Board of Selectman, please keep open space open!

I attended the January 30, 2018 Board of Selectman’s meeting where the Medfield State Hospital (MSH) Master Plan draft was discussed. I felt compelled to respond to comments made by a member of the board regarding the southern parcel of the property, more universally know as the “Sledding Hill”.

My wife and I participated in the many MSH reuse public working sessions along with hundreds of other concerned citizens, and believe we helped the committee to shape the current Master Plan that was presented to the Board Tuesday evening. At this meeting it was made clear by a committee member that participants of the working sessions overwhelmingly chose to maintain nearly all of the existing open space, evident in the current Master Plan. One only needs to stand alongside the road and look in all directions to experience the timeless beauty and open space. That is why I was disappointed to hear words spoken by the Board including “dispose”, “develop” and “re-zone” when referring to the southern parcel. Many believe there is nothing more important than the townspeople having access to one of the best pieces of recreational land Medfield has to offer. One only needs to stop by on a weekend after a new snowfall to see numerous families, countless children and adults enjoying the moments on that hill, playing outside, away from cell phones, social media and video games; you can’t get that from more development. Incidentally, someone once stated at a town meeting that “the best sledding in Millis and Sherborn was in Medfield”.

The open fields on both sides of Hospital Road, to the quad area tree line as well as the sledding hill, are a visual, experiential delight and a majestic treasure for all to enjoy as open space, and according to the majority of MSH working session participants should not be developed. I hope that Board of Selectman use caution, act carefully and mindful before considering development beyond the existing quad area, because once something is built we can never go back to open and majestic.

Respectfully,

Jeffrey Hyman