UPDATE from Medfield State Hospital Master Planning Committee

The following information is from the MSHMPC Communications Committee.

FAQ's (Frequently Asked Questions)

This planning effort has been underway for quite some time since the Town purchased the site. Why is it taking so long to develop a vision and plan for the property?

Creating a master plan that incorporates all the elements that have been identified by the public and reflects our freedom to choose what is done with the property is a challenge. The range of options identified
begins with a ‘do nothing’ scenario that preserves the site in its current formulation to ‘full build out’ scenarios that address the Town’s need for housing, recreation and economic sustainability.

There are consequences attached to each of these potential uses that must balance against the public good that a scenario delivers.

In addition to these challenges, statutory constraints for affordable housing, historical preservation and other requirements create a very challenging decision making environment for the Planning Committee.

The volunteers on the Planning Committee are working diligently to create a plan which balances the Town’s desires with the economic and statutory constraints. Simply stated, it is taking a significant amount
of effort and time to reach the best compromise between these sometimes competing realities.

Why have you not addressed the Town’s 40-B requirements in a timely fashion and
positioned the Town in a favorable situation to block the proposed development at Dale Street and Route 27?

Meeting the Town’s 40-B housing requirements is a long standing issue. Given the timing for acquisition of the Hospital property, it was highly unlikely that implementation of a plan for the Hospital could have been
completed to meet the Town’s 40-B requirements.

When will you be done with your planning efforts and present a recommendation to the Town for approval?

Our current plans call for a special Town Meeting to approve a recommended plan in the fall of 2017. It is important to remember that this plan must be approved by a two thirds majority at this meeting.
This is a ‘tall bar’ to clear which dictates that our group needs to conduct extensive outreach prior to the session to assure successful passage of our proposal.