Open Letter to the Franklin Town Council regarding 150 Emmons Street property

(Old Municipal Building)

On behalf of Franklin, Massachusetts property owners, business owners, customers and citizens of Franklin we urge the Town Council to put on hold any decision to sell the Emmons Street property, including an RFP, for one year.

* Please Note - Franklin, MA residents, property owners, or business owners are eligible to sign this open letter. Resident address information will not be displayed on site, and will only be used when verifying and delivering signatures to Town Council on April 2nd, 2014. Please indicate your business address if you are a business owner and note in the comment field.

1. We believe it is critical to understand the impact of the new traffic pattern prior to the Council deciding what type of development it would like to see on the site.

2. This would provide the business community and customers with alternative parking during the streetscape project construction. We cannot afford to lose any business during the construction process due to the lack of parking or access to properties.

3. If the Council decides to sell the property after the streetscape is completed it will potentially command a higher value at that time.

4. The property has been in the town’s control for over a century. Another year will not make a difference to the financial condition of the town, but a hasty decision will affect the town for years to come. We ask that you give the community time to participate in the decision-making process.