Framingham Disability Commission asks AAB to press for fixes at 1296 Worcester Road elevator

The Framingham City Disability Commission voted Wednesday to send a letter to the Massachusetts Architectural Access Board (AAB) requesting more robust enforcement and follow-up on a years‑long complaint about elevator outages at 1296 Worcester Road.

The commission said the matter began with a complaint filed July 18, 2023, and that the AAB issued a written decision March 11, 2024, finding the complaint valid and ordering the respondent to provide outage logs and inspection reports. Commission members said subsequent AAB deadlines produced little visible progress and that the AAB’s executive director, William Joyce, sent a January 14, 2025, notice asking the respondent to report within 14 days on steps taken and any outages over 60 minutes in the prior 60 days.

Why it matters: Residents who rely on elevators for daily access can be effectively housebound when equipment repeatedly fails. The commission framed the letter as a request that the AAB pursue enforcement steps, including escalation to a fine hearing if the AAB determines that is appropriate.

Commissioners discussed the chronology at length and repeatedly noted the duration of the problem. “This has been going on for two years,” Commissioner Tyler Trossi said during debate, urging action. Commissioners also said the AAB has been short‑staffed recently, which has complicated enforcement.

The commission approved a motion to send a general letter urging the AAB to move the matter forward and to consider escalation if the respondent does not remedy the outages. The motion passed in a roll‑call vote: yes — Tyler Trossi, Meagan Todd, Susie Santone, Michael Higgins, Cheryl Goldstein, Dennis Moran; abstain — Catherine Cuddy. The commission asked any tenants at 1296 Worcester Road who have records of outages to submit written accounts to the commission to support enforcement.

Next steps: Commissioners said they will draft the letter with the AAB timeline and dates of prior AAB actions, and that staff at the AAB can be asked to inspect the building’s current elevator status. The commission set a two‑week window in its discussion as a reasonable time to expect an AAB response to the January 14 notice and said it would follow up if the AAB did not act.

Context: AAB decisions cited by the commission referenced potential fines of up to $1,000 per day for noncompliance and required respondents to provide inspection and outage documentation. The commission’s letter asks the AAB to clarify next enforcement steps and to confirm whether the agency has received additional documentation from the building owner.