Important Downtown Franklin Project in Need of Input

Public Meeting regarding PWED Project Draft Plan

The Town of Franklin is holding a public meeting in order to obtain comments and suggestions on the Public Works Economic Development (PWED) grant funded portion of the Downtown Franklin Roadway and Streetscape Improvement Project. The meeting will be held on Monday January 10, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. at Dean College’s Alden Center (S11) located in the Arthur W. Pierce Center for Science and Technology. Parking will be available in the Dean Hall Lot located off Emmons Street behind Dean Hall.

The focus of the meeting is to obtain input from the general public, government officials, Downtown business owners, property owners, and other individuals and organizations on draft plans for the PWED project area, which includes the following:

• Emmons Street between Main Street and Hillside Road
• Dean Avenue between Main and Ray Streets
• Ray Street
• Depot Street, and
• The Town of Franklin’s Depot Street Parking Lot.

The goals of this project are to improve the deteriorated conditions of these secondary roadways, create a safer pedestrian friendly environment, stimulate private sector investment, and improve the overall appearance of Downtown Franklin.

The meeting will be a hands-on workshop, where meeting attendees will have the opportunity to review draft plans, ask questions, exchange ideas, and provide suggestions. If unable to attend the public meeting, draft plans are available for review in the Town of Franklin’s Department of Planning and Community Development (DPCD).

To make it easy for individuals to submit comments and suggestions DPCD has created the Downtown Improvement Project webpage on the Town’s website:

http://franklinma.virtualtownhall.net/Pages/FranklinMA_Planning/dtimprovement.

Please utilize the website to provide input and look for other ways to participate in this important project. DPCD asks that the public utilize the website whenever possible to provide input, however input in any format (direct mail; email; telephone; fax) is welcome. Feel free to contact Franklin’s Director of Planning and Community Development, Bryan W. Taberner, at 508-520-4907 or btaberner@franklin.ma.us if you have questions or require additional information. We look forward to hearing from you.

Franklin Matters: Approach Revised for the Downtown Commercial Zoning Proposal

On Wednesday, December 15, the Town Council will discuss a revised proposal by the Department of Planning and Community Development to create a Downtown Commercial Zoning District. Steve Sherlock posted the following article on Franklin Matters on Sunday, December 12. Steve has included the full memo and supporting documents on his site. Click on the link below to access the entire story.
Franklin Matters: Approach Revised for the Downtown Commercial Zoning Proposal

Printsmart's Grand Opening, Downtown Franklin

Kick-off to the Holidays!

Hundreds braved cold, seasonal temperatures on Thursday evening to help ring in the holidays at the 2nd Annual Holiday Stroll. The tree lighting at Dean College kicked off the evening, and Santa heard Christmas wish lists at Simon's Furniture from 5 to 7. Thank you to our generous sponsors for helping to make this event and the season bright! 

Click here to read Bryan Benson's story about the Stroll in the Milford Daily News.

2nd Annual Holiday Stroll Happenings

Thursday December 2nd

A Cut Above: Complementary hair products, coupons for hair & nail services, hot chocolate & cookies.
Berry Insurance:  Broadcast from WODS-FM 103.3.
Boston Sports Club: Pictures with Scooby Doo, goodie bags at Dean Bank.
Dean College: 4:30pm tree lighting, caroling and holiday snacks.  Come cheer on the Bulldogs at the Women’s Basketball game, 6pm, and Men’s Basketball Game, 8pm, in Pieri Gym.  Free Admission!
Digital Federal Credit Union (DCU):  Candy for kids at the Mobile Branch in Simon’s Parking Lot.
Downtown Consignment: Beverages & refreshments, 20% off coupon for evening of Stroll.
Emma’s Quilt Cupboard:  Quilt sample sale. Make a wool felt ornament.
Franklin Dance Workshop & Co.:  Holiday entertainment at Simon’s Furniture parking lot.  Goodie bag give-aways.
Franklin Food Pantry: Open House 4:30-8pm. Accepting donations from Holiday Needs List.
Franklin Historical Museum: Busy Bee Crafters will have holiday gift items for sale.  Enjoy  holiday music.
Franklin School for the Performing Arts: Theater Troupe performance and stocking takeaway.
H & R Block:  Goodies, free second looks, free tax return raffle.
Hair @ Nail It: A free manicure with a canned good donation for the Franklin Food Pantry.
House Portraits by Deb: Calendar collage of Franklin paintings.
Jane’s Frames:  Hot cider and gingerbread cookies, Free Drawing for Framed Art for all those that sign up for Wish List for Holiday Gifts.
Party Paints N’ Pottery:  Mulled cider, cookies and a free ornament to paint.
Printsmart:  Free one-subject notebook for all kids who come into the store.
RE/MAX Realty:  Condo Tours and a Hospitality Suite with refreshments for all ages.
Rick’s Restaurant: A cup of Rick’s award winning chowder with purchase of an adult entrée.  Mention the Holiday Stroll to receive this mouth-watering offer.
Salon Sorella:  20% off gift cards ~ first 50 people to purchase a $100 gift card will receive it for $50.  One per family-offers cannot be combined.
SELF Aesthetics and Therapeutic Specialists:  5 minute chair massages, coupons and raffle for a free service.
Simon’s Furniture:  Meet Santa from 5-7pm.

2010 Holiday Stroll flyer

Mark Your Calendars

The 2nd Annual Holiday Stroll is set for Thursday, December 2, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. throughout Franklin's downtown. Here are a few of the Happenings planned:

A Cut Above: Complementary hair products, coupons for hair & nail services, hot chocolate and cookies.

Berry Insurance: Live broadcast from WODS-FM 103.3.

Boston Sports Club: Pictures with Scooby Doo, goodie bags.

Dean College: 4:30 p.m. tree lighting, caroling and holiday snacks. Come cheer on the Bulldogs at the Women's Basketball game at 6 p.m. and Men's Basketball game at 8 p.m. in Pieri Gym. Free Admission!

Digital Credit Union: Candy for kids at the Mobile Branch.

Downtown Consignment: Beverages & refreshments, 20% off coupon for evening of the Stroll.

Emma's Quilt Cupboard: Quilt sample sale.

Franklin Food Pantry: Open House 4:30 to 8 p.m. Accepting donations from Holiday Needs List.

Franklin Historical Museum: Busy Bee Crafters will have holiday gift items for sale. Enjoy holiday music!

Franklin School for the Performing Arts: Theater Troupe performance and stocking takeaway.

H & R Block: Goodies, Free second looks, free tax return raffle.

Hair @ Nail It: Free manicure with a canned good donation for the Franklin Food Pantry.

House Portraits by Deb: Calendar collage of Franklin paintings.

Jane's Frames: Hot cider and gingerbread cookies, Free Drawing for Framed Art for all who sign up for Wish List for Holiday Gifts.

Party Paints N' Pottery: Mulled cider, cookies and a free ornament to paint.

Printsmart: Free one-subject notebook for all kids who come into the store.

RE/MAX Realty: Condo Tours and Hospitality Suite with refreshments for all ages.

Salon Sorella: 20% off gift cards -- first 50 people to purchase a $100 gift card will receive it for $50. One per family; offers cannot be combined.

SELF Aesthetics and Therapeutic Specialists: 5-minute chair massages, coupons and raffle for a free service.

Simon's Furniture: Meet Santa from 5 to 7 p.m.

Franklin Downtown Partnership General Meeting Agenda

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Dean College Campus Center @ 8:30 am

(Lower Level-Boomers)

1. Networking-Social 8:30am

2. Open Meeting 8:35am

3. Adoption of Agenda 8:35am

4. Introductions 8:40am

5. Report from Executive Director 8:45am

1. Membership Update
2. Membership Survey
3. Website Launch
4. Holiday Decoration Day

6. Report: Holiday Stroll 9:00am

Cindy Kozil & Roberta Trahan

7. Report: Sign bylaws and Zoning Districts 9:05am

Bryan Taberner

8. Tom McAuliffe: President WMRC- “Got Local 9:25am

Campaign”

9. New Business: 9:35 am
10. Other Business

11. Adjourn

Reminder

The next General Meeting is

Thursday, November 18

8:30 a.m.

Dean College Campus Center

on the lower level at Boomer's

Decorate Downtown this Sunday, November 21

The Franklin Downtown Partnership will once again team up with the Garden Club to decorate Franklin’s downtown center with holiday greens, ribbons and wreaths on Sunday, November 21, at 9:00 a.m.

Residents are welcome to put on their garden gloves and join volunteers on the center island in front of the Rome Restaurant. Volunteers are also needed on Friday, November 19, at 10:00 a.m. to organize the greenery at Hillside Nursery.

“It’s become our tradition to put up the decorations the Sunday before Thanksgiving to spruce up the downtown for the holidays,” says Eileen Mason, Beautification Day chairperson. “Volunteers from the high school boys and girls hockey teams are very much appreciated every year for their spirit and enthusiasm in the decorating."

Each year local sponsors donate funds to pay for the holiday decorations and the spring flowers. “We are fortunate to have such generous businesses that enable us to continue our efforts each year,” says Executive Director Lisa Piana. “We accomplish all of this through donations and tireless volunteer hours.”

Anyone interested in volunteering or sponsoring this activity should contact Eileen Mason at emason11@verizon.net for more details. For more information contact Lisa Piana at downtown.franklin@yahoo.com.

Franklin Downtown Partnership Plans 2010 Holiday Stroll

The Franklin Downtown Partnership will officially kick off the holiday season with its 2nd Annual Holiday Stroll on Thursday, December 2, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. A tree-lighting ceremony, a visit from Santa, music and refreshments are all part of the fun planned for revelers this year.

The festivities will begin with a tree lighting ceremony at Dean College in front of Dean Hall at 4:30 p.m. Carolers will lead the crowds in singing holiday classics while plenty of hot chocolate and goodies will help keep everyone warm and jolly.

From Dean College visitors can stroll through Franklin’s downtown, where they will find special promotions, entertainment, and food at more than 20 participating businesses.

Among the many highlights of the evening will be an appearance by Santa at Simon’s Furniture on Summer Street from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Radio station 103.3 WODS-FM, Boston’s holiday music specialist, will ring in the cheer by broadcasting holiday favorites live from the Berry Insurance parking lot on Main Street.

Children of all ages can paint an ornament at Party Paints N’ Pottery, and there will be a free drawing for framed art for everyone who signs up for the “Wish List for Holiday Gifts” at Jane’s Frames. At the Franklin School for the Performing Arts the Theater Troupe will perform and give away stockings. The Franklin Food Pantry has planned an Open House from 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. and will be accepting donations.

A complete listing of each businesses’ special offers and treats will be available at participating locations.

“Last year we were lucky to have a beautiful night and the crowds surpassed our expectations,” says Lisa Piana, executive director of the Partnership. “We are very happy to be able to bring the Holiday Stroll back for a second year and give our residents an added incentive to come downtown to eat and shop.

“Again this year we have been fortunate to have generous sponsors who make the Holiday Stroll the fun event that it has become,” adds Piana. “These events add to the sense of community we are trying to foster and we are excited there has been so much interest.”

The Gold Sponsor for this year’s stroll is Ferguson Enterprises. Silver Sponsors are Dean Bank, Keefe Insurance, Middlesex Savings Bank, and NHS Print. Bronze Sponsors include Ficco’s Bowladrome and Tedeschi Food Shops.

Businesses interested in sponsoring the Holiday Stroll should contact event coordinators Cindy Kozil, ckozil@dean.edu, and Roberta Trahan, Roberta_icu1@verizon.net . Additional information, including sponsorship forms, can be found under the Events tab.

As a non-profit organization, the Downtown Partnership depends on sponsors to run this and other events, including the Strawberry Festival, the Harvest Festival and Third Thursday events. For more information contact Executive Director Lisa Piana at (774)571-3109, downtown.franklin@yahoo.com .

Franklin Downtown Partnership Launches New Website

Whether you’re looking for a cafe, for information about one of the many festivals or for updates on downtown road projects slated for the town, you can find it all and more on the Franklin Downtown Partnership’s new website, franklindowntownpartnership.org.

The non-profit organization, which runs events like the Harvest Festival and the Holiday Stroll to raise awareness of Franklin’s downtown, created the website as an information center for all things downtown Franklin, according to Executive Director Lisa Piana.

“We built a community website where we can share information about our events and highlight downtown businesses,” says Piana. “But just as important to us was the idea of creating a place where people from all over could learn more about Franklin and the exciting things happening here.”

Website co-creator Steve Sherlock used what he calls “The 3 Cs” to build the site. “Good content starts conversations and over time those conversations build community,” says Sherlock, a Downtown Partnership volunteer who also writes a blog called Franklin Matters. “We want to use this site as a central location for all of our internet activities. In the future we will expand to share information through other social media such as Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube.

The site currently has a wide variety of information, from membership details to meeting dates and agendas, and information about and registration forms for the various festivals. Visitors to the site can find links to many of the Partnership’s more than 140 members’ websites, including restaurants, personal trainers, Town Hall, the Historical Museum and Dean College. Information about projects that are moving through the Planning Board or Town Council approval process that directly affects the downtown will be easy to find as well.

The site will continue to expand, according to Terri Frank, website coordinator. “We aim to be another go-to site, in conjunction with the Town’s website, for information about the upcoming downtown improvement project. We will post timely information about hearings or road closures to try to help our businesses, residents and visitors navigate the downtown during the redesign.”

For more information please contact Executive Director Lisa Piana at (774)571-3109 or downtown.franklin@yahoo.com, or stop by the Downtown Partnership office located at 9 East Central Street.

FDP Planning Franklin’s 2010 Holiday Stroll

The Franklin Downtown Partnership is busy planning this year’s Holiday Stroll and is looking for businesses interested in sponsoring the event. This year’s stroll will take place on Thursday, December 2, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The festivities will begin with a holiday tree lighting at Dean College followed by a stroll through town. Last year’s event drew hundreds of people to the downtown. Businesses and organizations participated with special promotions, entertainment and refreshments. Santa will once again be at Simon’s Furniture on Summer Street.

This year’s stroll will be sponsored by Ferguson Enterprises, Middlesex Savings Bank, Keefe Insurance, Dean Bank, NHS Print, Ficco’s Bowladrome and Tedeschi Food Shops. Interested businesses should contact event coordinators Cindy Kozil, ckozil@dean.edu, and Roberta Trahan, Roberta_icu1@verizon.net, for details and sponsorship forms. A sponsorship form is also available here.

As a non-profit organization, the Downtown Partnership depends on sponsors to run this and other events, including the Harvest Festival, Third Thursday events and Beautification. For more information please contact Executive Director Lisa Piana at (774)571-3109 or downtown.franklin@yahoo.com.

2010 Sponsorship Form Holiday Stroll

Letter to Town Council: Downtown Improvement Project

There is a Public Hearing about the Downtown Improvement Project scheduled for 7 p.m. on Wednesday, September 29, on the 2nd floor of the Municipal Building. The hearing will be part of the regular Town Council meeting.

The following is a letter written by the Franklin Downtown Partnership Board of Directors to the Town Council regarding the project. We invite you to either scroll through the attached or print it out for future reference.

FDP Town Council Letter

Letter to Town Council: Underground Utilities

The Franklin Downtown Partnership Board of Directors also sent a letter to the Town Council regarding the proposal to put utilities underground on East Central Street. Again we invite you to scroll through the letter or print it out for future reference.

FDP Council Letter Utilities

Our Harvest Festival will be this Sunday, September 26, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Join us downtown for a day of music, food, crafts, classic cars, kids games and fun for the whole family. The seventh annual Harvest Festival is made possible through the generous contributions by our sponsors! 

2010 Harvest Festival Press Release

Franklin Harvest Festival Continues to Grow

Once again the Franklin Downtown Partnership expects this year’s seventh annual Harvest Festival to be even larger than in years past.  With more food vendors, more music and entertainment, a classic car show and more than 100 crafters, the Partnership predicts close to 3,500 visitors will attend this year’s event.

The festival will be Sunday, September 26, from 11:00 am - 4:00 pm.  There is no rain date scheduled.  The event will be held in downtown Franklin on Main Street, East Central Street, West Central Street and Summer Street.

“We plan to have something for everyone,” says Lisa Piana, the Partnership’s executive director. “We will have classic cars for the guys, games for the kids, and plenty of crafters for everyone.”

Three bands will entertain the crowds. Local favorites Random Play will perform on East Central Street at the Cafe Dolce patio, Knuf Said will appear on the center island in front of the Rome Restaurant, and Nothing to No One will take the stage on Main Street.

One new addition this year is the Historical Museum will be open for tours. Volunteers will hold a bake sale with apple cider served on the porch. Other highlights include the Farmers Market, painting demonstrations, and a children’s area filled with games, face painting and a moon walk.

More food vendors have been added to the mix this year. Along with the Partnership’s food stand selling hot dogs and slushies at Dean Bank, there will be booths set up at the Berry Insurance parking lot offering sausage sandwiches, fried dough, lemonade, chicken and hamburgers.  “The food vendors were a hit last year so we added even more for this weekend. Visitors should definitely come hungry,” says Mary Graff, festival coordinator.

Rockland Trust Charitable Foundation is this year’s Gold Sponsor, and Middlesex Savings Bank is the Silver Sponsor.  Bronze Sponsors include Chestnut Dental Associates, CVS Pharmacy, Dean Bank, Ferguson Enterprises, NHS Print, Ten Key, Inc., and Doherty, Ciechanowski, Dugan and Cannon, P.C.  According to Executive Director Lisa Piana, “We are able to have this festival each year due to the generosity of our sponsors and the support from the police department.” As a non-profit organization the FDP depends on sponsors to fund all events.

Visitors to the festival can find parking at the old municipal building on Emmons Street, Dean College on West Central Street, and at the library. Traffic will be detoured from East Central Street to Cottage Street. Visitors should plan accordingly since Main Street will be closed.

Anyone who would like to sponsor future events should contact the FDP at downtown.franklin@yahoo.com. Any business or resident who would like to become a member can call (774)571-3109, visit the office at 9 East Central, or go to http://franklindowntownparntership.blogspot.com.  The Partnership’s mission is to stimulate economic development in the downtown to create a positive impact throughout the area.

The layout or map of the Festival booths can be found here

Franklin on Chronicle

Did you catch the segment on Franklin last Monday night on Chronicle? The show highlighted four town centers around Boston. Here is the Franklin segment -- enjoy!  Town Centers: Segment Four - Video - WCVB Boston

Chronicle Comes to Town

WCVB-TV Channel 5's news magazine Chronicle was in Franklin on Tuesday, August 17, filming various locations for an upcoming story about local downtown centers. The Partnership's Executive Director Lisa Piana guided the production crew around town as they gathered information and video footage. Stay tuned for more information about when the story will air.