Category Archives: Medfield State Hospital

MSH photos

Posted on October 6, 2015 | Comments Off on MSH photos

A couple of weeks ago while jogging I met Victor Cevoli at Medfield State Hospital and struck up a conversation with him because I had noticed him taking photographs.  I explained to him the town’s process to figure out what to do with the MSH. and that it was likely that many if not most of the buildings at MSH would have to be demolished due to their advanced stage of decay, and that the town would love to see his photographs to document what had been at the site.

Vic in turn explained to me that he had always been interested in photography, that he had headed the creative department at Hill Holiday, that his son made documentary films, and that he found the MSH site inspiring for his photography.

Vic was also kind enough to share some of his photographs with me, and to allow me to share them with others.  I uploaded the PDF Vic sent to me, and recommend that you look at the photos there, as I found that they look much sharper and more precise than the jpg files I created and inserted below.

20151006-victor cevoli-mhs_10_15a

20151006-victor cevoli-mhs_10_15a_Page_1 20151006-victor cevoli-mhs_10_15a_Page_2 20151006-victor cevoli-mhs_10_15a_Page_3 20151006-victor cevoli-mhs_10_15a_Page_4 20151006-victor cevoli-mhs_10_15a_Page_5 20151006-victor cevoli-mhs_10_15a_Page_6 20151006-victor cevoli-mhs_10_15a_Page_7 20151006-victor cevoli-mhs_10_15a_Page_8

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Posted in Medfield State Hospital

Harding Street sidewalk needed

Posted on September 29, 2015 | Comments Off on Harding Street sidewalk needed

Letter received today about sidewalks on Harding Street –

To Medfield Board of Selectmen,

As a resident of Hospital Road I was dismayed when I recently watched the July 21 selectman’s meeting on Medfield TV where the prospect of adding sidewalk access into town via Harding Street was discussed but it was concluded that it should be put on the “back burner”.  If there is one place where a sidewalk has been long over due and needs to be seriously addressed it is the Harding area now more than ever.  As it stands the only safe access to the athletic fields, sledding hill and the hospital property is by car due to the dangerous intersection at Hospital Road and Harding Street as well as the sharp curve on Harding that follows into town.  This should be a troubling fact given that this area is one of the most popular and heavily traveled destinations by thousands of residents and children year round.  To continue to ignore the existing need for sidewalk for this area is extremely poor planning in the least and will not be cost effective in the long run as it is inevitable that accessibility to the area is going to need to be improved due to the development we know will happen.

Currently there are only scattered sidewalks on the north side of Medfield and none of them lead to a destination point with the exception of the Hospital Road sidewalk.  As a result it would make sense to find a way to continue that sidewalk into town and there are a few workable options other than installing a sidewalk directly down Harding Street to North Street which would involve wetland issues.  If a sidewalk could be continued from Hospital Road down Harding Street to the north side of West Mill (where the trees are set back) and then up to Adams Street and into town that would give access not only to the Senior Center and Kingsbury Club but also the Memorial/Dale St schools.  Another scenario would be to utilize the current sidewalk on Copperwood Road and at the end of the cul de sac have a sidewalk only cut through to Ice House Road and then West Mill to Adams.  As Ken Feeney brought up in the meeting a sidewalk installation on Adams Street would be less of a problem as the houses and poles are already set back.  However, with both these scenarios the intersection at Adams and West Mill would have to be reconfigured to make it safer to cross as would the fork at North and Harding if that sidewalk option were to be pursued.

As stated previously the Hospital Road sidewalk is the only sidewalk on the north side of town that actually leads to a destination and as a result it sustains heavy use.  Now that the town owns the land and is in charge of the maintenance of the sidewalk it would be extremely helpful to the many residents who walk that way on a daily basis to have the overgrowth cleared from the sidewalk near the stone gate entrance and in front of the old Harding house as now the sidewalk is impassable at that point.  Also, during the winter months the Hospital Road sidewalk is never plowed so it is completely unusable for any residents who still want to get out and take a walk, walk their dogs or more importantly for the children who want to access the sledding hill safely without having to walk in the busy road.  If that can be addressed as well it would be greatly appreciated.

I hope you will reconsider a sidewalk proposal for the Harding area and put ideas and planning on the front burner as it would not only be an improvement to the quality of life but it is a safety issue that needs to be addressed and is long overdue.

Thank you for your time and consideration

Tracey Hogan

20 Hospital Road

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Posted in Medfield State Hospital, Planning

Developers to MSH-MPC

Posted on September 24, 2015 | Comments Off on Developers to MSH-MPC

The Medfield State Hospital Master Planning Committee ran a program to have a few of its members meet with and talk to developers, in order to get feedback from the developers.  The MSH-MPC has just reported on the outcome of that meeting in its e-newsletter today (a copy attached below).

Lee Chapel

Developers Roundtable

On August 11th the Medfield State Hospital Master Planning Committee (MSHMPC) held a “developers roundtable” wherein real estate developers and other interested parties were brought together to see and discuss the project. The purpose of this initial outreach step was to create awareness of the property and the opportunities presented in the eventual master plan, and to refine the plan in response to input received from the development community.  The VHB team organized this step in concert with the Town earlier in the process than originally anticipated as it was originally part of the Phase III scope.

Invited professionals were from New Atlantic Development, North Hill, LCB Senior Living, Beacon Communities, Gilbane Construction, The Design Build Group, Helios Construction Corp., and The Pinehills.

This event included a driving tour through the study area (Lot 3 and Hinckley property off Ice House Road, McCarthy Park, Sledding Hill, Core Campus) and a presentation by VHB regarding the process and draft study scenarios followed by a roundtable discussion and Q&A session.

During the driving tour the developers had questions about available utilities and infrastructure capacity. The developers were astute and knew the Medfield market. They considered the best uses for the property to be residential types (senior, single-family, townhouses, apartments) and continuing care retirement communities. They had insightful comments during the roundtable and shared information about their experiences developing other communities and what the area could offer. Site remediation was a major theme, and knowing actual demolition costs and infrastructure upgrades are essential.

In summary the developers offered their suggestions for marketable uses that could be part of the reuse master plan. On the tour and at the meeting there was plenty of discussion about the unique site at Medfield State Hospital  and its development challenges: the size of the site, the availability of utilities, the need for substantial improvements and what to do with the standing buildings.

Many expressed the importance of creating certainty by having a concise plan and process with flexible guidelines.

All the developers were impressed with the beauty of the land and the need to incorporate open space as part of a fully integrated master plan. They were impressed with the Town of Medfield leading the way with what it wants to preserve and use and the kind of development it favors for the site.
To sign up for our weekly email blasts, get more information,or schedule a MSHMPC representative to speak with your Club or Organization please contact Sarah Raposa, Medfield Town Planner at sraposa@medfield.net

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Posted in Medfield State Hospital

MSH aerial tour

Posted on September 23, 2015 | Comments Off on MSH aerial tour

This aerial drone tour of the MSH is provided by Peter Hinkley and done to Carmina Burana, which is near and dear to my heart as I sang it in high school.  It the outset of the video one gets a good look at the new water tower and note the wedge shaped pieces of steel stacked up on the ground that will become its roof.

Peter Hinkley says “First flight since the lake incident” which lets the mind imagine all sorts of water-drone disaster scenarios.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yv6OpExMpFI&feature=youtu.be

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Posted in Medfield State Hospital

MSH tour 9/13 at 4PM

Posted on September 9, 2015 | 2 comments

Walking Tour Available! John Thompson has generously agreed to host another walking tour of the MSH property on Sunday, September 13, 2015 at 4:00pm and should last until approximately 5:30pm. Meet at the main entrance by the security trailers. Parking is available across the street from the property on the top of the sledding hill (Hospital Road). Sorry – it won’t include the C&D Area/Canoe Launch.

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Posted in Medfield State Hospital

Survey #3 extended through 9/8 & 9/16 public meeting postponed

Posted on September 3, 2015 | Comments Off on Survey #3 extended through 9/8 & 9/16 public meeting postponed

Medfield State Hospital Master Plan Committee Update

We are postponing the Wednesday, September 16, 2015 Community Meeting. The new date will be announced shortly.

Don’t forget – Survey #3 is in process! We are extending the deadline to Tuesday, September 8, 2015. Please take it if you haven’t already done so – and share it with your friends, family and neighbors.

Lee Chapel

The Survey Link & Walking Tour

We thank everyone who participates in our Surveys for taking a few minutes of your time to make your voice heard.

SURVEY #3 LINK:  Click HERE to take the survey.

Walking Tour Available! John Thompson has generously agreed to host another walking tour of the MSH property on Sunday, September 13, 2015 at 4:00pm and should last until approximately 5:30pm. Meet at the main entrance by the security trailers. Parking is available across the street from the property on the top of the sledding hill (Hospital Road). Sorry – it won’t include the C&D Area/Canoe Launch.

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Posted in Medfield State Hospital

MSH-MPC public meeting #2 on 9/16

Posted on September 1, 2015 | Comments Off on MSH-MPC public meeting #2 on 9/16

In the words of former Governor Rick Perry of Texas, “oops.”  The second MSH public meeting is on 9/16, not 9/13 as I posted earlier.  Thank you Megan Sullivan for noticing.

In my defense, I just copied the MSH-MPC notice from my CAMEO email. If anyone reading this is connected to the Medfield Cultural Alliance, please change the date on your website.

And if you are not getting the CAMEO emails from the Medfield Cultural Alliance, you should sign up for them here, as they are great.

 

 

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Posted in Medfield State Hospital

MSH-MPC public meeting #2 on 9/16

Posted on September 1, 2015 | 6 comments

MSH Master Planning Committee Public Meeting #2

When:  September 16, 2015 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Where: Medfield High School Cafeteria
88 South Street
Medfield, MA 02052
Contact:Sarah Raposa
Medfield State Hospital Master Planning Committee Public Meeting

logo mshThe Medfield State Hospital Master Planning Committee is holding a public meeting on September 13, 6 – 9 pm at the Medfield High School Cafeteria.

More information to follow…

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Posted in Medfield State Hospital

MSH Survey #3

Posted on August 31, 2015 | Comments Off on MSH Survey #3

The third survey from the Medfield State Hospital Master Planning Committee is open through this Thursday at midnight.  This survey focuses our attention and seeks our input on four possible areas of reuse.

There were only 244 responses when i answered the survey this afternoon.

This is Bill Massaro’s emailed description of survey #3:

 

Survey #3 on what you would like to see done with the Hospital property is now open through midnight on Thursday Sep 3..  Here’s the link:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MedStateSurvey_3

Where Survey# 2 asked for your opinion on the top  “Dream” reuse alternatives from Survey #1–Recreation, Sports, Park, Open Space, Senior/Young Adult/Starter Family Homes—this new survey asks residents to rate opinion statements on some of Survey#1’s  less common “Dream” suggestion alternatives:

  • Hospitality-Related:   Inn/Hotel, Restaurant,  Large/Small Retail (18%)
  • Arts & Culture:   Performing Arts, Galleries/Exhibition Spaces, Culinary Arts (16%)
  • Institutional:   College, Medical/Technical Research (6%)
  • Agricultural:   Community Supported Agriculture, Community Gardens, Farming (6%)

In addition to asking your opinion on these alternative uses, the Committee is hoping that Survey 3 will get you thinking about other potential opportunities and they would welcome receiving any contact information for institutions or businesses, in any category, that you would like to see there.

Please take this follow-up survey before midnight on Sep 3 and forward the link to your friends and neighbors…

Also, please mark your calendar for the second Public Information Meeting which will be held at the High School on Wed evening Sep 16.

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Posted in Medfield State Hospital

Cultural & arts at MSH

Posted on August 27, 2015 | Comments Off on Cultural & arts at MSH

There has been a lot of information developed about possible inclusion of arts and/or cultural aspects at the MSH site.  Early on there was a highly polished, thoughtful, and well developed Cultural Visioning Presentation made to the MSH-MPC (see copy here).  There is also the nearby example of the Hopkinton Center for the Arts, which seems to be doing extremely interesting things in a town with similar demographics.

Earlier this month I asked one of the foremost proponents of integrating cultural and arts at the MSH site, Jean Mineo, about the issues, and she shared with me the following email:

Hi Pete,

Thanks for asking!

Louise Stevens, the consultant who met with us in December suggested the following to support our efforts considering where we were at the time:

  • Work with the Medfield and surrounding arts and cultural organizations and individual creative sector entrepreneurs to determine the ways in which the facility(ies) can meet needs and growth plans/opportunities:
  • Review of other prospective users from the creative sector within New England, done through on-line surveying distributed broadly to the cultural sector through available list serves, to determine if organizations and entrepreneurs from outside the Medfield area might potentially move to the campus.
  • Review of the facility in the context of space needs to determine viability and fit.
  • Comparison analysis of similar facilities (adaptive reuse of church buildings) and campuses (historic campuses) for the purpose of developing budgetary models as well as models of annual visitation/use, revenue sources, programming, and impacts on tourism and local economy.
  • Market analysis and competitive analysis to determine the geographic service area and niche for the proposed cultural center.
  • Gap analysis within a market area (size to be determined) to evaluate what could best fit into the facilities/grounds.
  • Partnership analysis to determine other potential synergistic user groups/uses.
  • Programming, financial, operating, staffing and governance modeling.
  • (Potentially) essential cost estimates for capital planning purposes.

This estimate at the time was $24,000 but she already did part of this when she met with us for the full day, and we’ve done some of this on our own. In addition, we’d now collaborate with VHB who could be helpful in the cost estimates. I’ve had follow up conversations with Louise about our progress. That’s where my estimate of $10-20k comes from. I think we’d be closer to the $10k if we are able to coordinate with VHB. If this happens after they are done with their analysis part, the price may get closer to the $15-20 range.

Gil and I read her work / plan she completed with the Hopkinton Center for the Arts and were both very impressed. The plan is the reason why they were able to raise $450k from the MA Cultural Facilities Fund. I’d say that’s a sound investment. The issue with funders (I’ve spoken to three about funding this) is that they have no commitment that culture will be included at this time.

If the preferred plan indicates SOME area / portion of MSH for culture, we (or the town) could apply for a grant from MA Cultural Facilities Fund (2014 deadline was Nov. 21), grants are announced the following March. Timing is definitely an issue when working with funding agencies. I’m not entirely comfortable with that strategy however, without some back up like the proposed market analysis. Louise also has a track record of finding partners on these projects – a valuable skill for us. However, I am open to using another consultant.

I know it’s not chump change – but it also seems like a small investment if we sincerely want something different from the MSH project and for our town.

I appreciate your helping to think about this and I’m happy to talk to anyone or present to anyone –

Jean

508-242-9991

JeanMineo@aol.com

@JeanRMineo

www.LinkedIn.com/in/JeanMineo

 

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Posted in Art, Cultural, Medfield State Hospital