Category Archives: Medfield State Hospital

Mike, Kris and I met with DCAM Commissioner Cornelison about the Medfield State Hospital on 3/9.  She wanted to share with us ahead of the meeting last Thursday their plans, but she also told us at that time that she is willing to sell the Medfield State Hospital to the Town of Medfield.  I first needed to share what I learned with the Board of Selectmen at our 3/20 meeting, before writing about it here.

Clean up –

My notes were that –

• their cap and cover plan would cost $3.86 m., including the 30 years of monitoring.
• our requested removal of the materials up to pipeline would cost $7.36 m.
• our requested removal of the materials up to pipeline with on-site storage of the materials would cost $12.95 m.
• full removal would cost $16.99 m. (which includes an estimate of $3-5 m. to Spectra to move its pipeline).

Commissioner Cornelison raised the issue of DCAM’s willingness to consider reimbursing the town for our extraordinary costs for environmental experts, development consultants, and an on-site clerk of the works type person. That remains to get worked out.

Purchase by town was announced as a possibility –

• payments could be over time
• some payment only if and when town develops site
• state will seek recovery of its sunk costs in the price it charges

The Commissioner promised to share with us the documents that outline the terms they used with similar sales to other towns.

Feasibility study –

DCAM has already committed to doing the feasibility study, so it will continue.  Mass Development could try to attract for profit uses.  One existing college has expressed some interest, in addition to the start up college that has already expressed interest.  A life science facility was mentioned as a possibility.  We agreed to proceed on all fronts – the clean up track, the development track, and the town purchase track.

The Board of Selectmen will meet Friday at 4:30 PM to discuss the proposed mediation with DCAM of the clean up at the Medfield State Hospital that was offered by DCAM Commissioner Carole Cornelison at last Thursday’s heated meeting.   On Monday I got the email below as a follow up about the proposed mediation.  The mediator looks good to me.  The Town of Medfield cannot always move fast, and we have already missed the first deadline DCAM tried to set for us.

=========================================

Hello everyone,

Last week’s PIP meeting was a great dialogue on the matter of DCAM’s C&D Area Remedial Action Plan – beyond the opportunities already provided in the agreed-upon PIP process.  DCAM welcomes further input from the Town and other parties, while also cognizant of its responsibility not to unnecessarily delay the remedial work.

One important option that was offered by Commissioner Cornelison was the opportunity to engage in mediation.  This proposition would include representatives of the Town and DCAM representatives.  DCAM would proceed with its planned PIP and permitting efforts.  Hopefully a remediation of one or more sessions will allow for a reasonable compromise as to the approach.  It should be scheduled as quickly as possible.  (Keeping to this schedule is necessary to enable us to apply for the necessary permits so that if during mediation if we are able to come to some agreement, we are in a position to go forward with the work this construction season.)

We suggest that there be a limit of 3-5 Medfield representatives and 3-5 DCAM reps.  We ask that you identify these participants by the end of business Wednesday, if possible and provide us with that list.  In the meantime, we will begin exploring potential dates with the proposed mediator, John Wofford (http://www.mwi.org/wofford-municipal-bio.html).

We look forward to your cooperation and response.  Please contact me if you should have any questions.

Sincerely,

Sandra

Sandra R. Duran

Director of Building Maintenance and Operations

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Division of Capital Asset Management

The Clarke Building at Medfield State Hospital now has a fence around it, which I assume is a prelude to its demolition.  Last Friday when Mike, Kris and I met with DCAM Commissioner Carole Cornelison and her staff at DCAM’s office, they told us that the demolition was going forward.  It had been planned years ago, but apparently got delayed while DCAM was doing the clean up.  I asked why only the Clarke Building was coming down, and was told that DCAM has to deal with Mass Historic to take down any others.

Mike also tells me that the Framingham Police Department will be using the Medfield State Hospital site for exercises soon.

More on our discussions with DCAM will be coming soon.

The 2/27 email below from Sandra Durand of DCAM cancelled their PIP meeting scheduled for 3/8 –

==========================================

I wanted to let you know that today, we decided to cancel the March 8^th meeting as the draft Phase III required more editing/writing.  We want to make sure that we provide a good readable document and at this point are electing to take the extra time needed to accomplish this.   We will apprise you and the PIP group of our anticipated schedule of delivery of the Final Draft Phase III.  Our next scheduled PIP meeting is on March 22^nd.  We will let you know as soon as possible of any change to this schedule.

Formal notification of the March 8^thmeeting postponement to the PIP Group will go out tomorrow, February 28, 2012.

Give me a call if you have any questions.

Sandra

Sandra R. Duran

Director of Building Maintenance and Operations

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Division of Capital Asset Management

One Ashburton Place, 16th Floor

Boston, Massachusetts 02108

617-727-4050 x454 (telephone)

857-321-0467 (cell)

617-727-5363 (fax)

Last night DCAM held the continued technical meeting (continued from last week) by means of its newly enlarged (five LSP’s) collection of environmental clean up experts, and we still did not get through all the town’s issues.  A second continued technical meeting will be held at 7 PM on 2/9/12, with a PIP meeting announced by DCAM for 3/8/12.

What I heard through all the lengthy presentations by DCAM was first and foremost that they are not budging one iota at this time on the town’s main request, that the hospital refuse that was dumped by DMH for decades into the Charles River  be removed where it is below ground water levels – the town is concerned for the long run about having those waste materials located under water within the aquifer that serves town well #6.

If I were to bet, based on the trajectory of the current process, unless DCAM is willing to discuss with the town other resolutions, I would guess that DCAM will only agree to one of the town’s secondary requests, that being to re-build the river bank with a bio-engineered solution, instead of the with granite blocks.

However, if DCAM is willing to continue informal talks, I am hopeful that if we can both have real discussions, instead of what feel like these pre-litigation meetings we have been having, and also that the town and DCAM can come to an agreement that works for both sides.  DCAM told me months ago that the costs of our removal solution ($5m) was not that different than their capping solution ($1.5m), once the cost of monitoring ($2.6m for the first 30 years) the capped site forever is added in – I am assuming that the cost to monitor from 30 years out to forever makes up the difference.

New materials recently supplied by DCAM indicate that their planned demolition of the Clark Building at the Medfield State Hospital has been delayed until this spring.  One can already see where bricks have been removed at some corners of the building, which I am told is done to get an idea of the structure to determine how to do the demolition.