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SMOC sues Framingham, STEPPS: Two STEPPS members, Peter Adams and Cynthia Laurora, were included in the defendant list of a massive lawsuit filed by the South Middlesex Opportunity Council (SMOC) against the Town of Framingham, alleging a "conspiracy" to violate federal laws protecting the disabled. (You can download the lawsuit from the SMOC web site if you would like to read it.)
Although open to mediation, the Town of Framingham has promised a vigorous defense of this case.
We at STEPPS believe we have done nothing wrong and that this case is a chilling assault on our rights of free speech and public participation. And as STEPPS communications director Peter Adams told the MetroWest Daily News, far from SMOC's assertion that they "had no choice" but to sue, in fact SMOC could have avoided this lawsuit at any time over the last two years simply by changing their business practices and locating more of their facilities in towns other than Framingham.
All we have ever asked for regarding social services are competent delivery, adequate oversight, and equitable siting.
September 20: The MetroWest Daily News reported that crime in downtown Framingham "has dropped almost 27 percent in the 10 months since South Middlesex Opportunity Council closed its wet shelter at 105 Irving St.," citing a report from Police Chief Steven Carl. The good news included a drop of almost 60% in the number of homeless people arrested for various crimes. "Many of the calls before the wet shelter closed resulted from the steady stream of people milling around downtown, Carl said. Police have found sharp drops in the number of incidents of malicious destruction of property (down from 111 to 82), stolen cars (56 to 42) and breaking and entering (49 to 36) since the shelter closed." Carl concluded that "We've removed a lot of the nuisance from downtown. There's been a significant positive impact."
September 17: Jerry Desilets of SMOC and Bonnie Saulnier of Wayside appeared on the Dave Hutchinson TV show with Town Meeting members Tom O'Neil and Peter Adams. Amid an hour of good discussion, two items of particular interest emerged:
September 16: STEPPS held a very successful neighborhood meeting on Ardmore Road at which we explained to about 50-60 concerned neighbors the status of 517 Winter Street and the timeline of our appeal to the Zoning Board.
September 13: The MetroWest Daily News printed several interesting letters to the editor sparked by the controversy over yet another social service site stuffed into Framingham despite the town having over 6.3x as many facilities as its neighbors (see data on concentration) — this time Framingham's fifth group home for Prader-Willi syndrome patients. The first letter called for common sense from the paper's editors, the second said "enough is enough," and the third was from Advocates CEO Bill Taylor thanking everyone for attending an open house at the new shelter. We at STEPPS rather like that "enough is enough" slogan.
September 11: Advocates held an "open house" at the William J. Heights house they are converting into a group home for five people with Prader-Willi Syndrome. Advocates CEO was unfortunarely unable to attend due to a serious illness, but later wrote, "The staff and I would like to thank each of you for coming: both those of you who came to express your disagreement with our view [...] as well as to those who came to welcome us to their neighborhood" — a welcome touch of class from an industry marked by its callous disregard for its neighbors. Unfortunately, there has still been no guarantee from Advocates that the group home will remain dedicated to a relatively benign population and not be used for a dangerous group in the future.
September 8: The MetroWest Daily News printed a guest editorial from former selectman John Kahn, who took the paper's editors to task for their classless and divisive September 2 editorial. Khan wrote that
September 2: The MetroWest Daily News printed one of their most clueless and bigoted editorials yet, calling a substantial number of people in Framingham names and generally telling Framingham to sit down, shut up, and house more people the other towns in the region don't want. The paper's editors wrote that "what's needed here is conversation," but then simply debased itself by using phrases suh as "crazed by ignorance and fear"; "ignorant, intolerant and unwelcoming"; and "some who seem determined to cleanse Framingham of anyone who is disabled, sick or poor." Some conversation.
August 21: Framingham Building Commissioner Michael Foley issues a temporary occupancy permit to SMOC for their Sage House program at 517 Winter Street despite at least two errors on the application. STEPPS will certainly appeal this incorrect decision to the ZBA.
August 21: The Framingham Board of Selectmen heard a report from Human Services Coordinator Alexis Silver on the impact of social services in the town. Silver said that "the social service process here in Framingham lacks accountability, communication and transparency" and "social services have grown in such a way that Framingham is now paying a significant price." You can view the presentation via streaming video on the town web site (requires Real Player; go to 1:57:40) or you can read the presentation as a PDF.
August 7: The Framingham Board of Selectmen extended 13 lodging houses licenses through the end of the year, and want the town to study why some properties generate significantly more police calls than others. According to Police Chief Steven Carl, 12 Lexington Street generated the most police calls between January 2006 and July 2007, with 100 calls during 18 months, an average of 4.17 per room. Bonnie Carrera, who manages the property, doesn't run background checks on potential tenants and currently houses one Level 3 sex offender and two Level 2 offenders. Carl said that while many of the police calls were routine, some of the calls to the SMOC boarding house at 73 Hollis Street included a bomb threat and a sudden death.
August 2: The Framingham Planning Board approved a temporary occupancy permit for SMOC's proposed Sage House at 517 Winter Street. This was expected and does not represent any major development. A permanent occupancy permit, with accompanying change of use by the Building Commissioner, would be a major development and would probably be illegal.
August 1: STEPPS filed a complaint with the town regarding SMOC's work at 517 Winter Street, urging the town to take a very strict stance regarding issuance of permits.
July 20: Several members of STEPPS met with representatives of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services to discuss reforming siting procedures (which have led to a massive overconcentration of facilities in Framingham) and language in contracts issues to social service contractors.
July 17: The MetroWest Daily News ran a followup article explaining why no charges were filed in the Sage House drug running investigation. Despite having recorded telephone calls from the prison to the Sage House in Framingham, the Deportation of Corrections failed to notify the Framingham Police Department until weeks later, and the Middlesex District Attorney declined to file charges. However, the DOC insisted that charges were still pending.
July 15: The Worcester Telegram & Gazette reported that SMOC's People in Peril shelter "has missed a deadline for reducing the number of homeless people living there, a deadline both self-imposed and voted by the City Council." SMOC executive director Jim Cuddy told the Worcester City Council Housing and Neighborhood Revitalization Committee in March 2006 that SMOC planned to reduce the average number of shelter residents to 75 by July 1, 2007, but they continue to house as many as 110. The city had called for a maximum of 50 people per night. Barbara Haller, chair of the Housing and Neighborhood Revitalization Committee, said Cuddy's target of 75 residents by 2008 is "not acceptable to me," noting that that is a year after the date the City Council set to have the census down to 40.
July 13: The MetroWest Daily News reported on the "release" of the investigation into the Sage House, citing some of SMOC's deficiencies in dealing with the DPH, but failing to note the deficiencies in the Sage House itself, such as health and safety violations, and failing to note DPH's characterization of SMOC's internal investigation as "inadequate." The article correctly stated that SMOC suspended a third employee after being notified by the Department of Corrections, but failed to note that SMOC had all the information needed to suspend this individual sooner but chose not to until forced to act.
July 9: STEPPS has obtained a copy of the Bureau of Substance Abuse Service's investigation into drug running by employees of SMOC's Sage House and has forwarded a copy to the Board of Selectmen.
July 1: Today marks SMOC being two years late in opening their proposed Sage House at 517 Winter Street, thanks to the efforts of STEPPS! Soon the state's Executive Office of Health and Human Services will receive a little anniversary card reminding them of this fact!
June 27: The MetroWest Daily News reported that "building inspectors yesterday shut down another illegal rooming house, clearing the single-family home at 111 Arlington St. of its extra residents after a look around the property. One of the displaced tenants, a Brazilian immigrant who identified himself only as Jose, said 14 people lived in the home. He said he paid $200 a month in rent for his living quarters in the Arlington Street home."
June 26: Winter Street resident Paul Watson spoke to the Board of Selectmen and shared his testimony with us. Watson chided the town for allowing 73 Hollies Street a lodging house license and ask them to shut it down. The owner of the Brazille restaurant also spoke, telling Selectmen that the SMOC "sober house" caused him so many problems that he had to hire a police detail for security. The Selectmen were very concerned by both men's testimony and promised to look into increasing police patrols in the area. They told Mr. Watson that the license for 73 Hollis Street was due for renewal in late August and they would look into these problems carefully. Peter Adams then spoke, outlining how the town could act immediately on social service problems in town by setting up meeting with the key decision makers in the state to demand reformed siting guidelines, increased oversight of so-called "sober houses," and look into sentencing reforms. There is no reason for anyone with such a long arrest record to be wandering the streets of Framingham! The Board, after some discussion, voted 5-0 on Ginger Esty's motion to this effect, and she and Jason Smith will represent the Board at these meetings.
June 14: A Winter Street home was invaded by a SMOC client with 209 items on his rap sheet. James Corcoran, a recently released from prison, was living at SMOC's infamous "sober house" at 73 Hollis Street.
May 25: Read our May 2007 Newsletter, which explains what is going on with 517 Winter Street and how you can help.
May 24: Framingham named Mike Foley as Building Commissioner. Foley had been serving as acting building commissioner since taking over for Joe Mikielian in January 2005.
May 15: Construction has begun on the new parking area and driveway at 517 Winter Street. SMOC has to meet certain benchmarks described in the Planning Board's Approved Site Plan before SMOC can apply for an occupancy permit.
May 1 : At the 2007 Annual Town Meeting, Framingham approved a new bylaw requiring licensing for all lodging houses not already licensed by the state. The bylaw, if approved by the Attorney general's Office, would give the town more authority to find and eliminate substandard or overcrowded homes and more power to rid the town of illegal rooming houses, The law, which allows fines of up to $300 per violation per day, requires lodging house owners to exercise due care in selecting tenants, keep a log of all residents, have on-site supervision at all times if there are 12 or more units, and submit to annual inspections.
April 12: In a surprise reversal, the Planning Board "reconsidered" its April 5 vote and approved SMOC's Public Way Access permit, clearing the way for work to begin at 517 Winter Street. SMOC must still file for an occupancy permit/change of use. STEPPS is investigating whether this vote violated the state's open meeting law, since it was not properly advertised.
April 5: The Planning Board hearing for 517 Winter Street came to a shocking conclusion, as the Board approved site plan review (See the Planning Board's Approved Site Plan decision, a 1.1 MB PDF) by a 3-1 vote, but then denied SMOC's Public Way Access permit by a 2-2 vote. This effectively kills the project unless SMOC can overturn the decision in court.
March 28: The results are in, and STEPPS won, as members Peter Adams and Judy Leerer won seats at Town Meeting and Ginger Esty was the leading vote getter among for Board of Selectmen candidates. Unfortunately, Phil Ottaviani lost his Town Meeting position, but will fortunately stay on as chair of the Zoning Board of Appeals.
March 20: With two STEPPS members (Peter Adams and Judy Leerer) running for Town Meeting, STEPPS issued the following recommendations: Adams, Leerer, Phil Ottaviani and Martin Mulvey for Precinct 11 Town Meeting member, Ginger Esty for Board of Selectmen, and Sue Bernstein and Andrea Carr-Evans for Planning Board.
March 1: The Framingham PILOT Committee held a public forum (streaming video, requires RealPlayer) to discuss the creation of a Payment in Lieu of Taxes program for Framingham.
February 22: The MetroWest Daily News reported that Sucker Pond neighbors are weighing their options after a loss in Land Court. Wayside lawyer Kenneth Margolin said that "he believes last week's ruling that Wayside's campus plan was protected by the Dover Amendment could also buoy the South Middlesex Opportunity Council's case if it ends up in court over the proposed relocation of Sage House." Margolin also said the Land Court ruling would help Wayside in its fight to overturn the selectmen's denial of a public way access permit, which is crucial for Wayside to begin construction. If the town wins, officials might be able to use it as leverage to force SMOC to move its proposed Sage House entrance from Ardmore Road to Winter Street.
February 15: The MetroWest Daily News reported that the Massachusetts Land Court ruled in Wayside's favor in the social service agency's fight to build a huge "campus-style facility" for troubled teens in the Sucker Pond neighborhood around Lockland Ave.
February 8: The MetroWest Daily News printed a divisive and inaccurate "guest column" by Rep. Sannicandro aide and PILOT Committee member Wes Ritchie in which he referred to "the perceived proliferation of social service agencies" -- which is actually extremely well documented -- and then had the gall to refer to a "search for consensus on social services" while referring to those who disagree with him as "the party of no," the paper's pet phrase for people who oppose the over concentration of social services in Framingham. But that's wasn't the worst part -- incredibly, Ritchie wrote that "Framingham's priority should be to create a PILOT program that will attract tax-exempt organizations" -- yes, he proposed that Framingham should attract more! The MetroWest Daily News printed STEPPS member Peter Adams' letter of rebuttal, but inexplicably changed the title from "Coming together as a community" to "Nonprofits don't help Framingham" -- the only possible reason being that they wanted to paint STEPPS as immoderate and divisive, when in fact that is the paper's role.
February 8: The Boston Globe reported that residents of Weymouth were "rankled" by a U.S. District judge ordering town officials to "issue whatever permits Spectrum Health Systems wanted for its new drug and alcohol rehabilitation center" and that "tensions have reached a boiling point. Residents near the Route 18 site say they are worried about what the rehab center, and the 30 men who will live there, will mean" for the area considering "there are three pharmacies within 300 yards of the nursing home, and three liquor stores and 10 establishments with bars [plus] a day-care center within 75 yards. If you look out of the rooms in the rehab center, you would be looking right into the day care." Spectrum Health is the Worcester-based nonprofit that runs the methadone clinic in Framingham and more than 50 other programs in six states. According to DPH spokeswoman Donna Rheaume, Spectrum has a satisfactory record and "their license with us has been in good standing for about 10 years." Rheaume must be unaware that Spectrum was found by state Auditor Joseph DeNucci to have "misused $17.4 million of taxpayer money over 10 years due largely to a questionable contract with a related for-profit company" (the Boston Herald, February 27, 2004) and was subsequently forced by then-Attorney General Tom Reilly to pay back more than $7.5 million and undertake "extensive governance changes." (The Massachusetts Attorney General's office)
February 6: The MetroWest Daily News reported that the MetroWest Medical Center has had to make emergency calls to the Framingham Police 657 times since January 2005 to handle disturbances, larcenies, assaults on staff, investigations by police, and calls for drunk and disturbed people. The paper writes that "the figures for MetroWest Medical Center appear to be far higher than what other area communities have confronted that are home to hospitals, based on interviews with police and hospital staff." In other words, in Framingham, police are called almost daily, while in neighboring towns, such calls are virtually unheard of. Your emergency room has become dangerous and overcrowded thanks to the overconcentration of social services in Framingham. In related news, the paper reported that Great Brook Valley, the company that wanted to swamp downtown Framingham with a clinic designed to serve 25 neighboring towns, will open a new dental office on Concord Street.
February 3: The MetroWest Daily News reported that serious risks come with overcrowding, noting that while "exact figures for how many people live in overcrowded housing are impossible to determine, local building officials say the problem is widespread" and can cause "potentially deadly fire hazards and health risks." This report followed up on the near disaster on Avon Street in Framingham in January, in which an estimated 17 people could have lost their lives in a fire that was caused by an overloaded electrical system. The reporters investigates numerous other properties and wrote that some had signs of overcrowding, including multiple satellite dishes or trash barrels, or had "cable wires snaked out a second-floor window halfway around the house to the first floor." (This after the paper's editors castigated Framingham residents for pointing out similar problems to the town, calling them vigilantes!) The article also reported that town Manager Julian Suso said officials will ask Town Meeting to hire another inspector and that the town is considering bylaw changes to tackle the problem.
January 25: The Planning Board held the seventh and final meeting for site plan review of SMOC's proposed use of 517 Winter Street. There were some interesting moments as STEPPS pointed out that SMOC does not appear to qualify for the R-2 use they have claimed and their proposed occupancy of 40 appears to be illegal, but the Board decided that these matters were outside their purview and deferred to the Building Commissioner. The hearing was closed, meaning no more input will be taken. Now we wait for the Board to make their decision and write the document with conditions, if any. (Watch the streaming video.)
January 23: Chief Assessor Mike Flynn presented his PILOT Program proposal to the Town. There will be a public hearing in Nevins Hall at 7:00 p.m. on March 1 for public discussion of this proposal.
January 16: Framingham today inspected 9 Pine Street, another two-family home owned by Murilo DaSilva, the landlord who owned the Avon Street property that caught fire on Monday had as many as 17 people living in an afternoon. Acting Building Commissioner Mike Foley will send a letter to DaSilva warning him to stop operating 2-4 Avon Street as a lodging house or face fines of up to $300 per day.
January 15: According to the MetroWest Daily News, "as many as 20 people were left homeless when a fire tore through an Avon Street apartment building yesterday afternoon. Fire officials say firefighters had no chance to stop the blaze before it grew out of control because the department was not called immediately." The building apparently contained illegal apartments and was overcroded. According to assistant Fire Chief John Magri, "firefighters were put in danger by a rabbit warren of illegal occupancies throughout the home.
January 13: The MetroWest Daily News reported that "Spectrum Health Systems, one of MetroWest's largest providers of drug treatment and health care services, yesterday agreed to pay more than $7.5 million after being accused of misusing $17.4 million in state money." Spetrum is the used the Dover Amendment to force Framingham to house a methadone clinic it wanted to run to serve area heroin addicts. The state Attorney General's Office issued a press release on Friday in which Tom Reilly said, "we will aggressively pursue organizations that do not use state funds appropriately." No word yet on our complaints about SMOC's accounting practices.
January 4: The Planning Board held the sixth meeting for site plan review of SMOC's proposed use of 517 Winter Street. The next, and probably last, meeting will be January 25. (Watch the streaming video.)
January 2: The MetroWest Daily News reported that "Spare Change Guy" John Bubier was arrested three times in one week for his aggresive panhandling. Long a fixture in Boston, Bubier is apparently now living at the infamous boarding house at 12 Lexington Street. Since coming to Framingham, Bubier has been arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. According to Framingham police spokesman Lt. Paul Shastany, Bubier "was walking in the traffic again at the intersection of (routes) 135 and 126, stopping cars and asking for money -- panhandling. [...] The cars would slow down because there's a pedestrian in the road and, obviously, they don't want to strike him. He goes to the driver's door or windows and asks for money." Bubier was "arrested at 11:46 a.m. on a charge for disorderly conduct, released on personal recognizance, and then arrested again at 2:45 p.m. for the same thing."
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December xx: The Planning Board held the fifth meeting for site plan review of SMOC's proposed use of 517 Winter Street. --neighbor presentation -- link to PPT
December 15: The MetroWest Daily News reported that "a bill calling for the state to create an unbiased guide explaining where social service agencies can open facilities is not expected to pass this legislative session, though lawmakers said they will push the measure next year. The legislation calls for the state office of Health and Human Services to write and publish a guide on zoning rules governing where social service agencies' facilities, such as clinics and shelters, can be located." One wonders if the sticking point with legislators is the requirement that the guide be "unbiased."
December 14: The MetroWest Daily News reported that "almost 20 neighbors hoping to block SMOC's plans to move Sage House from 61 Clinton St. to 517 Winter St. have filed complaints with acting Building Commissioner Michael Foley. Ten of the 19 complaints sent to Foley's office Nov. 27 call the use of the Dover Amendment at both addresses 'questionable,' and push for a 'thorough' review of Sage House's current programs and future plans. [...] Foley is working on a response to the complaints, he said, saying the effort is 'on the top of my list' and should be ready by the end of the week. He said Town Counsel Chris Petrini is reviewing the response."
December 13: STEPPS Communications Director Peter Adams spoke at the Patrick/Murray transition team's human services forum in Framingham. He provided a copy of the Town's PILOT Study Committee report and urged the team to increase oversight of private social service providers and reform how social service is delivered in the Commonwealth.
December xx: Following a recommendation of the PILOT Committee, Framingham hired Alexis Silver as the town's Human Services Coordinator.
November xxxx: The Board of Selectmen, unhappy with the work of acting Building Commissioner Mark Foley regarding 517 Winter, voted to ask him to again review the Dover status of 517 Winter Street, this time taking into account
November 9: The Planning Board held the fourth meeting for site plan review of SMOC's proposed use of 517 Winter Street. --xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
November 7: School Committee member Pam Richardson beat a crowded field of write-in candidates to replace the late Rep. Debby Blumer's seat in the legislature. The election which also featured a resounding victory for Deval Patrick, Massachusetts' first African-American governor.
November 3: The MetroWest Daily News endorsed Dawn Harkness to replace Rep. Debby Blumer in the statehouse -- Yaakov's letter? xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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October 22: Following the town's successful challenge to the wet shelter, the Framingham Board of Selectmen voted to look at two other supposed Dover projects: SMOC's proposed Sage House at 517 Winter Street and Advocates' group home at 20 Vernon St. The MetroWest Daily News reported that "By closing the Common Ground shelter, the South Middlesex Opportunity Council avoided becoming the guinea pig in a push to limit the number of social service agencies allowed to set up shop in town."
October 16: SMOC closed its infamous "wet shelter" on Irving Street. However, contrary to their many assertions that they wanted to do away with the shelter, and shelters in general, they did not do away with the shelter at all, but simply moved it in a smaller form into their "Turning Point" shelter on Merchant Street, near the soccer fields. (Great location -- they like to house their addicts and sex offenders near kids.) This appears to violate the terms of their contract with the U.S. Department of housing and Urban Development (HUD), who gave SMOC money to increase the capacity of the shelter. So was SMOC lying when they told HUD they would increase the size of the shelter or when they said they wanted to do away with shelters? Are they planning to give the money back to HUD?
October 13: State Rep. Deborah Blumer died after suffering an apparent heart attack driving near Loring Arena. Framingham police performed CPR and used a defibrillator, but were unable to save her. Blumer had served as state representative since her election in 2000 and was seeking a fourth term next month. STEPPS joins with her family and friends in mourning her loss.
October 12: The Planning Board held the third meeting for site plan review of SMOC's proposed use of 517 Winter Street. SMOC addressed the continuing controversy over whether they were protected by the Dover Amendment and submitted a large package of materials (mainly copies of previous memos and submissions) which was taken by the Board to be thinly veiled legal threat. SMOC submitted new plans, but also also began digging in their heels and refusing to comply with various Board requests, at one point stating that they were "not amenable" to new changes. The illegal dumping by SMOC was finally resolved with removal of the dumpster; it is unclear from SMOC's plans where the dumpster will be placed and how they will prevent illegal dumping in the future. The next meeting will be on November 9 at 7:35 p.m.
October 7: The Worcester Telegram & Gazette reports that city "officials questioned the ability of South Middlesex Opportunity Council to manage housing programs after a resident of a SMOC lodging house at 14 Duxbury Road was charged with assault and rape Tuesday." His arrest "obviously raises a major concern about whether SMOC is able to manage this property and manage it correctly," said state Rep. James B. Leary, D-Worcester.
September 27: SMOC announced that it will close the wet shelter on October 16 and move all residents to other housing across the region. SMOC Executive Director Jim Cuddy said the plan was "the first phase of SMOC's quest to end homelessness in the region." Cuddy failed to add that he was vigorously defending the shelter right up until it was revealed that SMOC had been lying about its "educational" mission. SMOC Planning Director Gerard Desilets said that "if people are going to begin to deal with their issues and try to become independent, having a decent, safe place to live is a critical first step." Desilets failed to explain why SMOC had been cramming people into an old warehouse with cots for years, with little, if any, educational support, if their mission was to make these people "independent."
September 26: SMOC held a "ribbon cutting" ceremony for its Meals on Wheels program at the Greater Framingham Community Church, which has hosted it since February. The program had been hosted at the Callahan Senior Center. According to some town officials, the reason the new senior center did not want to continue hosting SMOC was thet they were so filthy. This is a shocking allegation, but believable considering the lengthy list of similar allegations against SMOC.
September 14: Worcester named former Framingham Building Commissioner Joe Mikielian as their chief zoning enforcement officer.
September 7: The Planning Board held the second meeting for site plan review of SMOC's proposed use of 517 Winter Street. SMOC presented their revised plans for the property, and STEPPS submitted an analysis of them, stating by way of introduction that SMOC's plans "seemed designed to maximize impact on the neighbors." STEPPS complained about illegal dumping at 517 Winter by SMOC trucks and sent photos to the Planning Board. The Board was concerned and instructed SMOC to make sure this stopped. Precinct 1 Town Meeting Member Kathy Vassar complained that SMOC shows little regard for neighbors and 517 Winter was not the only problem, describing conditions at 248 Edgell Road. The Planning Board said it would look into problems at this property. The next meeting will be October 12 at 7:35 p.m.
August 24: The MetroWest Daily News reports that there is “not much going on” as far as educational activities at SMOC’s wet shelter, quoting Building Commissioner Joe Mikielian. According to the article, "SMOC officials admitted in a follow-up correspondence sent recently to town officials that they don’t have any educational component on weekends and that their teaching is generally limited to one-hour meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous every Monday to Friday." The article says that town officials "are checking to see if even those are more sporadic that SMOC administrators are letting on." To put this in plain language, SMOC lied when they described the educational activities that took place at the shelter in order to gain the protection of the Dover Amendment.
July 25: Following a complaint by STEPPS, the Framingham Board of Selectmen voted to instruct Building Commissioner Joe Mikielian to investigate SMOC's Common Ground wet shelter to determine whether it is, in fact, protected by the Dover Amendment, and indicated that it would be willing to back a legal fight to close it. STEPPS applauds this decision by the Board, as we have long contended that Framingham cannot revitalize its downtown as long as the wet shelter is operational. The wet shelter is an illegal use at its current location, but has been allowed to operate because of the so-called "Dover Amendment," a badly written and overreaching law that gives virtual carte blanche to nonprofits to flout zoning if they meet certain vague standards for education. For years, has trusted SMOC's word regarding the educational use of the wet shelter, but Selectmen are now beginning to question it, saying they want confirmation that what takes place at the shelter is educational. "I want more verification than just a 12:00 AA meeting," said Selectman Jason Smith, referring to a document provided by SMOC. "To me, this is inadequate." The document included a typical weekly schedule of events, only some of which take place at the shelter. (Only activities that take place at the shelter could be considered educational as far as granting the shelter Dover protection.) According to SMOC, every shelter "guest" is assigned a case worker and participates in an individual "service plan." SMOC Executive Director Jim Cuddy called on Board of Selectmen chair Dennis Giombetti "to cease the divisive public statements" about the shelter, referring to Giombetti’s statement that SMOC was holding the town "hostage" with its plans. SMOC has said that it will close the wet shelter if the town approves its plans to turn 517 Winter into a homeless drug rehab shelter.
July 13: The Planning Board continued the hearing for site plan review of SMOC's proposed use of 517 Winter Street to September 7, 2007 at 7:30.
June 22: The first ever Planning Board meeting for site plan review of a Dover application was held, consisting mostly of a SMOC "dog and pony show" and STEPPS contention that the Sage House is not a protected educational use. The next meeting will be July 13.
June 22: In a MetroWest Daily News story about the upcoming Planning Board meeting with SMOC over 517 Winter, Department of Public Health spokesperson Donna Rheaume said state public health officials are aware of the yearlong delay, which she said has not affected SMOC’s contract. The department, she said, still has the goal of serving more people through the program. "It’s our hope that these local issues can be worked out," said Rheaume, who called SMOC "a valued community provider." Clearly, the DPH has far too little oversight of their contractors if they are not aware of what poor work SMOC does and how often they lie to get their way regarding "these local issues."
June 19: SMOC held a meeting before a packed house at 517 Winter Street to discuss their plans to being dozens of heroin addicts to Framingham. While several people spoke on behalf of SMOC, the overwhelming sentiments were anger and skepticism. Several times laughter broke out when SMOC made a claim or promised something. Clearly, SMOC has little credibility in town.
June 18: The Boston Globe reported that SMOC told the Town of Framingham that it would close the Common Ground wet shelter -- if the town grants it permits for two other facilities, including 517 Winter Street. According to the Globe, "James T. Cuddy, SMOC's executive director, said the shelter could be closed if housing is provided for homeless people who would be displaced as a result. One facility that would be needed, he said, is a home for recovering addicts and their families on Winter Street. [...] After receiving permits for the Winter Street program and a second housing program for homeless veterans on Lincoln Street, Cuddy said, SMOC would close the wet shelter." Incredibly, SMOC is using the infamous wet shelter as a bargaining chip as it fights for approval to use 517 Winter Street as a drug rehab shelter! SMOC's statement was part of its announcement of its plan to end homelessness in the area, which also includes turning 105 Irving Street (the wet shelter's current location) into a day labor/temp agency called "Ready, Willing, and Able."
June 12: Town Counsel Chris Petrini warned the Board of Selectmen that the town could face a long, costly fight if they try to close the wet shelter, but that it could be part of "groundbreaking legislation" if it succeeded. The Board voted to ask Building Commissioner Joe Mikielian if the facility would be permitted in its location without Dover Amendment protection. Petrini said it would be "difficult or almost impossible" to get legislation to exempt wet shelters the Dover Amendment, assuming such facilities offer educational components in the first place. )It seems highly unlikely that a competent review of a wet shelter would conclude that it has education as a primary use, since clients arrive drunk, sleep, and then leave hung over.) Selectman Jason Smith said it is important to move quickly. "We need to finally take some action," he said. "We need to put Framingham first."
June 9: The MetroWest Daily News printed an inflammatory piece by Rob Haneisen discussing the upcoming Planning Board hearing for 517 Winter St. in which he called opponents of the vast social service complex in Framingham "inflammatory" and ill informed, two things Mr. Haneisen understands well. He writes that opponents will "trot out erroneous or inflammatory 'facts'" and describes the situation in Framingham as "a perceived social service expansion." What is "perceived" about a well-documented 600% increase? Adding further gasoline to his bonfire, Haneisen describes "the entire Winter Street neighborhood" as being in "a rage" and while he admits that SMOC "dropped the ball here by not [...] bending over backward to try and listen," he deliberately spreads SMOC propaganda by writing that "they were met with some uncivil responses" when they tried to do so. Ultimately, Haneisen writes, "the underlying issue [...] is that people in the neighborhood don't want the kind of people who will live at a group home being their neighbors." Again, he is trying to be inflammatory by implying that neighbors of 517 Winter are bigots, but he can only do so by failing to mention that "the kind of people" he is talking about are heroin addicts, most of whom have been in prison.
June 8: In a front-page article in the MetroWest Daily News, SMOC revealed that they are having an open house at 517 Winter Street on June 19 at 6:00 p.m., just three days before the Planning Board meeting. This is clearly just a ploy by SMOC to bypass the criticism that they have been secretive and allow them to claim at the Planning Board meeting that they have met with the neighbors to address their concerns. However, the trust issues remains, since there is no reason to trust anything SMOC says at the meeting given their prior history of saying anything that is expedient and then later forgetting the promises they make.
June 6: In a June 6 column, MetroWest Daily News editor Rick Holmes described Framingham residents as "selective in their outrage" about having a drug rehab in our neighborhood and stated that those in need "run into opposition from neighbors whose fear outweighs their knowledge." His conclusion? "Some of the folks complaining about the non-profits sound like they got lost south of Route 9...and suddenly discovered they don't live in Wellesley." In response, STEPPS supporter Janice Skelley writes that "Mr. Holmes appears to be lacking knowledge. Our outrage comes from fact: Framingham has 523 SMOC units, three times that of any community in Massachusetts and 44 percent of the statewide total of 1181. Our message is 'Enough is enough.' No one got lost. Many of us live south of Route 9. We're not Wellesley. We're a great town that welcomes diversity and supports those in need more than any other community. Our taxes should pay for Framingham students to ride the bus, or athletes to participate in sports without 'paying to play.' Instead, we pay for SMOC residents from other towns and states to live here, attend our schools, and overload our police, fire, ambulance and hospital services. What about our own Framingham residents? Framingham has shown more than it's share of generosity and we are proud of it, but enough is enough."
June 6: Sen. Karen Spilka posted an open letter to the town on the Frambors mailing list in which she said that legislators can try to find incentives to encourage social service agencies to spread themselves out geographically, but can't directly obstruct them. According to the Boston Globe, "Spilka's posting came after Framingham resident Timothy J. Sullivan, and others, repeatedly pestered her via the chat board for answers on her position on expanding human services, and then posted updates about how many days his requests had gone unanswered." In her letter, she cautioned that moratoriums have been struck down by the courts, but that she believes "it is the proper time to revisit the Dover Amendment."
June 2: Rob Haneisen of the MetroWest Daily News shows his amazing naivete with his column offering "advice" to new Town Manager Julian Suso should "try to mend the lines of communication between the town and social service agencies but [...] hiring a social service liaison would be a mistake. Suso can make dealing with social service agencies part of his agenda but the town has very little official power in this venue, hence the reason not to bother with a liaison. Simply having an open door policy and reaching out would accomplish just as much." Yes, just sitting down with SMOC, Wayside, and Advocates, will fix everything, Rob. It is true that the town has little official power, but it does have some. Clearly, the former policy of just trusting the social service industry to do the right thing wasn't working. What on earth makes Haneisen think resurrecting it would accomplish anything?
May 26: The Worcester Telegram & Gazette reported on a "sometimes bitter meeting between officials of South Middlesex Opportunity Council and neighbors of a proposed sober house at 14 Claremont St. Five city councilors and other residents raised familiar questions about what they called SMOC’s lack of forthrightness and lack of communication." Neighborhood activist William T. Breau held up a bag containing a syringe and drug paraphernalia littered in the neighborhood from SMOC’s PIP shelter, and the paper said "SMOC executive director James T. Cuddy appeared to be making faces at him." Residents repeatedly saying they don’t trust SMOC. For instance, Cuddy assured a questioner that SMOC has maintenance staff a toll-free number for complaint at any time, the questioner "asked what happens if SMOC is just saying that during the meeting and then does not respond to telephone calls."
May 25: As part of its coverage of SMOC's opening of the Scudder House, the MetroWest Daily News printed yet another clueless editorial, "A Blessing, Not a Blight." STEPPS Communications Director Peter Adams responded that the the paper used simplistic logic and that too much of a good thing can be bad for you.
May 14: Channel 5 (WCVB) News aired a lengthy report about sex offenders and inmates being released from prison and how they are being filtered into Framingham and Worcester via the shelter system. SMOC executive director Jim Cuddy and Worcester State Rep. Spellane were interviewed, and SMOC was portrayed as being a corporation that is deceptive and simply out for money. (Read Jim Cuddy's response to the story and Peter Adams' response to Jim Cuddy). WCVB has told STEPPS that this is a story they plan to pursue. Watch the video on WCVB's web site>>
May 9: The PILOT Committee presented their reports to Town Meeting, and after several minutes of debate voted 70-51 to approve a resolution calling on the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to stop new funding for social service facilities in Framingham until the issue of overconcentration of facilities in Framingham has been addressed. Town Meeting then voted (at the request of the PILOT Committee) to dissolve the committee at the end of the June Town Meeting. Action on the PILOT Committee's report was tabled until June.
May 6: Worcester state representative James B. Leary was quoted in the Worcester Telegram & Gazette accusing SMOC of going back on its word to him that the lodging house the social services agency operates will be alcohol-free. Leary said he was surprised to read Cuddy said boarders at 14 Duxbury Road will be permitted to drink in their rooms, saying it was "in direct contradiction to your statement to me on June 13, 2005, when you specifically stated that Duxbury Road would be a dry facility." He continues, "this inconsistency in your statements is very disturbing, to say the least. At a minimum it lends credence to City Manager Michael V. O'Brien's accusation last year that SMOC's proposals have been subject to change without notice and have been all over the map."
May 5: The Town Meeting Members of Precinct 4 unanimously voted to fill a vacancy in their ranks with former Selectman Katie Murphy. Murphy will be best remembered in Framingham for the graceless attacks in her blog following her loss in the election last month.
May 4: Four members of the PILOT Study Committee released a minority report criticizing the majority for overreaching in implying correlations between their findings and social services in Framingham. However, they agreed with the majority that Framingham has a significantly higher concentration of facilities than neighboring towns and concurred with all of the committee's major recommendations, although they called for an "ILOT" program in place of a "PILOT" program. They made no clear distinction between the two, though they listed examples which implied that they viewed the "P" in "PILOT" as referring only to monetary payments. We do not feel that the minority report differs significantly enough from the Committee report to give the Town any reason to delay in implementing the Committee's recommendations. READ MORE>>
May 4: The MetroWest Daily News reports that Middlesex County Sheriff James V. DiPaola has "backed away from public statements he made Tuesday on Beacon Hill naming Framingham as a location he is considering for a new county jail. 'This is extremely, extremely premature for any place to say this is where it's going to be,' DiPaola said. 'The number one community I have spoken with is Somerville.' "
May 3: The MetroWest Daily News reported on the possibility of a $63 million men's prison for first-degree murderers being built next to Framingham MCI in Framingham. This is, of course, unacceptable. More details as we learn them.
May 3: Town Meeting begins tonight and will probably begin discussion of the PILOT Committee report.
May 2: The Framingham PILOT Study Committee released its final report. Among its recommendations: and hire a Human Services Coordinator and more emergency personnel for the town and possibly close the wet shelter. READ MORE>>
April 27: The MetroWest Daily News released the Framingham PILOT Study Committee's draft report.
April 26: The Framingham Board of Selectmen voted 4-1 to deny Wayside's application for a Public Way Access permit. This is a huge victory for the Town of Framingham, and continues a series of moves by the Town to take control of its own planning and zoning again. Wayside will almost certainly sue to overturn this decision, and the results of that are impossible to predict. But one thing is certain: social service agencies buying real estate in Framingham will have to view such purchases as speculative again, instead of seeing the guaranteed profits they saw for too many years.
April 24: Great Brook Valley filed an appeal in Middlesex Superior Court over the Planning Board’s refusal to grant special permit for the Waverley Street health clinic. The arrogance of this is unbelievable -- everyone knew going in that this project was too large for the site it was proposed for; hence the need for a special permit. It's hard to imagine a court ruling with Great Brook Valley in this case, but this is the same court system that ruled a methadone clinic is "educational," after all.
April 21: There were signs of homeless people breaking in to the old house at Maecomber Farm, and one of the trails had been used for drinking and fires had been built -- in the middle of a major fire alert! We cleaned up and took some pictures. Signs have now been posted warning that the area is patrolled.
April 6: In a special meeting of the new Board of Selectmen, Dennis Giombetti was elected chair, replacing outgoing Selectman Katie Murphy.
April 5: In a major change of direction, the Town voted overwhelmingly to replace Board of Selectmen chair Katie Murphy with political newcomer Jason Smith. In other races, Joel Winett defeated Ed Noonan to become Town Meeting Moderator, Andy Limeri defeated Wes Ritchie to be on the School Board along with incumbent Pam Richardson, and Planning Board incumbents Tom Mahoney and Carol Spack kept their seats. See our Election Analysis page for more.
April 3: Numerous local churches and civic organizations scheduled a candlelight prayer vigil for "civility." It was not entirely clear why, nor why churches should handle this task. After all, it was the Rev. Joseph Pranzo, pastor of St. Tarcisius Catholic Church, who said of opponents of Great Brook Valley's proposed health clinic, "They want a town that's lily white." A blanket statement accusing all the people who disagree with him of being racist did little to help stem the "deterioration in the atmosphere and attitudes in public discourse in our community"! The Rev. Pranzo added that "most clients walk to the clinic," which may be true today, but won't be if Great Brook Valley succeeds in suing the Town and forcing it to allow a clinic several times larger than what we need because it will be serving the needs of 25 communities -- most of whom, one assumes, will not be walking to Framingham for treatment!
March 23: The Framingham Planning Board finally voted on the Great Brook Valley Health Center Proposal. The Board voted 3-2 to approve the proposal, but because it was a special permit, a "super majority" of four votes was required. The approval therefore failed. However, according to the MetroWest Daily News, "health center officials said immediately afterward they would take it to either Land Court or Middlesex Superior Court shortly after the decision is filed." Zoila Torres Feldman, president and CEO of Great Brook Valley Health Center, said "as soon as they file (the decision), we’ll appeal. We’ll get it done." Planning Board members Sue Bernstein and Andrea Carr-Evans voted against the project. Bernstein read a statement before the vote, telling clinic supporters, "instead of spending millions of dollars building a free health clinic, (legislators) could adopt a plan whereby each of you would have your own health plan and could visit any doctor of your choice" and urging them to lobby the legislature for better health care statewide.
March 19: STEPPS was mentioned in a Boston Globe column by Eileen McNamara. Her uninformed column "Unhealthy Objection" prompted us to write back with "A Healthy Objection." Ms. McNamara never bothered to reply. Apparently, one hour a year is enough to spend on Framingham.
February 17: STEPPS published a guide the Great Brrok Valley health clinic with ten reasons it is wrong for Framingham. These include being far too large and hindering downtown revitalization. It also appears the clinic will be unneccessary and even counterproductive by the state's new health insurance plan.
February 11: The MetroWest Daily News printed a thoughtless and insulting editorial entitled "Build the health center" that described opposition to the tenfold growth in social services in Framingham as "resistance to anything that looks like it’s intended to help poor people." This prompted Peter Adams to write that we don’t need the health clinic and that Great Brook Valley's plans would not help downtown revitalization but hurt it.
February 11: The MetroWest Daily News reported on a memo from Town Counsel Christopher Petrini stating that the PILOT Committee should not study the Salvation Army because they are a church. The memo seemed to turn on last June's decision at Town Meeting not to expand the PILOT Committee's charge to include all tax exempt properties, implying that not voting to expand the charge was the same as voting to narrow it. MORE>
February 9: The MetroWest Daily News reported that Narrow Path Ministries "is working to open a MetroWest shelter for domestic violence victims and has plans to set up a halfway house in downtown for men and women fresh out of prison. Church officials, who worship in the Salvation Army building, said they are trying to meet the needs of abused women looking for safe homes and of ex-convicts who come out of prison with few resources." The article quotes STEPPS member Peter Adams, who said that "until we’ve addressed the issue of Framingham having more shelters than any other town in the area per capita, I don’t see how Framingham could absorb any more until this inequity is addressed."
February 8: The Framingham PILOT Committee held a forum "to receive and consider comments on the effect of social service programs in the town." SMOC, however, saw it as a way to flex some political muscle and filled the sign-in sheet with clients they had brought. This is the same tactic they used in Worcester to try to derail City meetings there. According to several eyewitnesses, SMOC had lied to his own clients, telling them that they needed to show up to protect the SMOC programs from being shut down! The tactic may backfire, though, as every single SMOC client said they came from outside Framingham, having come for SMOC services — belying the argument that Framingham needs so many social service facilities because "that's where the need is" (in fact, SMOC imports so many needy to Framingham that they have changed the town's demographics). Person after person gave their address and said something like "when I came to Framingham..." Ironically, after claiming for months that they could not give out the addresses of their facilities to the PILOT Committee, SMOC allowed all of its clients give out their addresses, inadvertently revealing a previously unknown SMOC facility in Framingham.
January 16: Five teens were arrested after they assaulted staff and took over an office at Wayside's Harbinger House. According to the MetroWest Daily News, this was the 35th time in one year that Framingham police officers had responded to this one address, and Wayside president Eric Masi stated that because the operation has cut down on physical restraint by 75% they will now "be calling the police more often." We hope there will be fewer incidents when Wayside opens its massive 72 bed "facility" on Lockland Ave. MORE>
January 15: The Boston Globe reported that "the number of properties owned by social service agencies in Framingham has risen nearly tenfold, from 26 in 1990 to about 240 today, a draft report from a town committee has found." The article quotes PILOT Committee chair Bob Berman as saying, "If those numbers are accurate, that certainly is major growth, and I think it speaks to why my committee was formed in the first place and why we need to take a look at the effect." The article was about a draft report showing the growth in social services in Framingham and facilities' effect on property values. "Much of the subcommittee's report focuses on whether the programs have affected homeowners' property values. The group looked at changes in the assessed values of properties near such programs. In some cases, such properties saw below-average increases in values in recent years, the report said." The paper then quoted SMOC's Jerry Desilets as saying "there have been a number of credible studies that show . . . that the siting of social-service programs have not had a negative impact on property values." Desilets' statement was highly misleading and we presented the Globe with contrary evidence, but heard nothing back and there was no followup article.
January 9: Police Chief Steven Carl called for the SMOC wet shelter to ban sex offenders, as other shelters have done recently. Several months ago, the Middlesex Human Service Agency in Waltham banned Level 3 offenders from its shelter, and in August, the Housing Assistance Corp. banned all "known sex offenders" from its shelter in Hyannis. The MetroWest Daily News reported that "Framingham had 22 Level 3 sex offenders, or those most likely to re-offend, as of Friday, several of whom are homeless and give their address as the Irving Street shelter. There were 86 Level 2 offenders. Social service agency SMOC, which runs the emergency shelter, says it will not institute a ban like shelters in Waltham and on Cape Cod."
January 5: The MetroWest Daily News reported that the Framingham Police Department survey "aimed at finding out why there is an increasing number of the most dangerous sex offenders moving to town found that several came here even though they had no ties to community while others could not even be tracked down. At least four of the 19 Level 3 sex offenders at the time of the report had no connection to Framingham before their offenses, according to their interviews with police. Others lived here when they committed their crimes or had lived in Framingham previously. [...] Two sex offenders told police they were sent here by the state’s Parole Board when they were released from prison. Another said he came to Framingham on the train to stay at the shelter downtown because the Pine Street Inn in Boston was full." They reported on a man convicted of rape and abuse of a child who was living in Boston after his release from prison but "was sent to Framingham by the Parole Board after he violated his parole twice in Boston."
December 31: In a front page article, the MetroWest Daily News revealed the existence of a secret contract between SMOC and the Department of Corrections to find housing for dangerous criminals who were drug users. "In its bid proposal, SMOC highlights some of the 'effective strategies' it has developed to help ex-offenders find housing. If an offender can relate his criminal history 'however extensive' to substance abuse, a landlord cannot deny him access to housing, according to the proposal. Substance abuse is considered a legal disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act. SMOC Housing Specialists have also developed creative housing search techniques to address high-risk, difficult to place offender subgroups, for example arsonists and sex offenders."
December 14: A STEPPS "Enough is Enough" sign appeared in a Wall Street Journal article entitled "Town Resists Expansion of Antipoverty Agency," which quotes STEPPS member Chris Titcomb as saying. "They're taking our tax money to do something that will bring down the value of my house." Although there were numerous technical errors in the article -- for instance, the article asserts that a Planning Board decision is "expected soon" although SMOC isn't even on the agenda yet -- it is encouraging to see this struggle between the town and the social service industry drawing national attention.
December 9: The Metrowest Jewish Day School purchased 159 Prospect Street, a magnificent turn-of-the-century mansion sited on a 10.25 acre parcel, for $1.6 million. The property, located about 1/2 mile from Route 9, will be the school's future home. The school's Marlene Aron said "It is the school's intention to keep the home and add on to it or site another building on the lot."
December 7: A Special Town Meeting passed two new zoning bylaws, one of which tightened up the August bylaw change which was partially overturned by the Attorney general on November 17. This removes some loopholes and makes it more likely that a nonprofit buying, building, or changing a property will trigger a site plan review at the Planning Board.
November 22: SMOC withdrew its appeal from the Zoning Board of Appeals. ZBA chair Phil Ottaviani read a letter from Bowditch & Dewey, SMOC's law firm, which read (not an exact transcript), "In light of the Attorney General's decision, we would like to withdraw our appeal of the Building Commissioner's denial of our change of use for 517 Winter Street." Of course, this is just a cover story -- SMOC's appeal had nothing to do with whether or not the law was valid. They wanted to he exempted from the law, meaning that the appeal assumed the law was valid. SMOC's lawyer said that they would prefer a withdrawal without prejudice. Susan Craighead so moved, Richard Paul seconded, and chair Phil Ottaviani voted yes and announced the motion passed 3-0. The withdrawal of SMOC's appeal means that they will almost certainly not file a lawsuit and will instead comply with the new town bylaw requiring them to appear before the Planning Board for site plan review. This is not a panacea, of course. The Planning Board's purview is limited, and while they may require things of SMOC that are outside their purview, SMOC's compliance is not guaranteed, and a lawsuit might still be filed. For more on this, see "What does SMOC's ZBA withdrawal mean for the future?"
November 20: The MetroWest Daily News printed an editorial titles "Stalled clinic" calling for swift approval of Great Brook Valley's flawed clinic plans which ended, "the Planning Board has listened to neighbors and forced major revisions in design and parking. Now it's time to stop the stalling and get the new health center approved. It's good for the health of downtown Framingham -- and of its residents." This poor wording and incorrect conclusion prompted Peter Adams to ask, what "stalled" clinic?
November 17: The Massachusetts Attorney General's Office has approved Framingham's new by-law requiring Dover Amendment cases to undergo site plan review with two minor deletions today. The AG removed the amendment regarding frontage, as well as lessening the amount of parking required to trigger site plan review. This means that SMOC will have to appear before the Planning Board and answer questions regarding their plans for 517 Winter (unless they choose to challenge the bylaw in court, which could take years and be an expensive loss for them). It also means they will not be able to "sneak in" any more such shelters. Social Service providers will now have to face at least some public scrutiny.
November 16: The MetroWest Daily News reports that the wet shelter was home to more outsiders than people from around Framingham in a recent analysis ("Wet shelter draws from outside Framingham" by David McLaughlin). The article states, "Out of 99 people staying at the shelter in October, about a third were from the Framingham area, according to a police presentation made to selectmen last night. More than half, 52, were from outside the area, and 14 could not provide reliable identifying information. ... The stats appeared to back up the shelter's critics, who often complain that it draws people to town with no connection to Framingham or MetroWest. Of those who provided reliable information to police, 40 had criminal records with more than 20 entries."
October 25: The Zoning Board of Appeals heard SMOC's appeal -- or technically, SMNPHC's (South Middlesex Non-Profit Housing Corporation) appeal -- of the Building Commissioner's denial of their change of use at 517 Winter Street. After more than a dozen people stood up to urge the Board to deny the appeal (including Town Meeting Member Ted Cosgrove, Janice Skelley, Peter Adams, and Realtor Judy Leerer), a straw poll was taken and the audience voted 38-0 to deny. Perhaps sensing the amount of heat they would take, no one from SMOC even bothered to show up, using one of their many lawyers to make their case for them. Their case was that because of the Dover Amendment, they should be exempt from site plan review. This did not appear to sway the Board much. As Richard Paul noted, other towns in Massachusetts require site plan review for Dover applications, so why shouldn't Framingham? Susan Craighead noted that their were four reasons for denial and SMOC was only challenging one. Building Commissioner Joe Mikielian testified that aside from minor clarification of SMOC's supposed educational use at 517 Winner, SMOC had not addressed the other two items in the denial (floor plan and parking plan) despite having more than three months to do so. One piece of information that seemed to particularly interest the Board — and embarrass SMOC's lawyer — was the revelation that SMOC had a secret plan to subdivide 517 Winter into five separate lots in their Purchase & Sale Agreement. The Board wanted to know what SMOC's plans were for these lots and seemed to agree that the town could not properly judge SMOC's compliance with the town's zoning laws without this information. Craighead moved to deny the application's appeal, but the Board decided to continue the hearing until after the Attorney General rules on the town's new bylaw. His decision is due by November 17, so they scheduled the next Zoning Board hearing for November 22 at 7:00.
October 6: The MetroWest Daily News reports on a research project done by the Worcester Regional Research Bureau that Framingham ranks tenth in the state for the number of state licensed residential social service facilities, ranking ahead of some much larger cities and towns like Cambridge. STEPPS member Peter Adams was quoted in the article as saying. "I'm glad to see this hard data coming out to back us. That's really been STEPPS' rallying cry from the beginning -- we're bearing a disproportionate share of these services."
September 16: SMOC has filed an appeal with the Framingham Zoning Board of Appeals asking for a reversal of the Town's denial of their change of use for 517 Winter St.
September 7: Cuddy says what we already expected: instead of working with the town, SMOC plans to sue. In an article in the MetroWest Daily News entitled "SMOC may file lawsuit," Cuddy said, "I think it will most likely wind up in court. The town is wrong. They're being discriminating. What options do we have? To go to court." Well, that's what any good neighbor would do, right? And what option do they have, really? Comply with the law? Do what any other corporation in town would have to do? No, not SMOC! Read their lawyer's letter to the town (348 KB Adobe PDF). In the article, Peter Adams said that the Fair Housing Act "does not give the disabled additional rights. It only confers on them equal rights. This is obviously a case where they want to intimidate and strong-arm the town. I'm not a lawyer, but there doesn't seem to be any discrimination here."
September 6: Responding to the article "Social service opponents going too far?" and the clueless editorial "Beyond a toothless 'moratorium'," Peter Adams writes that that Jim Cuddy has misled the Board of Selectmen and the public in his letter Weigh the words carefully.
September 4: The Boston Globe reported in the article "Agency chief sees town bias" that SMOC CEO James T. Cuddy is accusing the town of discriminating against people with disabilities by rejecting a permit for a residential drug treatment program, claiming the rejection of a change of use for 517 Winter Street is "a violation of federal law because those battling drug addictions are considered disabled and protected under the Fair Housing Act. [...] We are not going to take the town's actions lying down," he said, not explaining why it took 23 days for him to become so outraged. Cuddy has apparently never actually read the Fair Housing Act, which clearly states that "Nothing in this title limits the applicability of any reasonable local, State, or Federal restrictions regarding the maximum number of occupants permitted to occupy a dwelling." That's what this is all about, really -- stopping a huge corporation from putting temporary housing for 40-50 people into a single family neighborhood.
August 25: STEPPS celebrates it third month! Read Janice Skelley's August Update!
August 12: Framingham denied SMOC the permit it needs to use 517 Winter Street as a drug rehab shelter, citing problems with the application itself and the new law requiring Planning Board review. SMOC is likely to appeal the denial.
August 5: The MetroWest Daily News published "Can Social Services be Curbed?" based on an editorial board meeting with Framingham residents including STEPPS members Janice Skelley and Peter Adams.
August 3: The MetroWest Daily News reports that Rep. Tom Sannicandro is crafting a bill that would limit the amount of money the Department of Public Health could spend on social service clinics in one town.
August 3: Town Meeting voted overwhelmingly to amend town bylaws to require site plan review for Dover applicants, which previously enjoyed a special exemption from normal overview by the Planning Board.
July 30: The MetroWest Daily News published "Anger's not the answer" based on an editorial board meeting with leaders of the social service industry: Jim Cuddy of SMOC, Eric Masi of Wayside, and Bill Taylor of Advocates. The article prompted a flood of criticism and STEPPS issued a response.
July 27: The ten members of the PILOT commission have been named. Congratulations to Cynthia Laurora of STEPPS, Nicholas Sanchez (Republican candidate for state rep last fall), Bob Berman, Kurt Steinberg, Wes Ritchie (an aide to Rep. Tom Sannicandro), James Palmer, and town meeting members Steve Orr, Dawn Harkness, Laurie Lee, and Yaakov Cohn. Learn more about this PILOT Commission.
July 18: Read our response to SMOC's "Dear Resident" letter.
July 13: SMOC applied for a change of use so that they can turn 517 Winter Street into a drug rehab shelter, claiming it will be an "educational" facility eligible for protection from town zoning laws. We disagree and plan to ask the town to deny the change. If they approve it, we will appeal.
July 12: SMOC has finally admitted what we already knew in a Letter to Residents dated July, 2005: they have purchased 517 Winter Street and plan to move the Sage House into it, housing 12-15 drug addicted women with their children. The Board of Selectmen opened a warrant for a special Town Meeting on August 3 to amend the Town bylaws to require site plan review for Dover applicants.
July 4: Read our Crime in Framingham page and learn about the link between violent crime and substance abuse clinics.
July 1: The sale of 517 Winter Street to SMOC became official on June 15. The sale price was $2 million. A sharp eyed STEPPS member scanned in the notice from a trade journal.
June 9: Town Meeting voted almost unanimously to form a committee to investigate the impact of social services on Framingham and to investigate a plan to provide for Payment in Lieu of taxes (PILOT) from tax exempt entities. In a separate motion, they voted overwhelmingly for a resolution that stated it was the will of Town meeting that there should be a moratorium on new social service facilities until the PILOT committee's report had been finalized and acted upon. MORE>
June 7: Jordan Levy ran a segment on the siting of halfway houses in Worcester on his radio show on WTAG 580 AM. Jordan served as Mayor of Worcester for eight years and while Mayor, he was part of the Associated Press award winning Mayor's Forum. He joined WTAG following his decision not to seek a fifth term as mayor. He has numerous awards from the Associated Press and was voted favorite talk show by Worcester Magazine readers. Governor Paul Cellucci appointed Jordan to the three member Massachusetts Turnpike Authority. Listen to the show (MP3).
June 6: STEPPS held a community meeting chaired by David Westwater and Precinct 11 Town Meeting member Ted Cosgrove and attended by Rep. Debby Blumer, Selectman John Stasik, several Town Meeting members, and over a hundred concerned residents. We also finished collecting over 300 signatures on a petition calling on Town Meeting to take action against the overconcentration of social service facilities in Framingham.
May 29: The MetroWest Daily News printed Mary Westwater's speech in the form of a letter to the editor.
May 22: STEPPS held a neighborhood meeting where we settled on the name STEPPS. We learned that SMOC is a huge corporation with many properties in Framingham. We discussed the amount of taxpayer money that is being absorbed to support these facilities, along with the strain that is put on our police, fire, ambulances, school and medical facilities, without any tax contribution from the SMOC facilities or their clients. We also learned that most SMOC clients come from other towns and discussed local towns' right vs. the Dover Amendment. The STEPPS web site was started with this initial information.
May 17: STEPPS made its first official appearance, then just a group of concerned neighbors, asking the Board of Selectmen for help in the public participation session before their meeting. STEPPS founding member Mary Westwater spoke about our concerns and gave the Board a list of questions we had regarding the sale. We learned that this was far bigger than just Winter Street, and STEPPS was formed to address townwide and statewide issues. The Board of Selectmen eventually answered the questions we asked, but most of the answers were unsatisfactory. It appeared the Town had no real control over planning and zoning.
May 16: The first public mention of the 517 Winter issue that sparked the creation of STEPPS was made on the Frambors mailing list, following the quintessential neighborhood moment of neighbors gathering in the street to discuss neighborhood issues. Concerned neighbors abutting the Framingham Nursing Home at 517 Winter Street learned that SMOC had secretly bought the property and were planning to turn it into a homeless drug rehab shelter.
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