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News

 

Many thanks to the following businesses for their contributions to the beautiful Kissing Balls adorning Central Street: 

AW Frost Agency

Brian Barry

Central Street Laundromat

City of Franklin

Dan’s Pharmacy / Ron & Sophia Lessard

George & Christine Dzujna

Franklin Regional Hospital Auxiliary

Franklin Savings Bank

Grevior Furniture

Hair Express

KC Phipps Jewelers

Memory of Scott Dimond

Scott Stanley Electric

Thrift Store

Unique Images

Kirk Weyant

Wilderness Trailer Sales 

 We could not have completed this project without their support.

 

CARROT AND THE STICK

IMPROVEMENT OPTIONS FOR OUR DOWNTOWN FACADES

 

On November 4, Choose Franklin hosted a forum in Franklin City Hall to present a variety of avenues for possible downtown Franklin improvement options.  Attendees packed the house and filled the seats to learn more about discussions taking place on this important subject.  Many downtown communities throughout NH are experiencing the same effects of numerous strikes against them: the economy, big box stores, online commerce, and the general increased mobility of community members.

Choose Franklin’s involvement stems from its mission of being an inclusive group consisting of residents, businesses, and interested parties, focusing on promoting Franklin by building on past achievements to facilitate future success.  With Franklin’s power of being such a strong community comprised of dedicated volunteers who are second to none, attendees’ energy was fueled by timely information. 

At the forum, Nadine Peterson from the New Hampshire Office of Historic Preservation stated that "Franklin has a lot to offer".  She indicated a grass roots effort may be needed to pursue any or all of the options she would mention.  One of those options is to have volunteers spruce up the area by painting plywood present on some building facades.  After obtaining building owner's permission, volunteers could solicit sponsorships for paint supplies rendering no cost to building owners.  Few owners, if any, could past up a creative, free improvement such as this. 

Ms. Peterson suggested that the existing Franklin Heritage Commission act to educate all on the value of the historic buildings and the economic incentives for maintaining and restoring them. The Heritage Commission could enforce its existing regulations, which allow buildings to be boarded up only for an emergency time period.  With the Mayor’s appointment of commissioners knowledgeable of the rules, historic buildings, and economic viability, AND with the willingness to do the work required to keep a volunteer commission running, the Heritage Commission could take action, if there is support from the City Council.  At the present time none of the appointees on the Heritage Commission are willing to Chair the Commission.  

Maggie Stier, NH Field Service Representative from the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance, spoke about RSA 79 E.  This is an interesting and pertinent state law that could be adopted by the Franklin City Council.  It would give a local tax incentive to property owners for building improvements.  The owners would have to apply to the City Council, and meeting specific criteria established to meet the spirit and intentions of the RSA. 

Dick Lewis, Franklin Zoning & Planning Administer, explained that Franklin’s downtown is already a TIF (Tax Increment Finance) district, and the City Council would need to consider the balance of the TIF and/or RSA 79E.  In a TIF district the property taxes derived from any increase of property value in that district are set aside to be used only for infrastructure in that TIF district.  RSA 79E would allow the property owners who have approval to pay no increase in city property taxes related to agreed on property improvements, for a set number of years.  This would then reduce the amount of direct property tax money going into the TIF's infrastructure. 

Mr. Lewis also indicated they he was working on wording for a city ordinance that would incorporate suggestions to require property upkeep improvements. This ordinance would be voted on by the City Council after a public hearing. 

Chuck Bodien, Franklin code enforcement & building inspector, said that in New Hampshire, all buildings must conform to the International Building Code (IBC).  In addition, Franklin has enacted the Property Maintenance Code (PMC).  Both Codes have to be administered equally to all.  How much of the Property Maintenance Code is administered is a "matter of where the bar is set" by the City Council.  Both the IBC and the PMC are large books of information.  You may view them at Mr. Bodien's office in the Franklin Fire Station.  Mr. Bodien stated that he was in favor of the city also adopting the Existing Building Code, which allows less stringent requirements for buildings of a certain age.  Mr. Lewis is looking into that possibility. 

Citizens need to decide which of these or other options they want to happen in our City. Let your elected officials know your preference.  The elected officials that were present at the forum were State Representatives David Palfrey & Leigh Webb, and City Councilor Annette Andreozzi.  Explain the options to the other officials and your neighbors.  Come to the next Choose Franklin meeting at the Franklin City Hall to give us your input, or contact us through www.choosefranklin.org.  We will be putting additional information and links on the web site. 

From the audience, Dick Johnson shared an inspiring poem by President Calvin Coolidge,  "Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence.  Talent will not...Genius will not...Education alone will not... Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent."  Choose Franklin will persist. Will you join us? 

LINKS 

Read more about Historic Preservation in NH at www.nhpreservation.org 

The full text of RSA 79 E can be read at http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/rsa/html/NHTOC/NHTOC-V-79-E.htm 

NH State Office of Historic Preservation www.nh.gov/nhdhr

 

Past Successes

 

See The Citizen article on the first meeting of the Franklin Collaboration Project
 See The Citizen article on the second meeting of the Franklin Collaboration Project
See Collaboration Project Priorities

Choose Franklin – Collaboration Success Teams in 2009 

By May 9th, 2009, Franklin Community Day, the City of Franklin benefited by a volunteer effort called the Choose Franklin Collaboration Success Teams.  

Representatives from 28 organizations committed their time and energy toward the completion of three special downtown projects. Choose Franklin Collaboration Success teams engage in makeover projects that they hoped would encourage building owners, business owners and the city to continue.   

Choose Franklin instigated the downtown improvement projects with a grant from the Charitable Foundation. The idea of the project was to involve one individual from every organization in town, have them meet and share their ideas and resources, and make connections that would benefit each organization, building social capital and human resource capacity. 

Those groups decided to do what was most important to the volunteers. Three projects hit the heart of the groups. The first project was to equip each downtown business with a flag to display in front of their store on Central Street. The second project engaged volunteers in a general clean up of Central Street, and the third project decorated empty storefronts with artwork and visually pleasing materials, improving the aesthetic quality of the downtown are 

The committee invited several individuals representing over 75 organizations throughout Franklin. The response was remarkable. The group attracted 36 people representing 28 organizations in the Franklin area. “We are using our internal resources to get the projects done,” said Denise Sharlow, Executive Director of the Franklin Business & Industrial Development Corporation and Chairman of Choose Franklin. “The project was conceived because Choose Franklin realized that several groups of volunteers were committed to improving the community, but  didn’t know each other.” Choose Franklin saw this as an opportunity to reach out to the various groups and offer friendship and resources to other volunteer organizations. It was a great opportunity to achieving the organization's mission of being an inclusive community group. “If we share our resources, we can get more accomplished and not suffer the burn out that volunteerism brings.” 

“In Choose Franklin, we do not believe that there is anything that we cannot accomplish as a community. We are committed to educating ourselves as well as being advocates for the best interests of the community. We want to show by example, that we will be successful; each of us bringing our best to the situation at hand, encouraging others to do the same,” said Denise Sharlow 

“We trust that the results will be remarkable.”

 

 

 

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