Posted onApril 4, 2024|Comments Off on Select Board office hours tomorrow
Select Board Office Hours this Friday
I hold regular monthly office hours at The Center on the first Friday of every month from 9:00 to 10:00 AM. Residents are welcome to stop by to talk in person about any town matters. Residents can also have coffee and see the Council on Aging in action (a vibrant organization with lots going on).
Comments Off on Select Board office hours tomorrow
To join through a conference call, dial 929-436-2866 or 312-626-6799 or 253-215-8782 or 301-715-8592 or 346-248-7799 or 669-900-6833 a. Enter the Webinar ID: 885 3036 6678 b. Enter the password: 637025 The packet with meeting materials for this meeting is available at this link: https://www.town.medfield.net/DocumentCenter/View/7785/Select-Board-Meeting-Packet_04022024
Special Edition – March 26, 2024IMPORTANT UPCOMING PUBLIC HEARINGS
There’s a lot to digest with the MBTA CommunitiesZoning article coming up for a vote at this year’s Town Meeting on Monday, May 6 at 7 p.m. in the Medfield High School gym. Here are two chances to learn more, ask questions, and become better informed far in advance of the meeting:
(Do you plan to attend? Would an in-person information session before Town Meeting be helpful? Your feedback here will be relayed to town officials.Questions can also be directed to Maria De La Fuente, Director of Land Use and Planning; phone 508-906-3027).
Three quick takeaways MBTA Communities Act only requires special zoning to be created — there is no town mandate to build housing.
Towns retain a certain amount of control over what gets built and where under MBTA Communities Zoning, and no land is taken against an owner’s will because of the law. Towns become ineligible for state funds due to failure to enact MBTA Communities Zoning by their deadline (Dec. 31, 2024 for Medfield).
Much is at stake with MSH As noted by Abby Goldenfarb, VP at Trinity Financial, the firm charged with redeveloping the former Medfield State Hospital (MSH) site, “It is imperative that the Town prioritizes compliance with the state housing law requirements imposed by the MBTA Communities Act.”
In a recent letter to the Select Board, Goldenfarb explained that if a successful town meeting vote is not achieved — as mandated by law — the town will no longer be eligible for the millions of dollars of state grants on which Trinity depends for creation of MSH infrastructure and other redevelopment needs.
Town officials have acknowledged that the new law has created unique challenges for Medfield – a town that has been diligently increasing affordable housing, and created the MSH redevelopment master plan to help achieve its objectives. It has taken more than 10 years for the MSH vision to come to fruition.
“We realize there has been some frustration with the mandate, but the upcoming vote is not the time for any of us to be tilting windmills. For Medfield especially, so much of our state hospital progress is on the line if we do not comply with the new law,” said Select Board member Gus Murby at a recent forum. “Thanks to the work of the Planning Board, we have a solid path forward that will allow us to adhere to the mandate, while still respecting the character of our town.”
A short explanation The word “zoning” can often make eyes glaze over, but it simply means establishing a set of rules for how land is used, regulating the structures that go on it, and guiding development decisions.
Massachusetts cities and towns have been given the authority to adopt their own ordinances and bylaws. However, in the case of MBTA Communities Zoning, the state is mandating that Medfield and many other Commonwealth communities enact specific multi-family housing zoning by right based on proximity to MBTA transit services.
Medfield has been deemed an “adjacent town” because of its proximity to the Walpole and Norfolk MBTA Commuter Rail.
No mandate to build As stressed by town officials, the MBTA Zoning law in no way requires that multi-family housing must be built – only that the town rules and regulations (via zoning bylaws) must permit the development plans. However, unlike the 40B law, the MBTA Communities Act gives towns and cities more flexibility to establish certain parameters and exclusions, which could involve protection of wetlands, historic structures and conservation land.
Arriving at a proposal Based on Medfield’s “Adjacent Community” status, the state is requiring the town to create zoning that would allow for a total of 50 acres providing a minimum capacity of 750 multi-family units (once again, this refers to zoning only — there is no actual requirement for the units to be built).
The total unit quota can be reached a variety of ways. For example, no town or city is expected to create one site that can house all of the required units – the state allows multiple districts to be created, as long as certain requirements are met for density, size and contiguity. After the Medfield Planning Board analyzed all of the variables, allowances, and restrictions underlying the law and took into consideration public feedback, it settled on three town areas (“districts”) to propose for MBTA Zoning compliance at Town Meeting:
The PARC Medfield Gardens (with Olde Village Square) Core downtown
With substantial amounts of multi-family housing already located in the districts identified for rezoning, town planners have been able to minimize potential negative impacts of new construction that may be pursued down the road as a result of the MBTA Communities law. (Pictured: 71 North St., a relatively new multi-housing development with eight units in the core downtown district.)
The path forward Developing the MBTA Zoning proposal for the town has taken substantial time and effort, and has benefited from the guidance of independent consultants. Multiple officials have recently stated they believe the Town Meeting proposal is the best possible path forward for Medfield to adhere to the mandate.
“We encourage Medfield community members to attend an upcoming hearing and review as much information as possible beforehand, so that questions and concerns can be addressed far in advance of Town Meeting,” said Town Administrator Kristine Treirweiler.
Posted onMarch 25, 2024|Comments Off on TOWN ELECTION TODAY – please vote on leaving civil service
POLLS OPEN UNTIL 8PM AT THE CENTER
LEAVING CIVIL SERVICE ON BALLOT
I just voted and can report that the voting is extremely light when I was there. Please vote.
Civil service is on our ballot. The Select Board has asked to have the town removed from the civil service system. The Medfield Police Department’s police union supports the town leaving civil service. In fact, the union has created signs that make the somewhat confusing question clear –
SUPPORT MEDFIELD POLICE VOTE YES
Additionally, the union members will be holding those signs at the polls all day. This writer thanks the union and its members for their support and their activity at the polls.
ONE EXAMPLE IS ALL THE REASON WE NEED
The example of why Medfield would be better out of civil service is shown by the MPD’s recent attempt to hire of a new officer having been nixed by another town who civil service states controlled the officer. That town that cancelled our hire is not even the town where the officer currently works, but rather the town the officer left 4 years and 9 months ago, but which town under the archaic civil service rules still controls that officer and has to approve our hiring.
I am told that if Medfield votes today to leave civil service (a YES vote), then Medfield will be able to proceed with our hiring of that new officer tomorrow.
Please vote also to affirm that we believe that Mike Pastore will be a great moderator, and support all our other fellow residents volunteering to make out town run.
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To join through a conference call, dial 929-436-2866 or 312-626-6799 or 253-215-8782 or 301-715-8592 or 346-248-7799 or 669-900-6833 a. Enter the Webinar ID: 885 3036 6678 b. Enter the password: 637025 The packet with meeting materials for this meeting is available at this link: https://www.town.medfield.net/DocumentCenter/View/7766/Select-Board-Meeting-Packet_03262024
Posted onMarch 22, 2024|Comments Off on MFi Legacy Fund grant requests due by 3/25
MEDFIELD FOUNDATION LEGACY FUND NOW ACCEPTING GRANT APPLICATIONS
The Medfield Foundation Legacy Fund has announced that applications are now being accepted for its 2024 Community Impact Grants. Up to $40,000 in grants will be awarded, and any Medfield-based nonprofit or Town department is eligible. Applicants are welcome to submit a grant request online at https://www.medfieldfoundation.org/ by March 25, 2024.
The Medfield Foundation Legacy Fund Community Board will review all submissions and select the finalists who will be invited to PITCH IT!, a Shark Tank-type event to be held in person in April, 2024. At PITCH IT!, applicants present their proposal, goals, and financial needs and directly engage with the Community Board on their projects. The Community Board will make its final selection of grant recipients for the 2024 funding round in May, 2024.
This year marks the fourth round of Legacy Fund Community Impact grants. To date over $78,000 has been awarded to eleven organizations, including the Cultural Alliance of Medfield, the Friends of the MHS Theatre Society, the Friends of the Medfield Rail Trail, Medfield Cares About Prevention, Medfield Outreach, The Peak House Heritage Center, Sustainable Medfield, Hinkley Helpers, Medfield TV, Kingsbury Pond Gristmill Committee, and Zullo Gallery Center for Arts.
Grantees have used their awards to further important projects in Medfield and in some cases to leverage significant additional resources such as matching grants or federal or state funding. This year’s applicants should be prepared to illustrate a strong and compelling current need for funds, and possibly present how those funds may generate additional investments in the Medfield community as well.
Act fast to take advantage of this spectacular opportunity!
ABOUT THE MEDFIELDFOUNDATION LEGACY FUND
The Medfield Foundation Legacy Fund is a professionally-managed endowment created to support community-driven projects. Volunteer-run and designed to complement the initiatives of Medfield organizations, the Medfield Foundation Legacy Fund raises private funds for public good. The Legacy Fund invests for the long term while also helping to address current community needs through annual competitive grantmaking for immediate positive impact.
To join through a conference call, dial 929-436-2866 or 312-626-6799 or 253-215-8782 or 301-715-8592 or 346-248-7799 or 669-900-6833 a. Enter the Webinar ID: 885 3036 6678 b. Enter the password: 637025 The packet with meeting materials for this meeting is available at this link: https://town.medfield.net/DocumentCenter/View/7724/Select-Board-Meeting-Packet_03192024
I started this blog to share the interesting and useful information that I saw while doing my job as a Medfield select board member. I thought that my fellow Medfield residents would also find that information interesting and useful as well. This blog is my effort to assist in creating a system to push the information out from the Town House to residents. Let me know if you have any thoughts on how it can be done better.
For information on my other job as an attorney (personal injury, civil litigation, estate planning and administration, and real estate), please feel free to contact me at 617-969-1500 or Osler.Peterson@OslerPeterson.com.
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