Framingham Planning Board Meeting — February 19, 2026

The Framingham Planning Board met in hybrid open session on Thursday, February 19, 2026, beginning at 7 p.m. and ending around 10 p.m., chaired by Ted Cosgrove. No agenda or minutes were included in the source package, so this summary is based on the transcript. The board deferred the February 5 minutes and took up two continued zoning hearings and a minor site plan review for the library parking lot.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Jason Hogue, on behalf of the Overlook at Clarkshill Circle HOA board, expressed support for converting the Clark's Hill building under a planned reuse district (PRD) and said 16-20 units per acre did not sound egregious if new buildings fit the neighborhood and preserve green space. Using a back-of-envelope measurement, he estimated the existing house density at about eight units per acre. He also asked for a road-improvement provision.
• Ms. Winnett, a library stakeholder who had submitted a letter, described a past flash flood on Pearl/Tompkins that caused about $5,000 in car damage and asked whether the justice center/library construction would worsen flooding.
• Matthew Corcran of 84 Denison Ave raised concerns that the stormwater model did not measure Pearl Street, that new parking-lot drainage would increase runoff toward Pearl Street, that demolition could spread rodents to the library, and that courthouse parking demand could crowd out library patrons.
• Councillor Liora Malik asked a process question about the Clark's Hill hearing, expressed strong support for the Regional Justice Center project, and raised concerns about construction impacts, continued rat mitigation, solar potential, and networked geothermal.

Discussion Items

• Clark's Hill Planned Reuse District (continued): Attorney Catherine Garrihan explained that mixed-use is not currently a listed PRD use and reviewed the relationship among the PRD, mixed-use provisions, development waivers, and the special permit granting authority. She noted that a new city council advertisement was issued because the dimensional table may need a change, and that new hearing will be read into the record at the next meeting. Owner Vios Theodorakis of VTT Properties said he has operated in Framingham for about 40 years and is not a merchant builder. He described the Clark's Hill office building as functionally obsolete: about 90,000 square feet has been empty for seven years with an annual carrying loss of about $250,000; assessed value fell from roughly $14-16 million to under $4 million; and the proposed residential complex would add about $800,000 to city tax rolls. He said office conversion costs are about $390,000 per unit, that 54 units in the existing building would cost about $22 million, and that he underwrote the project at 16 units per acre, or about 220 units total, with about 166 new units in two buildings. He also cited a roughly 3% national office-conversion rate. Board members considered using the Planning Board as the special permit granting authority for larger multifamily/mixed-use PRD projects, a 1.25 parking ratio, clustering development, and guardrails such as 16-20 units per acre. Chair Cosgrove said Chapter 40Y would not fit this site because it requires three-bedroom houses on quarter-acre lots.
• 49 Lexington Street library parking lot: City COO Michael Tosino presented a plan to reconstruct the library lot with no change in capacity, about 60 spaces, add van-accessible and compliant accessible spaces, keep stormwater on site, and add two Pearl Street entrances/exits while keeping one Lexington Street entrance. Scott Schill of DCAM outlined a spring 2026 start, about 90 days of demolition, temporary library parking on Union Avenue, a total project budget of $183 million, and a construction schedule of just under 36 months. The new courthouse will use geothermal/ground-source heat pump technology and reuse historic materials. Civil engineer Paige Blanchard explained the stormwater design: a closed drainage system with deep sump hooded catch basins, infiltration chambers, and modeling to reduce peak rates and volumes for the 2-, 10-, 25-, and 100-year storms. Board discussion focused on parking-lot circulation, a potential loss of about six spaces if a loop were installed, police/fire preferences for Pearl Street access, and the importance of retaining spaces for library families. The board approved the minor site plan review by unanimous voice vote.
• 33 Dinsmore Ave / 31 Valentine Road zoning map amendment (continued): Attorney Catherine Garrihan, with Eagle Rock representatives, presented the proposal to expand the B district into the remainder of 33 Dinsmore Ave and part of 31 Valentine Road, replacing part of the R1 district. The board had held a site visit earlier in the day. Board members discussed also extending the RC highway overlay district because height limits step up with distance from residential zoning lines; the goal would be a more compact project, such as two six-story buildings instead of three four-story buildings, to reduce wetland and clearing impacts. The applicant said the new development would be about 200 units, in addition to roughly 400 existing units on the site. The board asked for a follow-up letter explaining the overlay options and raised community amenities, including trails and playground improvements.

Key Outcomes

• The February 5 planning board minutes were deferred because the draft was not available.
• The Clark's Hill PRD hearing was continued to March 5, 2026; the board will draft a recommendation/red-lines letter to the City Council, and the new dimensional-table advertisement will be read into the record.
• The library parking lot minor site plan review was approved by unanimous voice vote.
• The Dinsmore Avenue/31 Valentine Road zoning map hearing was continued to March 5, 2026; the applicant will submit a letter on extending the highway overlay district. The transcript contains some conflicting date calls before confirming March 5.