Framingham's Town Hall, the Memorial Building

FRAMINGHAM, MA - The Framingham Town Manager's Office has announced that all public meetings normally scheduled at the Memorial Building, (Town Hall), will be held at the Callahan Senior Center for a period estimated to last up to six weeks beginning June 21, 2010.

The Callahan Senior Center is located at 535 Union Avenue, Framingham, MA, (approximately 1.1 miles north on Union Ave from the Memorial Building).

Board of Selectmen and Planning Board meetings will not be broadcast live on the Government Channel in those weeks.

The relocation of meetings is necessary due to an elevator improvement upgrade approved at the 2009 Annual Town Meeting. While the elevator is being renovated, meeting rooms and offices inside the Memorial Building will not be accessible, which is a Federal American with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirement. Once the elevator upgrade is complete, meetings will return to the Memorial Building.

Individuals needing to conduct business at offices within the Memorial Building (Town Hall) who cannot safely access the building are asked to contact the intended office directly, in advance, to set an appointment to meet either at the Police Department or Library. Both of these buildings are easily accessible and located in close proximity to the Memorial Building. Individuals who arrive at the Memorial Building and have not set an appointment in advance should go into the Police Department’s Union Street entrance and request that a clerk contact the specific office they need. If customers cannot reach the office they need to conduct business with, please contact the Town Manager’s Office at (508) 532-5400 for assistance.

Another project planned for completion this summer will enhance handicap accessibility to the Memorial Building offices and meetings, and will facilitate uninterrupted access during times the elevator is unavailable. This project is an accessibility ramp that will be located on the Union Street side of the Memorial Building and will connect the back parking lot to that side entrance. Immediately inside this entrance is the Town Manager’s Office and Ablondi Conference Room, where Board of Selectmen meetings are held. Town Manager Julian Suso said, “We are indeed fortunate to have such a treasured, historical building in downtown. Improving accessibility to the Memorial Building for all Framingham residents is something that is long overdue. We thank the Board of Selectmen and Town Meeting for their leadership in this area.” This capital project was recently approved at the 2010 Annual Town Meeting.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding the impact of these projects on access to the Memorial Building, contact the Town Manager’s Office at (508) 532-5400, or e-mail the Assistant Town Manager David Williams at drw@framinghamma.gov

For meeting schedules, agenda, and minutes, visit: www.framinghamma.gov

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