FRANKLIN PLAZA SEEKS DESIGN REVISIONS; PUBLIC HEARING CONTINUES
Design Review Commission approves Fresh Monkee awning, continues Franklin Plaza hearing. The Commission unanimously re-elected Derek Russell Darvish as Chair and Priya Natarajan as Vice Chair, and approved the Fresh Monkee awning size and shape at 5 West Central Street but tabled the window decals
Design Review Commission · Meeting of July 21, 2026
FRANKLIN — Design Review Commission approves Fresh Monkee awning, continues Franklin Plaza hearing. The Commission unanimously re-elected Derek Russell Darvish as Chair and Priya Natarajan as Vice Chair, and approved the Fresh Monkee awning size and shape at 5 West Central Street but tabled the window decals and final sign design, citing 20 percent maximum window coverage concerns. The Franklin Plaza mixed-use development at 9, 13 and 15 Main Street, proposing 57 residential units and three commercial tenants, prompted significant design feedback from the Commission and public speakers concerned that the building's modern aesthetic conflicts with Franklin's New England character.
Chair Darvish requested design variations incorporating traditional elements like different roof styles and dormers. The public hearing continues August 18, with design recommendations due August 4.
In the full story:
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Source: the Design Review Commission meeting of July 21, 2026, compiled from the official minutes.
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