Framingham Planning Board Approves Mitigation Fund Use, Valet Parking Plan

FRAMINGHAM -- April 13, 2017, Framingham Planning Board votes to release mitigation funds and advances several land-use cases at busy April session. The board voted 4-0 to authorize a phase of Planning Board mitigation funds, estimated at close to $900,000, for Department of Public Works infrastructure improvements including sidewalk work near Bishop Street and a stormwater demonstration project on Dudley Street, withholding a $7,000 allocation tied to the Lowe's project pending further review. The board also approved, 3-0-1 with member Gary Ortiz abstaining, an assisted valet parking program for the high-density office tenant at 100 Pennsylvania Avenue, after attorney Bill Pisoni and valet operator Barry Earl of BP&E Park addressed operational concerns raised by member Lorena Marcantetti about employees blocked in distant parking lots. The board voted 4-0 to extend the Framingham Board of Health's comment period by 21 days on the 145 Meadow Street subdivision application after licensed site professional Carol Boyce cited unresolved petroleum contamination questions dating to 1987, continuing that public hearing to May 18. A public hearing on Town Meeting Articles 25 and 26, covering mixed-use zoning and bylaw recodification, was continued to April 20 without a vote, with the chair signaling she now favors deferring the mixed-use article while advancing only state-law-required recodification changes.