This from the State Hospital Advisory Committee’s Gil Rodgers –

Walking Tour Planned of the Medfield State Hospital Property

The State Hospital Advisory Committee (SHAC) invites you to a free tour of the buildings and campus of the former Medfield State Hospital on Sunday, November 10, 2013, starting at 2:00 PM.  The focus for this tour will be a little different than the one held on October 8, 2013 — in addition to discussion of reuse of this beautiful property, will include explanation of the extensive remediation work that is planned near the Charles River.

We will walk around the campus, visit the remediation area around the old power plant, and walk past the water tower that may soon be transferred to Medfield. This will be led by Michael Taylor, Chair of the Medfield Historic District Commission, Richard DeSorgher, Town Historian, and John Thompson Chairman of the Remediation Team for Medfield. Mike will talk about the buildings and the efforts to preserve them, Richard will discuss the history of the hospital, and John will give an update on the clean-up and restoration program.

For background information including history, maps, studies, photos, contact information, and research on other state hospitals please visit the Medfield State Hospital website:  www.MSHVision.net.  Also, check this site to see if there is any change in the schedule due to bad weather.

Plan to meet near the hospital’s security guard entrance on Hospital Road in Medfield for an interesting and important tour, discussion, and Q&A session.

I was asked what the town would do with the Medfield State Hospital site if it would to buy the property, and the following was my response –

• more housing for seniors, housing for empty nesters that does not currently much exist in town (so that they do not leave town),
• assisted living and/or a CCRC (continuing care retirement community) (like a Foxhill, North Hill or Lasell Village, 
• affordable housing so that we can get to the 10% threshold that would prevent 40B projects from locating anywhere in town, or
• replicating the Old Village Square project (27 houses with only one school child, so that when that project is completed the town will receive $600,000 a year in property taxes compared to having less that $50,000 in municipal costs).

Medfield is perfectly located to make its primary business to be the providing housing, but if housing is what we opt to use to increase our tax base, the town needs to make sure that most of any new housing has to be of a type that will not add a lot to the town budget.

http://westborough.patch.com/groups/politics-and-elections/p/so-what-parts-of-the-state-hospital-is-westborough-buying

So, What Parts of the State Hospital is Westborough Buying?

Some voters asked that question during Monday night’s special town meeting.

Posted by Michael Gelbwasser (Editor) , October 23, 2013 at 09:09 PM

 

What parts of the Westborough State Hospital site are Westborough actually buying?

Some voters asked that question during Monday night’s special town meeting before ultimately approving the borrowing of $2.2 million over 10 years, at 0 percent interest, for the deal with the state Division of Capital Asset Management.

The vote was 248-14.

“I think it’s a no-brainer to acquire the land, instead of having houses built there, as was originally proposed,” resident Dexter Blois said.

Town Manager Jim Malloy showed voters a map, and said that a “survey is being done right now.”

Hospital Road is wrong side of the map, for example, he said.

“There’s going to be some slight changes to the survey,” Malloy said.

“All you’re really looking to do is get an adequate description so the borrowing can actually happen.”

Resident Steve Doret said the town meeting warrant says about 95 acres are eyed for purchase, while the motion before voters was for about 90 acres.

“So, what happened to the five acres?” Doret asked.

Town Counsel Gregory Franks said town meeting’s role is “to authorize action, and not necessarily dictate every little detail that will happen.”

“There will be some changes to the survey that we’re working on. And we’d like to not have to come back to town meeting if it does change, and it will,” Franks said.

Earlier, Malloy noted that Westborough would have unrestricted control over the site’s redevelopment.

Westborough and state officials would look to close the deal in June 2014, Malloy said.

Special legislation would be introduced by Thanksgiving, and passed by February or March, he predicted.

Westborough plans to maintain the 12 to 13 acres of soccer fields at the lower end of the property, Malloy said.

The land deal was among five warrant articles related to the state hospital.

The other votes were:

·         Article 4 (special legislation for the purchase): passed, 230-3.

·         Article 5 (land disposition): 226-4 (defeated, at the request of selectmen).

·         Article 6 (creating a revolving fund for land sale revenue): passed, 215-11.

·         Article 7 ($50,000 from free cash for land maintenance): passed, 217-7.

WESTBORO — Special town meeting voters Monday night approved the $2.2 million acquisition of approximately 90 acres of the former Westboro State Hospital …