$2.5 m. to remove all asbestos from MSH in 1998

Posted on February 18, 2014 | Comments Off on $2.5 m. to remove all asbestos from MSH in 1998

At the State Hospital Advisory Committee committee meeting last Thursday, John Thompson, chair of both the State Hospital Environmental Review Committee (SHERC) and the MSH Environmental Cleanup Mediation Committee, reported on a 1998 study done for the state on asbestos at the Medfield State Hospital  site.  He indicated that the study was performed by an exceedingly reputable company, and that it had concluded that it would cost $2.5 m. to remove all the asbestos from all the buildings at the MSH.  John provided the SHAC the two notebook binders that contained the survey materials.

Since that survey had been done,

  • the state did remove all asbestos from the R Building at the rear of the site and the building also renovated at that same time directly in front of the R Building.
  • the state demolished three or more of the buildings

In order to reuse the site, the building will most likely have to be removed, due to the advanced state of deterioration to which they have sunk, and at that time any asbestos would have to be removed.

DCAMM has supplied to SHAC what it has to pay, using the prevailing wages the state must pay, to demolish buildings similar to those at the Medfield State Hospital, and that figure was $11 to $14 per sq. ft.  DCAMM also says that if the demolition is done by a private party, as the town envisions would happen at the MSH redevelopment, that in DCAMM’s experience the cost is $6 per sq. ft.   Those DCAMM figures are “all in” figures, which include the cost to abate things such as asbestos and/or lead paint in the buildings.

Any deteriorated building can be saved, but those at the MSH site can probably only be saved by the expenditure of such large sums of monies that most observers suggest that it is economically not feasible to save them.  The economics derive from the fact that someone must pay the extra costs required to rehab such deteriorated building, and that extra cost must either come out of and redevelopment or from the town’s residents’ property taxes.  That decision of whether to pay the larger amounts required to save the buildings, or not, will ultimately be another of the town’s decisions, if the town first opts to purchase the property.

My guess is that the town will opt to save only a very few buildings, perhaps the iconic Lee chapel and two to three more that are in good shape, and to demolish the rest.  I am also guessing that most of us are not going to be willing to pay more in property taxes to save the rest of the MSH buildings and will prefer any redevelopment to have less density than might be required to create the extra monies to rehab any more of the buildings.

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Posted in Medfield State Hospital

MSH site walk 11AM on 3/8

Posted on February 18, 2014 | Comments Off on MSH site walk 11AM on 3/8

John Thompson and Richard DeSorgher will lead a site walk of the Medfield State Hospital property at 11 AM on 3/8/14 to give interested residents a look at the property that the town will be asked to buy at the special town meeting (STM) on 3/10/14.

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Posted in Medfield State Hospital, Town Meeting

Water tower legislation delayed

Posted on February 18, 2014 | Comments Off on Water tower legislation delayed

John Harney of the legislation sub-committee of the State Hospital Advisory Committee reported at the last SHAC meeting last Thursday, that Senator Timilty had said that the town’s pending water tower and well fields legislation (to acquire about 5 acres on which to site a new water tower at the former Medfield State Hospital and the well fields), has been delayed because the state decided to surveyed all state departments to make sure that none of them wanted those lands.

Mr. Harney reported that Sen. Timilty expected the legislation to be enacted in about two weeks.  Originally that legislation had been expected to be passed by last Thursday.

The legislation would transfer to the Town of Medfield about 5 acres of land surrounding the present water tower, along with access to Hospital Road, and the almost 20 acres of land comprising the former tubular well fields that are accessed off Colonial Road and that lie between Colonial and the Norfolk Hunt Club lands along North Street.  The plan is for the town to get the lands at no cost, as one of the concessions negotiated as part of the successfully mediated clean up of the Medfield State Hospital site, due to the risk to the town’s well 6 by the C&D dump next to the river below ground water levels and the VOC plume from the former laundry building at the MSH site.

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Posted in Medfield State Hospital, Water & Sewer

Shared concept plan for MSH

Posted on February 17, 2014 | Comments Off on Shared concept plan for MSH

The town’s consultant for the State Hospital Advisory Committee’s visioning session has put together the first draft of he calls a “shared concept plan” for the re-use and re-development plans for the Medfield State Hospital site developed by the participants at the recent visioning session.  At that visioning session, the 100+ participants broke into groups of ten or fewer, and as small groups articulated our own visions for the reuse of the site.  The consultant then took all the ten or more groups’ responses and synthesized those into his version of a consensus plan for the ultimate uses of the site, based on the input from the 100+ participants. That consultant’s plan is attached.  20140216-shared concept plan

The SHAC has yet to review this plan to make sure t conforms with their sense of what was decided.

The town residents will have the ultimate say on how the site is re-developed, and there needs to be much more work done to come to any final conclusions about what the developments should include.  With that caveat in mind, it is interesting to see the general agreement upon many of the uses.

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Posted in Medfield State Hospital, Town Meeting

SHAC flyer for STM on MSH purchase

Posted on February 17, 2014 | Comments Off on SHAC flyer for STM on MSH purchase

The State Hospital Advisory Committee (SHAC) has prepared a flyer to provide residents with information and the basic data for the 3/10/14 special town meeting (STM) on the proposed purchase from the state for $3.1 m of the 134 acres at the former Medfield State Hospital site. 20140216-draft town meeting handout 02-16-14 Greater information can be found at the SHAC website www.mshvision.net, and will also be presented prior to and at the STM.

The SHAC members will be voting at the next SHAC meeting on 2/2714 on whether to support recommending the purchase of the former Medfield State Hospital site to the Board of Selectmen.  While the SHAC members appear to be split on whether to purchase the land, this observer guesses that the committee will vote at least two to one in favor of purchasing the land.

The town residents would also have to vote by at least a two to one margin at the special town meeting (STM) to purchase the land as well for the deal to proceed.

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Posted in Medfield State Hospital, Town Meeting

BoS agenda for 2/18

Posted on February 17, 2014 | Comments Off on BoS agenda for 2/18

Tuesday February 18, 2014 @ 7:00 PM

7:00 PM Lyme Disease Study Committee, Chris Kaldy Chairman
Update Selectmen regarding the committee’s activities for the past year

7:15 PM Fire Chief Kingsbury; FY15 budget review

7:30 PM Police Chief Meaney; FY15 budget review

ACTION
Vote to authorize Chairman Fisher to sign contract with Powers & Sullivan, Town Auditors

Vote to sign Agreement for Consulting Services with Human Resources Services, Inc., Andover, MA

Vote to sign March 10, 2014 Special Town Meeting Warrant

Vote to place the override question regarding State Hospital Land Purchase Bonds on the March 31, 2014 Annual Election Ballot

Selectman Peterson wishes to discuss the Annual Town Meeting Warrant Articles pertaining to the Medfield Energy Committee

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Posted in Select Board matters

STM warrant articles & ballot question re MSH purchase

Posted on February 17, 2014 | Comments Off on STM warrant articles & ballot question re MSH purchase

These are the warrant articles for the 3/10/14 special town meeting (STM) and the ballot question on whether to purchase the former Medfield State Hospital site.

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

Norfolk, SS.
TOWN OF MEDFIELD
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS
WARRANT FOR MARCH 10,2014
SPECIAL TOWN MEETING

To the Constables of the Town of Medfield in said County, greetings:

In the name of the Commonwealth, you are directed to notify and warn the Inhabitants of the Town of Medfield, qualified to vote in elections and in Town affairs, to meet at the Amos Clark Kingsbury High School Gymnasium, located on South Street in said Medfield, on Monday the tenth day of March, A.D., 2014 at 7:30 o’clock P.M., then and there to act on the following articles:
Article 1. To see if the Town will vote to appropriate a sum of money and determine in what manner said sum shall be raised and to authorize the Treasurer/Collector with the approval of the Board of Selectmen to borrow in accordance with the provisions of G.L. Chapter 44, Section 7, clause (3), or any other enabling statute, for the purposes of purchasing or otherwise acquiring a portion of the Medfield State Hospital property, so-called, and to authorize the Selectmen to enter into an agreement with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to accomplish said purchase, provided that said borrowing shall be contingent upon the passage of a debt exclusion override in accordance with the provisions of G.L. Chapter 59, Section 21 C, Paragraph (k) or any special enabling legislation governing such debt exclusion override, or do or act anything in relation thereto.
(Board of Selectmen)

Article 2. To see if the Town will vote to appropriate a sum of money and determine in what manner said sum shall be raised, for the purposes of maintaining and/or securing the land and building of the former Medfield State Hospital property, so-called, or do or act anything in relation thereto.
(Board of Selectmen)

Article 3. To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Board of Selectmen to petition the General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for special legislation to authorize the purchase of all or a portion of land and buildings at the former Medfield State Hospital, shown on the Town of Medfield Board of Assessors’ Maps as Lot 001, Map 71 and Lot 004, Map 63, further shown as Parcels A and B on a Plan entitled Location of Land Parcels Medfield State Hospital Medfield, Massachusetts provided by The Massachusetts Division of Capital Asset Management (DCAM), legislation to include such terms, conditions, and language as the Board of Selectmen determines to be in the best interest of the Town of Medfield, or do or act anything in relation thereto.
(Board of Selectmen)

And you are directed to serve this Warrant by posting an attested copy thereof, in the usual place for posting warrants in said Medfield, fourteen days at least before the time of holding said Town Meeting.

Hereof fail not and make due return of this Warrant with your doings thereon, unto the Town Clerk at the time and place ofthe Town Meeting aforesaid. Given unto our hands this __ _
day of February, Two-Thousand and Fourteen.
Mark L. Fisher, Chairman S/ ________________ _
Osler L. Peterson S/ ____________________ _
Richard P. DeSorgher S/ ________________ _
BOARD OF SELECTMEN
By virtue of this Warrant, I have notified and warned the Inhabitants of the Town of Medfield, qualified to vote in elections and at town meetings, by posting attested copies of the same at five
public places, fourteen days before the date of the town meeting, as within directed.
Constable: S/ _________ _
Date: February __ , 2014
A TRUE COPY ATTEST:
Carol A. Mayer, CMC, CMMC S/ ________ _
Town Clerk

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

PROPOSITION 2 1/2 DEBT EXCLUSION QUESTION
Shall the Town of Medfield be allowed to exempt from the provIsions of proposition two and one-half, so called, the amounts required to pay for the. bond issued in order to purchase from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts all or a portion of the former Medfield State Hospital site and buildings thereon, identified on the Board of Assessors’ Maps as Lot 001, Map 71 and Lot 004, Map 63, further shown as Parcels A and B on a Plan entitled Location of Land Parcels Medfield State Hospital Medfield. Massachusetts provided by The Massachusetts Division of Capital Asset Management (DCAM), consisting of approximately 134 acres.

YES __ NO _

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Posted in Medfield State Hospital, Town Meeting

MEC notes from 2/11

Posted on February 17, 2014 | Comments Off on MEC notes from 2/11

Medfield Energy Committee Meeting Notes for Tuesday February 11, 2014

Attendees:  Fred Davis, Fred Bunger, Emre Schveighoffer, Mike Sullivan, Pete Peterson, Cynthia Greene

  1.  Meeting minutes from the January meeting were not ready and so were not discussed.
  2. OATA study – Fred D. gave the application for the State to Mike S. for signatures.  The letters that will go out to five potential consultants for the town were reviewed.  Fred D. will email the final letter to Mike S. so that it can go out February 14.  At the Massachusetts Municipal Association meeting  on January 24 and 25th Fred D. met Beth Greenblatt from Beacon Integrated Solutions http://www.beacon-llc.com/

and she will become the 6th consultant the RFP will be sent to the week of February 17.

  1. Sagewell letter that will be sent to homes using oil-heat was reviewed and the changes Pasi suggested were accepted.  There will be no signature on the letter but it will say it is from the Medfield Energy Committee and all questions will go to Mike S.  The letter will be on one page and it is expected that it will go out to 1,000 homes in Medfield.   Fred D. will confirm that the letter will be copied and sent by Sagewell and will ask if a brochure with house photos will go out with the letter.
  2. GCA designation – Fred B.
  • PV bylaw written by Sarah Rapossa town planner, sent to Kelly Brown for comment.  The State says that it complies, but asked why it is an overlay district and a designated area (basically West Street).  Fred B. stated that we will know after the solar study is completed what the overlay district will be.  Marie and Fred B discussed the PV bylaw with the Planning Board and they are reviewing it.  The planning board will conduct a hearing on 3/17/14, but the planning board does not want to sponsor the bylaw.  Pete Peterson asked if we would like it to be sponsored also by the Board of Selectman and all agreed we would like that support.   The PV bylaw will be on the warrant and in order to pass it will need a 2/3rds majority.
  • The Stretch code was discussed and Fred B. stated that it only applies to homes over 3,000 square feet.  It will be on the warrant and only needs 51% to pass.  Pete also offered to see if the Board of Selectman will support this as well.  70% of energy use in Medfield is residential and the stretch code will be in effect till July 2014 when a new stretch code will take effect.  Fred B. is working on how to describe this to the community.
  • Expedited permitting – Mark Cerel will write.
  • 20% reduction of energy plan will be due in August.  Cynthia G suggested looking at water reductions and Mike S stated that the rerouting of some water piping will require less pumping and that we could take credit for that energy reduction. The plan has to be specific for 15% of the reductions.  The Board of selectman and the School Board need to sign off on the plan.
  • The auto purchase policy is still being written.
  1. Marie helped Mike S. write the energy manager grant that will go in on February 14, 2014.  Mike S. said that if the town receives the grant that it would bring in an energy manager and then make him or her an energy and buildings business manager as well at the end of the two years when the grant funding runs out.  The state grant would pay 50% the first year and 75% the second year for a part time position.
  2. Public safety building.  Adam Graber has not been able to make their meetings and Marie is the back up.  They are going into the final design.  Mike S. will get the schedule for the meetings so that others might be able to go.  Their next meeting is 3/19 at 7 am.
  3. Next meeting Monday March 3, 2014.  It was suggested that we ask Kelly Brown to join us.

 

Adjourned 9:15 pm

 

Respectfully submitted by Cynthia Greene

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Posted in Energy Committee

Skiing better this Saturday

Posted on February 15, 2014 | Comments Off on Skiing better this Saturday

The skiing as actually much better this week because the snow had a crust that kept you from breaking through.  Last week the powder show needed to be packed down to make a track before it was good.  Today it was all fast where ever you went.

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Posted in Uncategorized

MEC on GCA

Posted on February 14, 2014 | Comments Off on MEC on GCA

This from Fred Bunger of the Medfield Energy Committee –

Green Communities Process Status Report 2/12/14:

  1. Kelly Brown DOER Green Communities Area Coordinator confirmed Medfield would be eligible a $148,000 grant if it meets the 5 criteria for Green Communities Act (GCA) in 2014.
  2.  To met GCA criteria #1 and #5, the Medfield Energy Committee is sponsoring two articles on the Warrant for the April 28, 2014 Annual Town Meeting.
    1. Overlay district for solar PV installation
    2.  Adoption of the BBRS Stretch Energy Code.

Selectman Peterson will request the Medfield Select Board to be Co-Sponsors of these two warrant articles.

  1. A By- Law for Large-Scale Ground-Mounted Solar Photovoltaic installations drafted by Town Planner Sara Raposa and Town Counsel Mark Cerel.  The By-Law is under review by the Planning Board.  Kelly Brown has had the DOER expert review and comment on the Medfield By-Law.  It meets the requirements for GCA Criterion 1.  After Planning Board Review, the By-Law will be sent to DOER for review of the updates.   The Planning Board has scheduled the required Public Hearing on the Solar By-Law for Monday March 17.
  2. In preparation for the Town Meeting, the Medfield Energy Committee GCA activity will concentrate on education and information to secure passage of the two GCA articles.  I will prepare for meetings with local community groups.  I will also prepare a set of talking points and FAQs for all members of the Medfield Energy Committee to use.
  3. The 2009 Massachusetts BBRS Stretch Energy Code will become the base Building Code for the State in July 2014.  A new Stretch Energy Code will be presented by the BBRS in 2014.  When Medfield adopts the 2009 code in April, it will also be expected to comply with the 2014 code when it is presented.

The concern that the Town in the future would be subject to an energy code currently in development must be countered by a strong campaign to explain the purpose and benefits of the energy code: to reduce the life-cycle costs of owning and operating a residence.   The added investment to comply with a more energy efficient code would be balanced by the savings in energy costs over the life of the residence.  Kelly Brown has offered the resources of the DOER to conduct public information sessions to explain the Stretch Energy Code and the benefits to homeowners.  I have asked Kelly to provide example costs and savings for a typical 3000 square foot home in our area.

Adoption of a building code to encourage energy efficiency is important to Medfield. Over 70% of community energy consumption is for residences. By encouraging up-front investment in making homes more energy efficient, homeowners pay less in energy costs over the lifetime of the home.

  1. Medfield permitting process meets the GCA criteria for expedited permitting.  A letter from Town Counsel Mark Cerel to DOER will complete this criteria.
  2. The other 2 GCA criteria (Energy Efficient Vehicle Purchase policy and Plan for 20% reduction in municipal energy use) will be worked on after Town Meeting.  These two criteria require approval by the Select Board and School Committee.

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Posted in Energy Committee