Framingham Planning Board Meeting - June 4, 2026: G District Zoning Amendments and FAR Recommendations
Framingham Planning Board Meeting - June 4, 2026: G District Zoning Amendments and FAR Recommendations
This meeting, a continuation from May 21, 2026, focused on proposed amendments to the city's zoning ordinances for the General (G) District. The board discussed floor area ratio (FAR) limits, building height, and the broader need for zoning reform, ultimately passing a recommendation to the city council. Councillor Stefanini, the driving force behind the amendment, participated remotely.
Consent Calendar
- Approved the minutes from the May 21, 2026 meeting.
Discussion Items
- Zoning amendments for the G District: The board reviewed the city council's first reading (June 2, 2026) which set a FAR of 0.3 per dwelling unit (excluding accessory dwelling units). Members expressed concerns about the impact on neighborhood character, especially in the Lake Washakum area, where large new buildings (e.g., 35 Miller Avenue at 0.71 FAR) have been built. The board debated whether FAR is the right metric, considering alternatives like building footprint, setbacks, and height.
- Building height: The board agreed to recommend reducing the maximum height from 40 feet to 35 feet, consistent with other residential districts, to mitigate bulk and shadow impacts.
- Long-term considerations: The board recommended that the city council either through its planning and zoning subcommittee or by returning the matter to the planning board, evaluate whether the G District should be subdivided into separate districts reflecting different character areas (e.g., the Washakum area versus other G zones).
- Strategic planning discussion: Councillor Stefanini urged the board to take a more proactive role in long-range zoning reforms, noting that Framingham has underperformed in new growth compared to neighboring communities. Board members expressed frustration with past council dismissals of their recommendations and the toxic public discourse around zoning.
Key Outcomes
- Motion approved (unanimous): The board voted to recommend to the city council to approve the FAR of 0.3 per dwelling unit (excluding ADUs) as passed in first reading on June 2, 2026, with two additions:
- Limit building height to 35 feet in the G District (by amending Table 4.35 of dimensional uses).
- The council should consider returning to the topic for long-term issues, specifically whether the solution fits all G zones and whether other factors such as building footprint and setbacks should be considered, and whether the G District should be separated into new districts based on differing characteristics.
- The board approved the minutes of the May 21, 2026 meeting.
- The meeting was adjourned after the vote.
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. Why don't we call this meeting to order? I'm Ted Cosgrove. I'm the chair of the planning board. Uh the hour being past 7 p.m. I'd like to uh welcome everybody. This is an open meeting being conducted both in person and remotely. We have one item on the agenda this evening. It is a continuation from our uh uh that was May 21st. Uh this is to consider amendments to the city of Framingham zoning ordinances relative to the G District. Um we at our last meeting, we uh gathered some thoughts to produce a recommendation to the city council. I very much appreciate having Councillor Stefanini here tonight, who was the uh driving force behind this proposed amendment. Uh I know on Tuesday night there was some action in front of the city council. And before we proceed with sort of the rest of our discussion, and we we do have um we gathered, we've gathered up some artifacts. Counselor, just so you're aware, we were planning to what we were driving towards was uh this meeting being a more of like a constructive discussion around a planned public hearing on June 18th around the zoning changes in the G district. Okay. Um understanding that actions already been taken. Um I don't think that we want to continue on that path. We might want to have a conversation about some of the artifacts. I know one of our one of our new planning board members, I don't know if you know all of the new members. Um maybe we just introduce ourselves. I mean, this is a this is a pretty this is a nice opportunity. We don't often have such a small agenda, and I know you never do. And to be honest with you, this kind of a conversation, which is a little bit more sometimes academic. You know, what do we, you know? Recording in progress. What do we want this to look like kind of thing? And Stephen, yes, you know, John Stephanie. Beautiful. Nice to meet you. You know, important things. Yeah, what we do. Um you have a good, this is a very, very good group of people. Uh thank you for saying that. I can't imagine as much as Christine Johnson brought enormous experience, so do you. We've got some nice skills on the board right now. We have construction, we have two architects, we have lawyers, we've got a nice balanced view of you know, this side of, I mean, when you look at the aperture of what the city council does, it's enormous. We've we're very focused on you know if I if I share a couple of thoughts with you. Absolutely. So be careful what you ask for. Um I I speak only for myself, but I would offer you a thought. I think you have a very talented group of people, and I know you're very, very busy. But my observation of the planning board, not the zoning board. The planning board is that oftentimes you're drinking from a fire hose and you're dealing with all of the projects and all of the stuff you're dealing with. And Mr. Sarkesian does a very nice job of trying to help keep that organized and together.
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