Municipal Affordable Housing Trust
Regular MeetingFranklin, MA · August 15, 2023
Minutes
TOWN OF FRANKLIN
MUNICIPAL AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRUST
August 15, 2023
Meeting Minutes
Meeting called to order, members present: Chris Vericker, Susan Younis, Maxine Kinhart, Chris
Feeley, Jamie Hellen
Guests: Bryan Taberner
1. Swearing in of the members. Deputy Town Clerk Dyan Fitzgerald swore in the members of
the Trust. Members present and sworn in for the one year term of office were Susan Younis,
Maxine Kinhart, and Chris Vericker. Chris Feeley was sworn in prior to this meeting.
2. Election of Officers. Motion to approve the appointment of Chris Vericker as Chairman. Roll
Call vote: Susan Younis: Yes, Maxine Kinhart: Yes, Chris Feeley: Yes, Chris Vericker: Yes.
Vote: 5-0-0. Motion to approve the appointment of Susan Younis as Vice Chairman. Roll Call
Vote: Maxine Kinhart: Yes, Chris Feeley: Yes, Chris Vericker: Yes, Susan Younis: Yes. Vote:
5-0-0. Motion to approve the appointment of Maxine Kinhart as Clerk. Roll Call vote: Chris
Feeley: Yes, Susan Younis: Yes, Chris Vericker: Yes, Maxine Kinhart: Yes. Vote 5-0-0.
3. Approval of Minutes – August 15, 2023 – Motion by Susan to Approve the minutes, Second
by Maxine. Roll Call Vote: Maxine: Yes, Susan: Yes, Chris F.: Yes, Chris V: Yes, Jamie
Hellen: Yes. Vote: 5-0-0
4. Affordable Housing Update - Maxine
1. 67 Palomino Drive – Has closed and the new owner has moved in.
2. 90 Palomino Drive is scheduled to close on August 30.
3. 144 Grey Wolf Drive. Spoke with the owner’s daughter via email. She was interested in
what the condo would sell for. As of August 2, the value would be $250,824. This figure is
subject to change as the State is the entity that sets the sales price but it should be the same as
it is as a result of a calculation found in the Deed Rider. She also mentioned that she is
dealing with the state over a MassHealth Lien on the property and she is waiting for them to
contact her. Maxine wanted to update the members on something that was mentioned at the
last meeting. You cannot transfer the property via a will. The property will be sold via a
process established in the Deed Rider. Once sold, the proceeds will go to the heirs. The
property could be transferred to an heir but they would have to qualify under all the terms of
the Deed Rider. I don’t believe the daughter is considering this option.
5. Franklin Ridge Senior Housing – Bryan Taberner, Director Department of Planning &
Community Development
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Franklin Ridge is the senior housing project planned for Veteran’s Memorial Way behind
Eaton Place, the current senior housing. Bryan reported that the Department of Public Works
funded preliminary site studies while keeping grant money to be used for other purposes. The
Franklin Public School department donated an easement for the pump house to be located on
school property. Funding from the town includes a local match to the FY 21 HC Grant, a
commitment from the Trust for project engineering/project design for $30,000 and DPW
engineering consulting of $10,000, a FY 23 DHCD-ARPA funding contract with the state of
$280,000 and a FY 2023 MassWorks Grant of $3,200,000, and finally a commitment of
$500,000 from the Housing Trust and $320,000 from the CPA for a total current funding
amount of $4,556,235. Additionally, the Town has promised a 7.5 acre land donation for the
location and staff assistance from Administration, DPW, Engineering, and DPCD. Previously
unknown wetlands were discovered as a result of a site study. These wetlands will reduce the
property previously identified as buildable lots. The Town has spent funds in direct spending
and in-kind sums that will be helpful when seeking matching funds from the state. In addition
to the senior housing, an additional use for the property will include trails and existing
footpaths that are currently used as a shortcut to the high school and middle school by the Daily
Drive neighborhood students.
6. General Business: Chris Feeley noted that he had been approached by a local developer asking
for support from the Housing Trust for a small, non-affordable senior development. The sense
of the members was that this was not something the members would support.
MOTION by Maxine to Adjourn, SECOND by Susan Roll Call Vote: Maxine: Yes, Susan: Yes,
Chris F.: Yes, Chris V.: Yes, Jamie: Yes. Vote: 5-0-0.
Meeting Adjourned at 11:00 AM.
Minutes prepared by: Maxine Kinhart
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Agenda
Municipal Affordable Housing Trust
Agenda
August 15, 2023
10:00 AM
Virtual Meeting
To all residents, this meeting is available to be attended in person and via the Zoom platform. In an
effort to ensure citizen engagement and comply with open meeting law regulations, citizens will be able
to dial into the meeting using the provided phone number, or citizens can participate by using the Zoom
link provided on the agenda.
Please click on https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86594188327 or call on your phone at 1-
929-205-6099, meeting ID is 86594188327.
1. Swearing In of Members – Nancy Danello, Town Clerk
2. Election of Officers
3. Approval of Meeting Minutes – June 13, 2023
4. Affordable Housing Update - Maxine
5. Update: Franklin Ridge – Bryan Taberner
6. Future Agenda Items
Comments: This listing of matters is that reasonably anticipated by the Chair which may be discussed at
the meeting. Not all items listed may in fact be discussed and other items not listed may also be brought
up for discussion to the extent permitted by law.
This agenda is subject to change.
TOWN OF FRANKLIN
MUNICIPAL AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRUST
June 13, 2023
Meeting Minutes
Meeting Called to order, members Present: Chris Vericker, Maxine Kinhart, Susan Younis,
Judith Pfeffer, MaryAnn Bertone, Jamie Hellen
Members Not in Attendance: Chris Feeley
Guests: Bryan Taberner, Jon Juhl
1. Approval of Minutes – April 11, 2023 – Motion by Jamie H. to Approve minutes, Second by
Judith P. Roll Call Vote: Maxine: Yes, Susan: Yes, Judith: Yes, Chris V.: Yes, MaryAnn: Yes,
Jamie: Yes Vote: 6-0-0
2. Affordable Housing Update - Maxine
1. 67 Palomino Drive – found a buyer. Very excited. Buyer is a participant in the Section 8
home buyer program. Has an escrow account. Is a single mom with two kids.
2. 90 Palomino Drive is ongoing – looking for a buyer.
3. Answering a question from Judith on 144 Grey Wolf Drive. Two quarters of 2022 and all
4 quarters of 2023 taxes are due for a total of $4,860. Condo fees are up to date.
3. Discussion: Franklin Ridge – Jon Juhl
Winter funding round – did not get approved. They had approximately 90 applications and
26 were approved with the majority going to housing authority related public housing. The
State has come under a lot of pressure recently with bad reports that came out regarding
vacancy in units in public housing and deteriorated conditions.
We did get asked to submit a pre-application for the mini funding round which is a first for
us. It shows a readiness to proceed. It also is limited to production projects as opposed to
housing authority or public housing rehabbing projects. They hope to fund 10-15 projects
out of this. Pre-application is due June 30 then September funding submittal and so we
would not know until the end of year or beginning of 2024 on the decision.
There are three criteria to submit letters for:
#1 Status of project – readiness to proceed – which we are.
#2 Greening. Sustainability and climate focus. Has become more prevalent in the last
several years. They are really pushing greening. The upside is cleaner, more effective
in terms of insulation and things like that. The down side is it increases costs.
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#3 Local matches – how much the Town has contributed to the project already, but
also potential local future funding or in combination with things like waivers for
building permits, sewer connection fees and other contributions.
Geographically, they are under pressure to spread the money outside of Boston. They are
going to spread the money around the State.
MassWorks has been a great component to this. We’ve been working to finalize how the site
plan will work. We are on schedule to go out to bid by the end of the year.
Jon is really encouraged that we have been invited to the mini funding round. It shows the
State’s interest in the Town of Franklin’s project and that the Town has put forth so much
effort in this regard.
Chris V. asked Jon to explain the mini funding round. Jon said the State has allocated
several hundred million dollars that they can allocate for what they call the 2023 mini
competition. High level projects that didn’t get funded in the Winter round and just a certain
percentage of those projects will move forward. It is encouraging that we are in there. In
theory, you don’t have as much competition. Another Winter round is coming in the end of
2023, early 2024.
Chris V.: Regarding greenery, are we going to pass on those criteria? That is not optional,
project has to have all electrical, heating, and cooling which is on the operation side, a
challenge because in experience so far, electrical cost isn’t any cheaper than gas or other
options. It is cleaner and that’s what we’re doing. We will meet new energy codes – there’s
a new one in January 2024. We will pass, you have to. We will not only meet the threshold,
we’ll exceed the threshold.
Jamie H.: Will they require the building design to be Net-zero? Jon said no, but he will ask
the architect. Jamie said within the state, there is pending legislation, with lots of support,
that at some point they are going to ask to update the building code to be mandatory to have
every building to be Net-zero. Jon is aware of Net-zero, but the threshold is moving – it is
evolving quickly. Net-zero is a very high standard to achieve and as he has read, it is not
saying Net-zero. We will have to meet the 2024 energy code requirements. There are a lot of
challenges with focus on greening and sustainability.
Bryan T. spoke on the Massworks grant program. The Town did receive a 3.2 million dollar grant
for the new water pump house that will be at the bottom of the road right near the Police station.
The old pump house will be demolished. This is for continuing the design engineering of roadway
that will link our existing road to the subdivision next door and all the other infrastructure within the
right of way and if we have additional funds, at a minimum we’ll have stubs for the Franklin Ridge
project and two other lots that are still owned by the Housing Trust.
Greenish color line is the extension of roadway to the Franklin Ridge project and into parking area.
There would be a stub that would go up to the adjacent subdivision. That roadway will be a gravel
road or narrow paved road. Bryan suggested that they change alignment of the roadway. They
change the roadway right to subdivision with stub as driveway. The yellow line is the lot line. Lot
1a is 1 acre lot. There is ledge. Blasting has come a long way as to what they can do without
impacting neighbors.
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Discovered wetlands have changed the size of the lots. We now have small area for a couple of
duplexes 200 x 200 – whole northern lot driveway with stubs for both. Lot 1b is over 10 acres.
Franklin Ridge is 6.5 acres. The squiggly lines are contour lines. The farther apart the lines, the
flatter the area.
4. Future Agenda – None
General Business:
This meeting is the last for Judith and MaryAnn. Chris V. thanked them for their long term service.
Judith P. stated that Virginia Caso’s condo is still standing vacant there for 4 years plus. She paid
$165,000. Has a Mass Lien on it. Wants us to fix this. Virginia has multiple children, two on
Facebook – not hard to contact. There would be a will.
MaryAnn enjoyed her time working on the Trust.
Sue Younis stated they are still in process of getting Rayleen settled into her new role at the Senior
Center. The meeting of all interested parties has not transpired yet. Trust will be invited when the
meetings are held.
MOTION by Maxine to Adjourn, SECOND by Jamie. Roll Call Vote: Maxine: Yes, Susan: Yes,
Judith: Yes, MaryAnn: Yes, Chris V.: Yes. Vote: 5-0-0.
Meeting Adjourned at 10:57 AM.
Minutes prepared by: Maxine Kinhart
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