This is the current VHB design for crosswalks at the North & Harding roundabout that Select Board requested at our July meeting. Crosswalks were not part of the original design. In initial discussions I asked VHB to position the roundabout so as to leave enough space between the roundabout and the stone wall to allow for a sidewalk there. VHB did and that sidewalk is shown in the lower left of this plan.
Posted in Medfield State Hospital, Planning, Safety, Transportation
(6) The Town shall restrict development on Parcel B to approximately 12 acres
of Parcel B. Prior to disposition or redevelopment of any portion of Parcel B
and in any event no later than two (2) years after the conveyance of Parcel B
to the Town, the Town shall place an Agricultural Preservation Restriction
upon the remainder of Parcel B, containing approximately 27.877 acres, in
accordance with the provisions of the letter dated December 16, 2008 from
the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, a copy of which is
attached to this Agreement as Exhibit J.
(7) On or before the date which is one (1) year after the conveyance of Parcel A
and Parcel B to the Town, the Town shall place an Agricultural Preservation
Restriction upon the property known as the “Holmquist Property” in
accordance with the provisions of said letter from the Massachusetts
Department of Agricultural Resources .
(B) Survival/Enforcement. . . . in the
event that the Town does not establish the Agricultural Preservation Restriction on
Parcel B or the “Holmquist Property” in accordance with clause (A)(6) and (7),
respectively, above or require a purchaser of Parcel B or the “Holmquist Property” to
do the same, the Commonwealth may cause title to Parcel B to revert to the
Commonwealth by (i) giving written notice to the Town which notice shall state that if
the Town does not establish said Agricultural Preservation Restriction within ninety (90)
days of said notice, the Commonwealth may record with the Norfolk Registry of Deeds
a notice stating that title to Parcel B has reverted to the Commonwealth. Upon
satisfaction by the Town of the Town’s Surviving Covenants set forth in Section 6(A)(6)
NB – 1. No Obligation to Designate the 12 Acres & 2. No Fear of Reverter If Not Designated Due to 90 Day Notice & Opportunity to Cure – i.e – we would designate the 12 acres during the 90 days provided to cure after getting any notice.
Comments Off on What the 2013 MSH LDA Says Re the 12 Acres on Parcel B
Posted in Development, Information, Medfield State Hospital, State, Town Meeting
Comments Off on Town, Trinity, & MSH Get Additional $4.5m. State Grant
January 9, 2026 in Development, Medfield State Hospital, State
1922 NHC map – I was interested to see the “Poor Farm” and “Death’s Bridge” – latter apparently was the family’s name.
There are lots and lots of horses at the former Medfield State Hospital today as the Norfolk Hunt Club is running what I learned is called a Pace. I saw that the riders start at intervals and I was told they try to ride the many mile course through Medfield, Dover and Sherborn at the “right pace,” alternately walking, cantering, and galloping depending on the trail conditions. I understood that the target pace may even vary depending upon the level of expertise of the riders.
I was struck by the vast variety of horses – strikingly different markings, colors, and most surprising to me sizes.
This is one of my historic photos of the NHC’s drag hunt at Thanksgiving – today no one is dressed up in that finery and there are way, way more horses.
Comments Off on Norfolk Hunt Club PACE today at MSH
Posted in Medfield State Hospital, Norfolk Hunt Club
The spectacular fringe tree that sits atop the front Great Lawn at the former Medfield State Hospital site was blooming last weekend when I went by, but this year it is not as full of blooms and as robust looking as it has been in the past.
Posted in Medfield State Hospital
Monday at the annual town meeting (ATM) Steve Dragotakes asked about what town owned land was currently for sale, and Select Board chair Murby mentioned the land at the former Medfield State Hospital site known as Parcel B which is South of Hospital Road where a basketball facility was recently proposed – shown as The South Field on the above plan.
For me the primary town property I would like to see monetized first is not that Parcel B which are beautiful open fields and woods, but rather the land that the Medfield State Hospital Master Planning Committee called The Arboretum. The Arboretum is about 12 acres that contains the former employee homes around the Stonegate entrance (the entrance nearest the downtown).
I suggest the town should first seek to sell The Arboretum after the Trinity Financial project is built, as then The Arboretum land will substantially increase in value. In the interim, I would suggest that the town change the zoning on that land from the sparse density the Medfield State Hospital Master Planning Committee placed on it, so as to permit more dense development and add more to its sale value.
We all want to preserve open space, but to me the open space I treasure at the former Medfield State Hospital site are the fields surrounding the already built areas, and I am not bothered by building greater density in the already built areas.
I see Old Village Square off of RTE 27 as a model for the density and curb appeal of what could go in The Arboretum. Old Village Square nets the town a large net profit of real estate taxes over municipal costs each year – maybe $600,000/year. The Arboretum developed in a similar manner could add maybe $1,000,000/year to our tax base without much town cost. My path to lowering our high residential real estate taxes is more via building housing that has minimal municipal costs, instead of looking to more business, commercial or industrial development – which few developers seem to want to locate in Medfield.
Soles of Medfield is an inclusive community group of runners of all distances and all paces. Learn more at www.solesofmedfield.run
Comments Off on New Life & Soles 5K – 4/27
Posted in Medfield State Hospital, New Life Furniture Bank of MA, Soles of Medfield, Sports, Trails
Comments Off on ONYX presentation hand out as a PDF
Posted in Bellforge Arts Center, Buildings, Development, Medfield Park & Recreation Commission, Medfield State Hospital, Select Board matters
Last night ONYX Partners Ltd. (Anton Melchionda of Dover) presented the following proposal to a joint meeting of the Select Board, Warrant Committee, and Medfield Park & Recreation Commission.
Points from my notes:
My initial thoughts:
Medfield Select Board member
I started this blog to share the interesting and useful information that I saw while doing my job as a Medfield select board member. I thought that my fellow Medfield residents would also find that information interesting and useful as well. This blog is my effort to assist in creating a system to push the information out from the Town House to residents. Let me know if you have any thoughts on how it can be done better.
For information on my other job as an attorney (personal injury, civil litigation, estate planning and administration, and real estate), please feel free to contact me at 617-969-1500 or Osler.Peterson@OslerPeterson.com.
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PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 4, 2026
MEDFIELD STATE HOSPITAL CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE DUE TO CONSTRUCTION
[Medfi eld], [March 4, 2026] - On March 3, 2026, at a duly called and posted Select Board Meeting, the Select Board unanimously voted to close the Medfi eld State Hospital grounds to the public eff ective Thursday, March 5th at 7am until further notice.
Phase I construction is underway at the Medfi eld State Hospital campus as part of planned utility and intersection improvements. Installation of new underground sewer, drainage, and electrical infrastructure in these areas is expected to continue through April 2026. Access restrictions are being put in place to protect residents, visitors, and dogs from potential injury related to ongoing construction activities.
The Select Board agreed to revisit this determination again at their next meeting scheduled for March 17th.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Brittney Franklin, Medfi eld Assistant Town Administrator/Public Information Coordinator e: bfranklin@medfi eld.net
p: 508-906-3012
459 Main Street, Medfi eld www.town.medfi eld.net
X (formally Twitter): @TownofMedfi eld](https://medfield02052.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/closure-of-msh-press-release.docx.jpg)
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