FRAMINGHAM – District 2 City Councilor Brandon Ward and one-time Planning Board Chair Carol Spack squared off last week as part of Access Framingham’s City Council and School Committee forums. Each race had 20 minutes for the candidates to answer three questions: about development, immigration enforcement, and budget priorities. There was also a brief bonus round about the Charter reform ballot question.
I recommend watching the whole District 2 portion for yourself, which is below (or on YouTube if you can’t see the embedded video. Our School Committee portion is at https://youtu.be/iUobwrH7Sfc?si=TRoDiGeK0ldI6ptJ&t=5715).
I also hope to be publishing both City Council candidates’ responses to my District 2 City Council questionnaire later this week. Article continues below embedded video.
The neighborhood-specific portions of last Thursday’s forum focused on the McGrath Square intersection (at Concord, Danforth, Elm, and Central Streets) and the Pinefield Shopping Center.
Really, watch the video!
But if you can’t (and even if you can), below is a full transcript of the development portion of the discussion.
First, though: Spack took issue with the premise of a question that the city is growing, as you’ll see below or if you watch. Curious, I checked the data. And the answer depends on your time frame.
Framingham’s population increased each year between 2022 and 2024 – from 70,947 in 2022 to 73,356 last year, according to US Census Bureau American Community Survey estimates. However, the population had previously hit a peak of 74,429 in the pre-Covid year of 2019. Longer range, the city population grew around 6 percent from 68,318 in the 2010 Census to 72,362 in 2020.
As for the schools, public school enrollment decreased by 10 students this year and was down 335 the year before – but that was after rising by 645 to its peak of 9,469 so far in 2022-23.
Transcript of the development-question portion of the debate:
Moderator Giuliano Espino (assistant professor of political science, law, and global studies at Framingham State University): Framingham is growing fast, but many residents worry that new development brings traffic, strain on schools, and rising rents. How do you personally draw the line between smart growth and overdevelopment?
Furthermore, what specific kinds of projects would you be opposed to and say no to for your district?
Carol, start us off, please.
Carol Spack: With all deference to the moderator, Framingham’s population is dropping year to year, and our school population is dropping year to year. And I think that statement that we’re growing reveals a bias and the visibility of immigration growing. And I am very keen to call a bias when I see it.
I am fact-based. We have to respond to what is actually happening.
And on the Planning Board, my philosophy about development was it has to be good for the community. It has to follow the zoning bylaw. And it has to be consistent with our master plan.
When I was chair of the Planning Board, we approved 99% of our projects. But we approved them because we took the time to make sure they were consistent with community values.
I support citywide zoning, not project by project, ad hoc zoning. I support zoning by the law, not by variance, not by exception, not by grandfathered uses.
And I brought this enlarged print today. This is from our Department of Development. It’s called Planning and Development, but it’s a development advocacy department. This is McGrath Square.
I don’t know how many people are aware that the 85% design development project concept has been set aside for this concept, which involves removing the house at the corner of Concord and Danforth.
And I am circulating in the audience right now a copy of this for everyone. I challenge the incumbent on his statement that he believes in open, clear, and inclusive government.
Moderator: Thank you, Carol.
Spack: This has been at work since the first half of ’24.
Brandon Ward: Thank you for the question. So for development to work for any neighborhood in our community, there needs to be community input. There needs to be a community conversation.
And ultimately, if anything is to go forward, it needs to be approved by the community. It needs to fit the community character. That’s what’s most important, that what comes into our community is what our residents want.
And ultimately, it’s about holding developers accountable, that if there are impacts on our infrastructure, on our water infrastructure, on our sewer infrastructure, that there’s more traffic, if it’s going to affect our school population, that they’re held accountable and pay mitigation money to support that.
And that’s what I’ve been advocating for on the City Council.
I’ve been a proponent of reducing the central business district. I’ve been someone who’s fought against rezoning in Nobscot because I didn’t feel like it fit the character of Nobscot.
I ran on that two years ago. I’ve been opposed to it my entire time on the council.
I’m still running on no to rezoning in Nobscot.
With that said, I’m also not naive to think that development is not going to take place. It is going to take place.
And that’s why we need to engage in a productive and collaborative conversation with developers.
And just to quickly touch, because I was mentioned by name by my competitor – I am familiar with the plan to straighten out the intersection with McGrath Square by buying 1639 Concord Street. I sat down with the owner of the [Saxonville] Mills when that idea came to fruition from her, and connected her with the mayor so they could have that conversation.
Moderator: Thank you, Brandon. We’ll continue this back and forth, don’t you worry. Carol?
Spack: I’d like some rebuttal time on this. Brandon’s hand shot up to suggest the Pinefield Shopping Center be subject to the MBTA high density zoning of 20 units to the acre.
I have spoken to the business owners in Pinefield. Their rents were doubled when the new owner purchased the property. And he purchased the property for $4 million over the assessed value.
What was he told? That was in November of ’24. There’d be rezoning?
And those businesses are going to have to move out. Their rents have been doubled, and they’ve been told January, They’re going to go up and might double again. That’s impacts on real people and real lives.
Moderator: Thank you, Carol.
Spack: That’s not inclusive.
Moderator: Brandon can respond now. 30 seconds.
Ward: I’m not sure what Carol’s referring to. If she’s alluding that someone tipped the new purchaser of Pinefield off to something, that certainly was not me. I’m someone who’s an advocate for our community and what’s right for our neighborhood.
Pinefield is a privately owned property. It’s currently B-2 zoning, which allows commercial. It allows mixed use by special permit. And so it’s imperative that we have productive conversations with the developer so that the neighborhood is protected.
Moderator: All right, Carol, you were named, and this is clearly an important project for your district. So you will be given another 30-second rebuttal. Thank you.
Spack: The greatest compliment I received on the Planning Board was the go-to development attorney saying to me, after five years, you are fair. I know that your position is as an advocate for the residents, but you are fair.
And that’s my commitment to developers, to small businesses, to individuals. I don’t see fairness in our government right now.
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