeting with corrected markers.

Key Outcomes

  • Specialized Building Code: Public hearing continued to November 18, 2025 (motion passed 8-2). The council will hear from the building department, the administration, and additional stakeholders before a vote.
  • Special Permit Authority: Continued to November 18, 2025 (9-0). The council will discuss the threshold and process with the planning director.
  • Item 18 (MCI Framingham): Moved to November 18, 2025, to allow state officials to speak.
  • Appointments: All listed appointments were approved unanimously.
  • Next Meeting: The council will meet November 18, 2025, at 7:00 PM for continued hearings and votes.

Meeting Transcript

The City Council is the sole legislative body of the city of Framingham and is therefore responsible for passing city ordinances. The City Council is made up of 11 members who exercise the legislative powers of Framingham. Two of these members are known as counselors at large, and nine members are known as district counselors. The city council serves as a link between the citizens of Framingham and their municipal government. Counselors help constituents by connecting them to resources, services, and city departments. And also serve as advocates for all Framingham residents. The following city council coverage is brought to you by the government channel, a service of the City of Framingham. Just one quick announcement. Number 18 on the agenda. Upon the request of chair and council awarded discussion regarding MCI Framingham, that's being moved to November 18th, because we're trying to get some folks from the state out here to talk to us about what they really intend on doing over at um the former prison. So that's if anybody's here for that, we didn't want you to be sitting here. And then when it came up, be disappointed with us. Thank you. For public participation, we allow everybody to publicly participate. It's three minutes. If the item is on the agenda, we ask that you wait. Well, we we ask you that you have to wait until the agenda item comes on and we read it off. That's when you'll speak. First speaker is Phil Altman. Mr. Altman. Three minutes, sir. Thank you very much. I have a quick proposal for a downtown Framingham Arts and Social Center. It would be kind of like a clubhouse meeting place. My location I was idea was the old fire station on Holler Street. Now I have heard from Tracy and Liora that that building is booked up, but I wanted to quickly present this in case something changes. But I have no idea. But I could be totally wrong. And I think uh and I think the city should approach getting market for this building. It's a nice old building, and uh whether it's my idea is a good one or some other idea is a good one, but uh it's a valuable property. Thank you very much. Thank you, Mr. Altman. So the next speaker um is uh is Cynthia Villanueva, but it's the opt-in building code, so you'll wait till that's on the agenda. Um Ken Weiss, same thing. Donna is for the special permit granting authority, same thing. Wait till it's on well, it's got it's on the agenda. It's on the agenda. We don't do it in public participation. We do it when it's passed public input. What? What's your second? We didn't close the public hearing according to council law. Okay. Um, same thing with is it Russell and then Larry Stewart, so I know where they all stand. Okay. Next order of business. Anybody else for public participation with something that's not on our agenda this evening? Seeing none, Mr.

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