Towns Struggle For Say In State Hospital's Fate
File photo
Proposed legislation would help Westborough and Northborough have a voice in determining the future of the Westborough State Hospital property.
Local officials were relieved to hear that proposed legislation on Beacon Hill might help open up the process in determining the future of the Westborough State Hospital property, which is slated for closure.
But uncertainty still abounds as to the eventual disposition of the property, which is in a prime location just off of Route 9 in Westborough and Northborough.
Uncertain Future
The hospital is slated to be closed in 2012. But that date may be changed due to a recently released cost-savings report that included a recommendation to close Westborough State Hospital as early as June 30, 2010. The state’s Department of Mental Health has not acted on any of the report’s recommendations.
In May, officials from both towns, concerned with the slowness of talks with the state, asked State Sen. James Eldridge, D-Acton, to submit legislation that would create a commission with town representatives. The commission would make recommendations about the disposition of the property.
“The basic premise of the legislation is that you have a 735-acre property that is going to be closed soon and therefore there will be an opening to change what exists there,” Eldridge said. “We’re just making sure that the communities have a voice in what happens there.”
There will be hearings on the bill this month before the Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight, Eldridge said.
The size of the property and its location make it of special concern for local officials.
“We certainly recognize that it’s a very valuable piece of property in an area that’s exploding with growth,” Eldridge said. “We just want to make sure there is a consensus-building process in place.”
For Westborough and Northborough, the perceived lack of communication coming from the state Department of Capital Asset Management, which manages state-owned property, has been a concern.
“Our goal is to get out ahead of this with proactive planning, and come up with a joint area in coordination with the state,” said Kathy Joubert, Northborough’s planner. “The commission could serve as a great example of collaboration between state agencies and the two towns.”
It is also important to identify any municipal needs that could be provided by the property, such as open space, before it is sold, according to Paul Matthews, executive director of the 495/MetroWest Partnership, an advocacy group for the Interstate 495 corridor.
“Our only aim in all of this is to see that the state engages in joint discussions with the two towns,” Matthews said. The proposed commission as outlined in Eldridge’s bill would also include a representative from the 495/MetroWest Partnership and an official from the Central Massachusetts Planning Commission.
One of Westborough’s biggest concerns is that the town needs time to determine zoning for any land that becomes surplus, said Jim Robbins, Westborough’s town planner.
The land has no local zoning because it is under state control.
“No businessman is going to buy property without knowing what they could do there,” Robbins said.
The state Executive Office of Health and Human Services, which oversees a dozen or more divisions including the Mental Health, Public Health and Youth Services departments, is conducting a comprehensive master plan of all its assets with DCAM.
The master plan process is not expected to be finished until next spring, according to Kevin Flanigan, a DCAM deputy director and the agency’s spokesman.
And, before any state land falls into private hands, it must first be offered to other agencies within state government.
Flanigan also underscored the fact that DCAM has made an effort to communicate with Westborough and Northborough officials through e-mails, phone calls and meetings over the last several months.
WBJ Web Partners
Most Recent
Most Recent
0 Comments