Monthly Archives: September 2013

Special town meeting 10/7

Posted on September 20, 2013 | Comments Off on Special town meeting 10/7

Medfield is having a special town meeting (STM) on 10/7 at 7:30 PM at the MHS gym, to discuss three articles.

  1. whether to accept for free the transfer from the state of 5-6 acres at the Medfield State Hospital site on which to locate a new water tower and the existing Medfield State Hospital tubular well fields (located across the railroad tracks, off Colonial Drive).  The water tower land includes and surrounds the old existing water tower, which water tower is too low compared to the other Mt. Nebo water tower and too old to warrant repairing.  This land transfer is part of the mediated resolution of the Medfield State Hospital environmental clean up dispute that was successfully mediated over the past year by a town committee with DCAMM, to a win-win solution.
  2. appropriating monies to plan the new water tower.
  3. whether to exercise the town’s right of first refusal to buy the 30 acre Kenny land that stretches between Phillips and Foundary Streets.  The Kenny land has been paying lower property taxes as Massachusetts General Laws c. 61  forest land, in exchange for which the town gets a right of first refusal when the land comes out of the forest designation, which is now happening.  There is a purchase and sale agreement for $1.4 m. from about 18 months ago and now the buyers have an approved subdivision for 7 house lots.  The owners recently gave the town the required notice, which triggered the town’s 120 days to effect the purchase of the property, if it chooses to do so.  The special town meeting (STM) was already happening to seek to pass the water tower and well fields articles, which are needed to move forward with the required home rule petition legislation in the legislature, so the Kenny land question is fortuitously being included in that special town meeting (STM) as well.

Last day to register to vote at the special town meeting (STM) is 9/27, and last day to register to vote in the election is 10/1.

Both topics are on the agenda for the Board of Selectmen meeting next Tuesday, 9/24/13.

Comments Off on Special town meeting 10/7

Posted in Medfield State Hospital, Open space, Permitting, Planning, Select Board matters, Town Meeting, Water & Sewer

Demo delay on 9 Causeway

Posted on September 20, 2013 | Comments Off on Demo delay on 9 Causeway

From Medfield Historical Commission –

Medfield Historical Commission

Town Hall

Medfield, MA 02052

 

 

 

 

September 18, 2013

 

Mr. John Naff, Building Commissioner

Town Hall

Medfield, MA 02052

 

Dear John:

 

After last night’s hearing and due process, the Medfield Historical Commission is invoking the demolition delay bylaw on a Techbuilt house at 9 Causeway Street owned by Greg Whelan.  The commission finds the house to be a “preferably preserved and historically significant structure.”  Therefore, no demolition permit may be issued for the house, for a period of 18 months, without the commission’s express permission.

 

The house, built about 1958, is one of the few surviving Midcentury Modern houses in Medfield, and it contributes significantly to the small Causeway Lane neighborhood of houses in that general style. Six area residents came to the hearing, and all those who spoke encouraged its preservation.

 

At the hearing, Greg Whelan said he had changed his mind and only wanted to demolish the garage; he’d keep the house and make improvements.  However, the application was to demolish the house, and we adhered to it and invoked the delay.   He said he’d come back with a counter proposal that he hoped we’d view favorably.  There is some chance that the garage was originally a carport (most Techbuilt houses came with carports to keep costs down), but if so, fuzzy or nonexistent records will make it hard to tell when it was enclosed as a garage.

 

 

Sincerely,

 

David F. Temple

 

David F. Temple, Co-Chair

cc: Board of Selectmen

Comments Off on Demo delay on 9 Causeway

Posted in Development, History

Roche Bros at Downtown Study Committee

Posted on September 20, 2013 | 2 comments

Roche Bros presented last night to the Downtown Study Committee and immediately following to the Historic District Commission.

I was quite impressed with the answers that I heard at the Downtown Study Committee to the questions that were posed.  There was a combination of real neighborliness, combined with a realism about making a busy store work in their downtown Main Street storefront location.

The facades will look so good, both front and back.  The building renovations will dress up the downtown substantially.  The living wall is still undergoing consideration for the types of plants, the bright green Main Street color scheme is not finalized, and they were open to my suggestion to somehow include a community notice element along the South Street wall, where banners were hung announcing all manner of town events when Lord’s was there.

The best news for me was how respectful and accommodating the real estate facilities person was in trying to both address all concerns and provide logical solutions – refreshing for a developer.

2 Comments

Posted in Development, Downtown

Kenny land

Posted on September 20, 2013 | Comments Off on Kenny land

Interesting meeting at the Kenny land this morning with Robin Kenny and her two potential buyers.  We all walked the land, and it is a beautiful parcel, consisting of fields on either side of a spine of woods that runs North south down the middle, with woods at the edges as well.  The houses are to be built in the woods at those edges.

They made a good case for the town not buying the land:

  • 19+ acres of the 30 acre will be protected regardless, by conservation restrictions and subdivision covenants
  • town residents will have access to the land via a right of way through the middle of the land, over the private road and trail connecting to the town’s adjoining 25 acre scout land that would be built
  • the seven houses are sited in the woods, so the field views will not be distrubed
  • property taxes to the town may well offset any education costs to the town, if the usual average of 1.5 school children per single family house rule holds
  • town saves $1.4 m. if it does not exercise its right of first refusal

Comments Off on Kenny land

Posted in Development, Open space

BoS 9/24 agenda

Posted on September 20, 2013 | Comments Off on BoS 9/24 agenda

Tuesday September 24, 2013 @ 7:00 PM

AGENDA (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

7:00 PM Kenny Property, discussion with Robin Kenny and Sean McEntee

7: 1 0 PM Review of State Hospital property with State Hospital Advisory Committee, Mediation Committee, Negotiating Committee, Enviromnental Committee

Comments Off on BoS 9/24 agenda

Posted in Select Board matters

Hydrant flushing schedule

Posted on September 19, 2013 | Comments Off on Hydrant flushing schedule

Town of Medfield (@TownofMedfield) tweeted at 5:12 PM on Thu, Sep 19, 2013:
The fall fire hydrant flushing will begin on 9/22/13. Click here to find out when we will be in your neighborhood http://t.co/oHmxzXT7dD
(https://twitter.com/TownofMedfield/status/380801541398999040)

Get the official Twitter app at https://twitter.com/download

Comments Off on Hydrant flushing schedule

Posted in Uncategorized

Hydrant flushing

Posted on September 19, 2013 | Comments Off on Hydrant flushing

Town of Medfield (@TownofMedfield) tweeted at 5:13 PM on Thu, Sep 19, 2013:
Have you ever wondered why the Town conducts fire hydrant flushing twice a year? Click here to learn why http://t.co/zMQrZXPSIZ
(https://twitter.com/TownofMedfield/status/380801756482904064)

Get the official Twitter app at https://twitter.com/download

Comments Off on Hydrant flushing

Posted in Uncategorized

Volunteer awards opens

Posted on September 18, 2013 | Comments Off on Volunteer awards opens

MEDFIELD FOUNDATION OPENS
NOMINATIONS FOR VOLUNTEER AWARDS

Do you know someone in Medfield who dedicates countless time and energy to a worthy community cause or initiative?  If so, now is your chance to nominate him or her for a Medfield Foundation volunteer award.

This year’s nomination form, due by January 31, seeks to capture information about the volunteer’s work in specific areas, including:

* Action — What does the nominee actually do in his/her capacity as a volunteer?
* Need — What community need(s) does the nominee address?
* Impact — How is nominee’s volunteer work making a difference?
* Inspiration — What makes the nominee unique or special?

Anyone interested in submitting a nomination for one of the 2014 Medfield Foundation volunteer awards can download the official form from http://www.medfieldfoundation.org/volunteer.html .  Completed forms should be e-mailed as attachments to MFiVolunteerAward@gmail.com no later than January 31.

The  MFi’s 2014 volunteer recognition reception is scheduled for 3 -5 PM on Sunday, March 23 at The Center.

In 2013, Beth Eby was recognized as the Volunteer of the Year for her work with the Medfield Food Cupboard, Katrina Simon as the Youth Volunteer of the Year for her work with the Massachusetts Alzheimer’s Association, and the first joint lifetime achievement awards went to Albert Manganello, Jr. for his work with veterans and to Ann Thompson for her work in town government.  Ten Medfield volunteers received recognition at last spring’s reception.

The Medfield Foundation, Inc. is a volunteer-run private nonprofit, tax deductible 501(c)(3) corporation created in 2001 to raises private monies for public purposes in the Town of Medfield.  The MFi allows donors to designate their donations for particular purposes.  The MFi also allows motivated groups to raise monies for Medfield purposes under the rubric of the Medfield Foundation.  To date, the MFi has raised over $1,400,000.00 for the Town of Medfield and celebrated over one hundred volunteers.

Comments Off on Volunteer awards opens

Posted in Medfield Foundation, Volunteers

New Patch editor

Posted on September 18, 2013 | Comments Off on New Patch editor

I met the new Medfield.Patch editor, Mary MacDonald, after the Board of Selectmen meeting last night.  From our conversation, I am happy to report that I sensed that she will be a good editor for the Medfield.Patch, as she struck me as being really serious about her role as a journalist.

Comments Off on New Patch editor

Posted in People

Medfield Volunteer Awards

Posted on September 18, 2013 | Comments Off on Medfield Volunteer Awards

Medfield Volunteer Awards

Nominations are now open for the 2014 Volunteer Awards

The Medfield Foundation is pleased to announce that nominations are now open for the 2014 Volunteer of the Year, Youth Volunteer of the Year, and Lifetime Achievement Award. Download the Nomination Form and follow its instructions to nominate a Medfield resident. The deadline to receive the nomination forms is January 31, 2014, and the annual reception to honor those suggested for recognition will be held at The Center at 3:00 PM on Sunday, March 23, 2014.

Comments Off on Medfield Volunteer Awards

Posted in Medfield Foundation, Volunteers