Category Archives: Medfield State Hospital

Thistle

Posted on May 7, 2015 | Comments Off on Thistle

This from Jean Mineo –

Have you driven on Hospital Road this week and wondered what those “pink things” are?

20150516 Thistle Invite Full page

Please save the date May 16 from 2 – 4 pm to learn more and drop in for the artist’s reception for Thistle, a temporary art installation at the former State Hospital. The goal is to celebrate the purchase, invite people to explore this resource as we imagine a future use, and encourage participation in the Master Planning process.

 

 

Approximately 75 Medfield residents including our amazing Girl Scouts, Blake Middle School art students, and friends at the Council on Aging and beyond, assembled the 50 or so Thistles now on site. Maps will be provided for each volunteer to find their Thistle within the installation.

 

Above (and attached if it’s too small to read) is the invitation. The reception is free and open to the public, a walking tour of the property kicks off at 2:30. Rain date is Sunday, May 17 and a notice will be posted on MedfieldCulture.org in the event of postponement. Hope to see you there!

 

Medfield TV created a terrific video of the Thistle making process here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zF1XVxJOosc

If you no longer wish to receive notices about art related events in town, please reply with unsubscribe in the subject line.

 

Jean

 

JeanMineo@aol.com

508-242-9991

www.LinkedIn.com/in/JeanMineo

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Posted in Art, Medfield State Hospital

Thoughts on MSH as planning begins

Posted on May 4, 2015 | 2 comments

Sarah Raposa, our Town Planner, sent out the agenda for the first meeting on Wednesday with the town’s master planning consultant, VHB, for the former Medfield State Hospital site.  As part of her email, Sarah suggested that people jot down thoughts, and below are mine:

Medfield State Hospital Site – Issues to Consider at Outset of the Planning Process

1.    Clean Slate – The past discussions and the visioning session created an interesting list of ideas, but should in no way limit options going forward.

2.    Infrastructure – lots needed, and best if developers instead of town can be made to pay

3.    Natural Resources – exist in abundance, and will continue to exist in abundance even if the town opts for a dense development

4.    Environmental – site has been mainly cleaned of known hazards, except the lead paint and asbestos in the buildings

5.    Transportation – none available – shuttle to downtown and train would be ideal

6.    Historic Resources – buildings are beautiful, but likely too far gone to be preserved

7.    Arts & Culture – it would serve the town well to spend to make such uses happen

8.    Housing – will be the economic engine of any development, and if planned well, even if dense, need not be feared in terms of municipal costs and impacts

9.    Open Space & Recreation – exist in abundance, and will continue to exist in abundance even if the town opts for a dense development

2 Comments

Posted in Buildings, Development, Environmental, Medfield State Hospital, Open space, Planning, Recreation, Transportation

WIT students envision MSH possibilities

Posted on April 15, 2015 | Comments Off on WIT students envision MSH possibilities

This from Gil Rodgers –

View Three Adaptive Re-use Plans for Medfield State Hospital Designed by Wentworth Institute of Technology Students

All are invited to attend a reception and exhibition of final designs for three adaptive reuse alternatives for sections of the former Medfield State Hospital. The event will take place on Wednesday, April 22, 2015 from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM in Watson Auditorium at Wentworth Institute of Technology, 550 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02116.

Student teams will present their innovative designs based on the following major themes:

  • Independent and Assisted Living Housing
  • Mixed-Use Housing
  • Commercial and Retail Development

Student projects conducted in prior semesters developed “The Center for the Arts” that used the Lee Chapel and nearby buildings and land for a performing and visual arts center, studios, and cafes. The top design from those efforts has been coordinated with the site design for the current project.

Earlier in the year the Architecture and Construction Management students toured the hospital property. They were provided copies of the original architectural drawings and did photographic surveys. After completing initial designs, they then collaborated with Civil Engineering students to create creative and pragmatic plans for the site. In total, over 54 students worked on these projects under coordination and direction of three faculty members.

In addition to the many innovative ideas and “out-of-the-box thinking” this supplies to the Medfield State Hospital Master Plan Committee, this is an example of how the hospital re-use project offers a unique education opportunity for students from multiple disciplines to work together on a real project.

Town officials and residents are all invited to this exciting exhibition on April 22nd.

For additional information please contact Prof. Charles Cimino at 617-989-4467 / ciminoc@wit.edu, or Gil Rodgers at 617-792-0583 / gilrodgers@aol.com.

 

 

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Posted in Medfield State Hospital

VHB to do MSH planning

Posted on April 3, 2015 | Comments Off on VHB to do MSH planning

VHB has been awarded the contract to do the planning for the former Medfeild State Hospital site, for $193,700.  The following are the payment terms from the contract:
PROPOSER:     Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.
101 Walnut Street
Watertown, Massachusetts  02472

PROJECT: Consultant Services for MSH Strategic Reuse Master Plan
Price
Phase I – Create Conceptual Plans & Economic
Analysis for the Land Reuse                                                          $100,000

Phase II – Develop Zoning Modifications and Design Guidelines       $ 40,500

Phase III -Disposition Plan                                                            $  53,200

Total of All Phases                                                                            $193,70o’

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Posted in Medfield State Hospital

Make art this Sat. at 2PM

Posted on March 26, 2015 | Comments Off on Make art this Sat. at 2PM

The Thistle project is community made art that will be installed this spring at the former Medfield State Hospital site.  A thistle is the pink prickly thing on the table in the photo, which are easily made with simple instructions.  The thistles will be wrapped around trees at the MSH site.

Jean Mineo invited you to her event
Thistle Making Workshop
Saturday, March 28 at 2:00pm
Medfield Public Library in Medfield, Massachusetts
Join
Maybe
Decline
Free and open to the public, drop in for as long as you like. All materials provided. “Thistles” is an art installation made from plastic cable ties, wrapped around trees. You are invited to learn how

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Posted in Art, Cultural, Entertainment, Events, Medfield State Hospital

Thistle coming to MSH

Posted on February 26, 2015 | Comments Off on Thistle coming to MSH

Thistle: a temporary art project at Medfield State Hospital
Submitted by Jean Mineo, Art in Public Places, a Medfield Foundation Inc. initiative

Exhibition dates: May – October, 2015

 

2015-02-26_14-58-24
THISTLE
Thistle is a temporary outdoor exhibition of plastic “collars”, installed around tree trunks as a tribute to trees. It is based on a piece the artist created for an ancient apple tree in her backyard. The project first became public in 2011 with nine bands installed as part of Art in the Park, in historic Elm Park (Worcester).

Evans realized the celebratory appropriateness of both the bright pink color and form. The Long Horned Beetle infestation had forced the removal of 28,000 trees, leaving both parks and people devastated. These bands of “Thistles” gave the trees a very distinct look of celebration as victors of the blight. Other installations have occurred in Concord, Stockbridge, Providence, RI and Stowe,
VT.

Each Thistle band is customized in size to the tree, made of plastic hardware cloth and ties, and affixed around the tree by tying the ends of the band together. The tree is not harmed and the bands are easily removed at the end.

MEDFIELD STATE HOSPITAL
An installation of up to 24 Thistles is proposed for the trees lining Hospital Road and within the adjacent open space. Volunteers will be asked to adopt and assemble a Thistle (with instruction from Evans). The artist will run a workshop at Zullo Gallery in March, installation is proposed for May – October.

The goal is to draw attention to the open space at the front of the property and engage people in thinking about the property in a new way (other than a hospital). Funding will be sought from the Cultural Council and sponsors. No additional insurance is needed.

THE ARTIST
Catherine Evans is a Boston based artist. Her art deals with the repurposing of common objects; transforming everyday materials into the powerful, and the unordinary; stretching preconceived notions about that object. Multiples and repetition are an important part of her work. http://www.CatherineEvansArt.com

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Posted in Art, Cultural, Medfield Foundation, Medfield State Hospital

MSH-MPC

Posted on January 16, 2015 | Comments Off on MSH-MPC

The Medfield State Hospital Master Planning Committee received nine submissions seeking to win the contract to perform the master planning for the town regarding the re-use of the former MSH site.  This was part of the emailed notification from the town planner, Sarah Raposa, this afternoon to the committee members.  The selection is soon and the plans are then due in about six months.  –

The following is a list of proposals that have been received by the Town as of the noon deadline on January 16, 2015. Please review the RFQ and selection criteria and use the attached form for evaluation. See you at the next Committee meeting on Wednesday, January 21, 2015 for shortlisting the Proposers.

 

Due to the number of proposals received, I’ve randomly assigned 3-4 proposals for each member (excluding Teresa as she is abstaining from voting). Feel free to review more if you like. You will receive 10 evaluation sheets in your packet, the RFQ, and an addendum which clarified references.

 

  • Community Opportunities Group (PC, DP, RK)
  • DEI (GR, PC, DP)
  • Touloukian Touloukian (KR, RC, SB)
  • Architerra (KR, PC, GR)
  • Priciple+ (GR, DP, SB)
  • Dodson Flinker – Brovitz (SN, DP, RK)
  • VHB (SN, RC, RK)
  • Gateway Planning (SN, RC, KR)
  • The Cecil Group (KR, GR, RK)

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Posted in Medfield State Hospital, Planning

PIPELINE public art project

Posted on January 9, 2015 | Comments Off on PIPELINE public art project

Email today from Jean Mineo about the re-use of the old MSH water pumps (MSH originally got its water from Farm Pond in Sherborn) in an art installation, called the PIPELINE public art project.  The entries look to me to be really inventive and fun –

Hi Richard and Pete, (cc: Mark FYI),

I’m excited to announce that we have received 10 proposals for the PIPELINE public art project and I’d appreciate your help inviting the public to comment on the ideas before Jan. 30. Images and descriptions of the proposals are in the library lobby and on-line at https://culture2015.wordpress.com.

All comments will be shared with the Selection Committee who will select one winner to receive a $1,000 stipend provided by the Rockland Trust Charitable Foundation.

Background information about the pumps and the park can be found at http://MedfieldCulture.org/2014/11/25/ideas-competition-pipeline/

I’m excited about the variety of ideas and that strong proposals came from two Medfield residents and others from Boston, MN, Iowa, CA, TX and even Algeria. Now we want to hear from the public about their preferences and what they think would work best at that property.

Thanks for your help in spreading the word!

Jean

JeanMineo@aol.com

508-242-9991

www.LinkedIn.com/in/JeanMineo

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Posted in Art, Cultural, Medfield State Hospital

Master plan

Posted on December 22, 2014 | 1 comment

Currently the town is doing master planning for the redevelopment of the former MSH site, and also needs to also do a town wide master plan.  I was recently asking Sarah Raposa, the Town Planner, whether there is an opportunity at present to combine both needed planning processes into one.  She suggested that where we have already put out an RFP to select a planner for the MSH site, that it would now be better to complete the planning for the MSH site as a separate process from the town wide master plan.  Teresa James who has an employment history with a planning firm, counseled that much of what is developed for the MSH site will actually be useable in the town wide master plan.

As part of our discussion, I admitted my general lack on knowledge about the whole planning process, and so she sent me a link to the Town of Marshfield’s website on its master planning,which contains a nice summary of master planning.  This is the description from that site:

What is a Master Plan?

A Master Plan:

  • Tells a community what it looks like today and what direction it has decided it wants to go for the future; it includes assessments of existing resources and issues, projections of future conditions and needs, and consideration of collective goals and desires.
  • Is a policy guide and provides a framework for future land use decision-making and the physical development of the municipality. While the emphasis is on buildings and infrastructure, it does not ignore the important social, natural resource and economic values of the community. The master plan is a method of translating the community’s values into specific actions.
  • Covers a time frame of about 10-20 years; it is assumed that shorter-term reviews will keep it current with the changing needs of the community.
  • Is closely integrated with other municipal planning documents and initiatives, for example in Marshfield the recently completed Open Space and Recreation Plan.

The Master Plan is NOT a zoning bylaw, a subdivision regulation, a budget, a capital improvement program or other regulatory document. It is meant to provide the framework for the development of these plan implementation tools.

What is involved in preparing a Master Plan?

  • The Planning Board will be overseeing the master planning process
  • Public outreach and meetings
  • Data collection and analysis that will ultimately be rolled into the Master Plan document
  • Preparation of the chapters of the plan (sometimes called plan elements)
  • New implementation plan.

Information and data are gathered from the other prior planning studies, while current views and opinions are being collected through community events where residents are invited to provide inputs. Other sources include data provided from state census data, and mapping data provided by one of the consulting teams.

What are the major sections of the Master Plan document?

  • Community Vision and Goals and Policies Statement
  • History
  • Land Use
  • Housing
  • Economic Development
  • Open Space and Recreation
  • Natural, Cultural and Historic Resources
  • Transportation
  • Capital Facilities
  • Climate Change Adaptation Strategies (prepared by students from the University of Massachusetts Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning)
  • Implementation Plan

1 Comment

Posted in Medfield State Hospital, Planning

Medfield Wonderland???

Posted on December 18, 2014 | 4 comments

Also from Megan Sullivan this morning, an idea that appeals to me  –

Here’s a cultural idea…..how about the town of Medfield runs this at the state hospital to support the foundation?

http://milliswonderland.com/
Megan B. Sullivan

 

Last Year for Millis Wonderland
Holiday Pageant To Be Gifted to a Worthy Nonprofit

Recently, the Meehan family made the decision to give Millis Wonderland and all its assets (1,200 animations, 45 glass-encased floats, 100,000 lights, and all supporting equipment) to a suitable nonprofit after this season.   The critical factor in the gifting will be the charity’s pledge to use the assets for the celebration of Christmas and benefit of the community.   Essential, too, will be the nonprofit’s assurance that it will operate the display at its chosen new site for a significant span of years.

4 Comments

Posted in Medfield Foundation, Medfield State Hospital