Framingham subcommittee refers proposed demolition-delay changes back to historic commission

The Rules, Ordinances and Ethics Subcommittee of the Framingham City Council voted May 5 to refer proposed amendments to the city’s demolition delay ordinance back to the Historic Commission for revision after members raised concerns about how the draft would affect large numbers of older homes and how "demolition" would be defined.

The proposal forwarded by the Historic Commission would increase the existing six-month demolition delay to 12 months for properties 75 years or older and to 18 months for properties listed in the city’s Cultural Resources Inventory (CSI); it also adds a demolition-by-neglect provision and a proposed definition of demolition tied to a 25% or greater change to the exterior. The subcommittee voted unanimously to send the draft back so the commission can adjust the age threshold, revisit the 25% standard and provide implementation details before the full council considers it.

Why it matters: The change would expand the set of properties subject to review before they can be demolished or substantially altered. Councilors and commission members said the draft, as written, could capture many mid-20th-century houses — particularly repetitive postwar “Campanelli” slab ranches — and would require clearer limits and data about…