Framingham Planning & Zoning Committee Meeting - April 1, 2026

The Planning and Zoning Committee met on April 1, 2026 at 6:00 PM. The primary agenda item was an informational presentation by Kalari Properties regarding a proposed mixed-use redevelopment at 10 and 20 Speen Street. The committee also voted to approve the February 18 minutes with a correction. No formal action was taken on the project.

Consent Calendar

• The minutes of February 11 and February 18 were approved. A correction was made to the February 18 minutes on line 86, changing the wording to reflect that the next steps are "have the developer draft a reduced density prior to even coming in with any type of zoning." The motion passed unanimously (Councilors Adaviani, Leon Bruno, and Long in favor).

Public Comments & Testimony

• Chris Halcom (Chiropractor, tenant at 20 Speen Street): Expressed support for the redevelopment and praised the condition of Kalari's existing building at 30 Speen Street. Asked about signage flexibility and curb cuts during construction, and emphasized that his license and X-ray machine are tied to the physical address, making relocation financially challenging. Kalari responded that they would keep tenants and would consider him as a service retail tenant for the ground floor.
• Emily Hughes (Tenant at 20 Speen Street): Asked about construction timeline (Kalari estimated 14 months from groundbreaking to occupancy, with peak disruption around months 4-11), mitigation of disruption to her physical therapy clinic, and traffic flow at the nearby intersection. Kalari noted they would maintain separate construction and tenant entrances and would repave the parking lot.
• Carol McGary (North Framingham resident): Expressed a desire for more landscaping and large street trees on the site, citing examples in Natick and Wellesley. Kalari stated they are in favor of trees and would work with applicable regulations, including conservation commission input.

Discussion Items

• Kalari Properties Presentation (10 and 20 Speen Street): The project sponsor (representing Kalari in partnership with Wood Partners) presented a conceptual plan to redevelop two underutilized office buildings and a large, mostly empty parking lot. The proposed first phase includes a six-story mixed-use building with 250 residential units, 5,000 square feet of ground-floor service retail, and a parking garage. Existing office buildings at 10 and 20 Speen would be revitalized with approximately $3 million in improvements (new HVAC, bathrooms, lobbies, parking lot repaving). Kalari emphasized they would not displace current tenants and aim to increase occupancy to 100%. A second phase would explore an overlay district or new zoning to allow additional uses (e.g., hotel, condominiums) on adjacent properties. The project is purely conceptual and no formal applications have been filed.
• Committee Positions:
  • Councilor Leon Bruno expressed general support for mixed-use redevelopment, noting the buildings are tired and the parking lot is a "nightmare," but raised concerns about density and tenants with specialized spaces (e.g., chiropractors).
  • Councilor Adaviani supported the plan, stating "if you can't do something like this here, I don't know where you do it," and praised the location near the mall and Logan Express.
  • Councilor Long strongly endorsed the project, calling the site "a pile of blight" and a "sea of asphalt." He urged consideration of for-sale units (condominiums) to allow aging in place, noting that market conditions currently make condos uneconomical to build at $300/foot. He also highlighted the need for landscaping and pervious surfaces.
• Chair (Councilor Long): Noted that the full Council has expressed interest in for-sale units, and that the project is a "cash cow" for Framingham, helping to lower the residential tax burden. She stated a preference for keeping commercial/retail office space to maximize tax base, but acknowledged the need for housing.

Key Outcomes

• No votes were taken on the Kalari project; it was an informational presentation only. The committee expressed broad support for the concept and encouraged the developers to continue engaging with stakeholders, particularly tenants and neighbors.
• The February 18 minutes were approved with an amendment as noted.
• The meeting adjourned without further business.