Framingham Planning Board Meeting - May 21, 2026
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Framingham Planning Board Meeting - May 21, 2026
The Framingham Planning Board met on Thursday, May 21, 2026 at 7:00 PM in the Blumer Room at Memorial Building (and via remote conference) to hold a continued public hearing for 541 Concord Street and to consider amendments to the city's zoning ordinances. The meeting began with approval of the prior meeting's minutes and included extensive discussion on traffic, parking, and building scale issues.
Consent Calendar
- Minutes of May 7, 2026: Approved unanimously by voice vote.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Linda McQueen Garrin (resident of Lawrence Street): Expressed pride in Framingham, emphasized the importance of English as the common language, called for more diverse restaurants, and voiced concerns about neighborhood security and respect for police. She did not provide specific testimony on zoning amendments or the Concord Street project.
Discussion Items
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Continued Public Hearing – 541 Concord Street
- Board members reported site visits. Chairman noted that taking a left turn from Concord Street into the lot is dangerous due to traffic; recommended using Harrison Street for entry and Concord Street for exit only, with signage.
- Member Sarkis recommended removing parking space #16 due to proximity to sidewalk, making space #17 a single oversized spot or tandem staff spot, and closing the Concord Street exit to left turns with a "do not enter" sign. He also suggested a future evaluation of closing the Concord Street exit completely after six months.
- Other members discussed queuing concerns for drop-offs, potential use of neighboring Brace's Place parking lot as a relief valve, and the need for a crosswalk on Harrison Street.
- The applicant (Molly) described the building's intended use (school with 10 staff, most part-time), existing garage bays for staff parking, and plan to restripe the handicapped space. The board agreed to keep staff spaces and adjust the drive aisle.
- Motion: To approve with conditions: (1) right-turn-only and do-not-enter signs at the Concord Street exit; (2) removal of two planters to create a 12-foot one-way drive aisle; (3) retention of two planters near space #16; (4) restriping of handicapped space to code. Motion passed unanimously (all aye).
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Public Hearing on Zoning Ordinance Amendments
- The hearing addressed proposed amendments to Chapter 435 (Table of Uses and Table of Dimensional Regulations) to limit special permits for non-conforming lots in General Residence (G) district and add a floor area ratio (FAR) of 0.50 for one- and two-family dwellings.
- Board members shared strong concerns about recent large-scale developments that comply with current bylaws but overwhelm neighborhood character (e.g., 35 Miller Street). They discussed options: reducing height from 40 ft to 35 ft (matching R1 district), lowering FAR from 0.5 to a lower number (e.g., 0.3 or 0.4), adjusting lot coverage, or implementing a design review process.
- Member Sarkis presented data on small-lot neighborhoods and proposed a comprehensive approach including potential overlay districts. Member Cosgrove warned against sweeping changes that could create widespread non-conformities and affect property values.
- The board debated scope: all G zones vs. specific neighborhoods, and whether to include R1 districts. They agreed to gather data on existing lot sizes and floor area ratios in G districts.
- Next Steps: The hearing was continued to June 4, 2026 for data review and preparation of visual aids. A letter to the City Council will outline the board's preliminary findings and request direction on whether the board should hold a public hearing on June 18 or let the council handle further public input.
Key Outcomes
- 541 Concord Street: Approved with conditions (unanimous voice vote). Applicant to implement signage, planters removal/retention, and restriping.
- Zoning Amendments: Public hearing continued to June 4, 2026. Board members will compile data on G district lot sizes and FAR, prepare simple diagrams for public education, and draft a memorandum to the City Council seeking guidance.
- Future Meetings: The board will meet on June 4 (data review and continued discussion) and June 18 (potential public hearing on zoning amendments). Two new cases were introduced for June 4: 54 & 80 Kendall Street (48-unit multifamily) and 1001 Worcester Road (conversion of office to five residential units).
Meeting Transcript
The Framingham Planning Board is comprised of five members. The board reviews a wide range of applications for commercial and residential projects. The mission of the planning board is to ensure the projects increase quality of life, contribute to economic development, and are consistent with Framingham's character. The Framingham Planning Board is also responsible for enforcing and revising the zoning bylaws and developing and implementing the city's master plan. The following planning board meeting coverage is brought to you by the government channel, a service of the city of Framingham. It is seven o'clock, uh May 21st here in the uh Blummer room. And we've got uh an agenda that starts with uh a public hearing, a continued hearing for 541 Concord Street, and then we have some amendments to the zoning ordinances to consider. So we're gonna follow the agenda that will put Concord Street ahead. Uh I'm going to we have some members online right now, so I'm just gonna do a roll call of everybody starting to my right. Ms. Stephen Duby Present, Ted Cosgrove present. Mitch Metoran. Present. Alciana Jacka. Present. Present. And Mr. Bowie online. I am here. Excellent, sir. Thank you. Okay. So our you know, why don't we dispense with our first order of business, which would be our minutes to May 7th. If everyone's had an opportunity to review those. Yep. Motion to approve and second. All those in favor say aye. Aye. Aye. Excellent. Okay. Yes. Thank you. Uh so that gets us to our hearing, our continued hearing at 541 Concord Street. Uh if you would like to the who's representing, come up to the microphone. Uh we continue this hearing primarily to allow members of the board to go out and um take a look at the property to look at the parking, uh, consider the flow of traffic around the parking. Uh I assume everybody had an opportunity to do that. So before we reach out to the applicant, I'd like to just uh go to the board members and see if there were any thoughts from that experience. No. Nothing material, no. Nothing material. El Ciana? It's it's a tight space, but that's you know. Okay. I I will share my opinion on it. I I went down there and I sat there for a good 20 minutes, half an hour maybe even, just kind of watching the traffic. It was it it's it was rush hour. It is nonstop, it was in the afternoon. My conclusion from that was right. My conclusion from that was you absolutely do not want to be taking the left from Concord Street into their parking lot.
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