DCAM Commissioner to Discuss Medfield State Hospital at Tuesday's BOS Meeting

Carole Cornelison, the commissioner of the Division of Capital Asset Management (DCAM), will attend Tuesday's Board of Selectmen meeting at 7 p.m. on the second floor of Town Hall to discuss the former site. 

The Medfield selectmen invited Corneilson to Tuesday's meeting to gain a better understanding of the commissioner and DCAM's plans for the state hospital property. Corneilson was named DCAM commissioner in March after former commissioner, Dave Perini, retired in December. 

Medfield resident and abutter to the state hospital property, Bill Massaro, said Corneilson's visit is important because "many things have come to light" at the Medfield State Hospital property since the Selectmen agreed to the  2005 reuse plan for the site. 

What has been discovered since the 2005 reuse plan (according to Massaro):

• The  significant environmental issues uncovered 
• Deteriorating buildings
• The clearly outdated and incomplete fiscal impact analyses (2005 Re-use Plan) 
• Changing market/economic conditions: Lower current  assessed values and  decreased  age-restricted housing demand), potential greater student impact and declining state educational re-imbursements, and ballooning Medfield student cost.

Corneilson is expected to review and discuss the state hospital redevelopment project's progress, schedule and issues that have been reported by DCAM. A question and answer period during Tuesday's meeting with Corneilson is planned and Medfield's local state representatives Denise Garlick and Dan Winslow have been invited to attend as well. 

The current schedule for the Medfield State Hospital project is to sell the property to a developer and begin construction in 2013 with completion of the project in 2016. 

A PIP meeting was held on Thursday, May 26, where DCAM results and information was provided regarding the contaminated soil removal of the clay containment area.

"There were no surprises, problems, or issues with DCAM's proposal for removal of the oil-contaminated soil in the Clay Containment Area," the PIP summary read. "While they  believe that only one of the two pits has been used and contains approximately 3,300 cubic yards (45 tons) of this material, they will further investigate the second pit and remove any contaminated material there, as well.  

"Proposed site preparation activities, environmental protection/erosion control,  airborne dust monitoring and control, vehicle/equipment decontamination, post excavation sampling to confirm complete removal, and site restoration procedures will conform to what we approved for the Salvage Yard effort.  Although no neighborhood-side air monitor will be used,  this is acceptable to SHERC given the absence of asbestos, unlike the Salvage Yard, and given the more distant location of this excavation. Work is scheduled to begin this summer and complete by this fall."

 Medfield residents are encouraged to attend the June 7 meeting, 7 p.m. on the second floor of Town Hall because it is an opportunity to "demonstrate to the new commissioner and elected representatives" that the community cares about the reuse project of the Medfield State Hospital property and its impact to the town, according to Massaro. 

"[The meeting] will also provide the opportunity to present the commissioner with our issues and concerns," Massaro said.