Overview
The Community and Economic Development (CED) Division oversees a number of environmental planning initiatives and projects and works with multiple local, regional, and state organizations to preserve our natural and open space resources for future generations.
2020 Open Space & Recreation Plan
The City is updating the Open Space and Recreation Plan! The City of Framingham maintains an Open Space and Recreation Plan which is updated every 7 years by the Open Space and Recreation Implementation Working Group. The Open Space and Recreation Plan serves as a guide for protecting, managing, improving, and expanding Framingham's open space and recreation resources in the face of continuing development pressures. Learn more by clicking the link on the left.
Open Space Strategy
The Community and Economic Development staff kick-started a more robust and proactive Open Space strategy in 2014; to strengthen land protection efforts beginning with a prioritization of parcels in the City for open space protection - either via conservation restrictions of property acquisitions.
Conservation Restrictions are agreements between property owners and the City (or other non-profit land trust organization) which protect the property area subject to the Conservation Restrictions in perpetuity as open space/natural land.
The Open Space and Recreation Implementation Working Group maintains this open space prioritization list continuously and updates the priorities annually. Properties are ranked based off of certain criteria such as development threat, ecological resources concern, and flood storage capacity.
If you are a property owner interested in preserving your land, please contact us!
Greenways and Trails
Framingham contains a number of greenway and trail amenities and staff are constantly working towards expanding this trail network.
Learn more by clicking on the link on the left.
Hazard Mitigation Planning
In 2016, Community and Economic Development Division staff working with the Multiple Hazard Mitigation Plan Working Group updated the City's Multiple Hazard Mitigation Plan. The working group:
- Held regular meetings and public hearings
- Analyzed natural hazards affecting the City
- Created a list of action items and projects to implement to decrease impacts of these natural hazards and create a more resilient community
- Develop and distribute a Draft MHMP
The plan was finalized, adopted by the Board of Selectmen, and approved by FEMA in 2017. Learn more by clicking the link on the left.
Other Responsibilities
The CED Division also assists with the following:
- Brownfields Redevelopment
- Grant applications for open space and environmental related projects
- Environmental Impact Reports
- Environmental Notification Forms
- Reviews project plans and documents