Current access to the Charles River Overlook is via the Town of Medfield land, but the Land Disposition Agreement that the town negotiated with the state gives the town the option to require the state to build a new access road to the park area across the land the state kept to the west of the Medfield State Hospital site, if the town feels continuing the easement would depress the value of the town land, and so notifies the state.
Some worked to have Senator Timilty add $150,000 to the budget this year to go towards that new road, but the Governor vetoed that earmark and it was not one that was overridden. Below is an explanation in an email exchange by Bill Massaro and Senator Timilty’s staff person.
The Governor’s veto of the $150K earmark intended for DCAMM design/construction of the Overlook Parking Lot access was not overridden.
As I had stated in my previous background info e-mail on the Governor’s veto, loss of the earmark does not change DCAMM’s obligations under the LDA, and does not affect the Town’s deadline to notify DCAMM by 1 Dec 2016 if the town wants the permanent general public access to the State-owned Overlook on State-owned land and not on Town-owned MSH land.
Given the loss of the earmark and given their 3 year (by 1 Dec 2019) construction window under the LDA , there is no immediate incentive for DCAMM to begin design/engineering and construction in FY 2017… but likely pushing it out closer to the end of into the 3-year window and uncertainties of 2019’s budget
Accordingly, I have asked that the Senator’s office consider trying again when the FY 2018 budget process starts..
Bill
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From: “Molly Sullivan (SEN)” <Molly.Sullivan@masenate.gov>
Sent: Monday, August 1, 2016 4:59:21 PM
Subject: RE: Override Status– Medfield Access Earmark
Hi Bill,
Sorry it took me a bit to get back to you. The Senate was in very late last night, as you saw in the Globe, so I took today off, but I wanted to get you an answer!
Unfortunately, the veto by the Governor was not overridden. Senator Timilty did file a similar amendment in for the roadway in the Senate’s Economic Development bill as well. We got it in the Senate bill but it looks like it did not survive the conference committee.
Senator Timilty and I know how important this is, and we will keep trying to get some funding anyway we can! But of course we can keep it on the radar for FY18 as well. Even though we didn’t get the funding this year, its great for it to be on the legislature’s radar.
Let me know if I can do anything else for you all! Hope you are all having a great summer!!
Best,
Molly
From: wmassaro@comcast.net [wmassaro@comcast.net]
Sent: Monday, August 01, 2016 12:35 PM
To: Sullivan, Molly (SEN)
Cc: Harney, John; Thompson, John
Subject: Re: Override Status– Medfield Access Earmark
Hi Molly,
Saw in the Globe that the FY 17 budget veto override efforts completed late last night and that several earmarks had been re-instated. I would like to be able to tell the Medfield Selectmen and the Hospital Reuse Committee what happened to Medfield’s $150K for the Overlook Access road.
With or without the earmark the Town ‘s & DCAMM’s responsibilities under the December 2, 2014 Land Disposition Agreement are unchanged:
– The Town must notify DCAMM by 1 December 2016 if it wants the permanent access road built on State Land
– If notified DCAMM must construct the road by 1 December 2019
If the override has failed for FY 2017, I suspect that when the Town makes the Dec 2016 “relocate the road” notification DCAMM will likely delay design/construction as far into 2019 as they can. Keeping an FY 2018 earmark on the radar would still be beneficial
Thanks,
Bill
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