Town Of Dedham: Select Board To Host Second Of Two Listening Sessions For Proposed Town Green Project At 600 High Street

Press release from the Town of Dedham:

01/14/2022 3:52 PM

The Select Board is encouraging those who were not able to attend the first listening session on Tuesday, January 11 to join them next Tuesday, January 18 at 6:30 p.m. on Zoom to share comments and suggestions regarding the proposed Town Green project on the Police Station property. A recording of the first listening session is available on Dedham TV local channels and on www.dedhamtv.com.

Over seventy participants joined the first Select Board listening session on Tuesday, January 11, 2022 via Zoom and expressed their feedback regarding the proposal prepared by the Dedham Square Planning Committee (DSPC). The Select Board is using all feedback that residents and taxpayers have shared with them during the listening sessions and through written communications to inform them as they review the proposal and take an official vote to recommend the project to Town Meeting or to seek additional information.

To participate in the second public listening session, please use the following Zoom information, also available on the Town website calendar:

Tuesday, January 18, 2022 at 6:30 p.m. via Zoom

• Use this link to join the Zoom webinar: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89723729668
• Use the phone numbers below to join by phone (*for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
  • 1-646-558-8656 (New York)
  • 1-301-715-8592 (Maryland)
  • 1-312-626-6799 (Chicago)
  • 1-720-707-2699 (Denver)
  • 1-253-215-8782 (Tacoma)
  • 1-346-248-7799 (Houston)
• Webinar ID: 897 2372 9668
• International phone numbers available: https://us06web.zoom.us/u/kbCsPqLUAT

The primary goals of these listening sessions are for the Select Board to hear directly from the public about the proposal and to hear what they envision to be the best option for the Police Station property, located at 600 High Street in Dedham Square. Each listening session includes a public comment period where attendees who wish to speak will be given 3 minutes and all comments and questions will be documented as part of the public record. The listening session will not include a question and answer session with the Select Board.

The Select Board is planning to continue their discussion and take a vote at an upcoming public meeting. All meeting agendas are posted with the Town Clerk and made available on the Town website where they are also be shared via email to subscribers. To sign up to receive email notifications for Select Board meetings, please visit www.dedham-ma.gov/subscribe to enter your email address and choose “Select Board” from the list.

The process to review the potential use and reuse of the current Police Station Property at 600 High Street began in 2019 when the Select Board asked the DSPC to evaluate and research the economic development opportunities for this space. The DSPC is a group of more than twenty volunteers, representative of each Dedham precinct, who have contributed their time and a variety of skills and experience to this process. The DSPC presentation of the final proposal to the Select Board in November 2021 marked the culmination of more than two years of diligent work and research that included the professional expertise of design and real estate consultants, and a series of community engagement events with residents from each precinct and neighborhood who expressed a variety of opinions and suggestions for the property that were incorporated into the final proposal to the Select Board.

Project Website: Police Station Parcel, 600 High Street

Final Report:

Complete Report (PDF) - Use this link to review and download a copy of the full proposal

Executive Summary (PDF) - Use this link to review and download a copy of the Executive Summary

Project Overview (PDF) - Use this link to review and download a copy of the Project Overview section

Analysis & Investigation (PDF) - Use this link to review and download a copy of the Analysis & Investigation section

Findings (PDF) - Use this link to review and download the Findings section

Appendices:

A: Conceptual Design (PDF) - Use this link to review and download the Appendix A
B: Relevant Studies (PDF) - Use this link to review and download the Appendix B
C: Cost Estimate (PDF) - Use this link to review and download the Appendix C

As the Chief Executive Office of the Town, the Select Board must now complete the next step in the overall process by taking a vote to recommend the project to Town Meeting for funding or vote to seek additional information based on their findings and review of the proposal.

For those who cannot attend or would prefer to submit their comments in writing can send an email to the Select Board at freshideas@dedham-ma.gov or mail your comments to Town Hall Attn: Select Board, 450 Washington Street, Dedham, MA 02026.

To review the full proposal prepared by the Dedham Square Planning Committee and to revisit the community engagement efforts completed by the Committee over the past two years, please visit www.dedham-ma.gov/600high. The report has also been separated into sections for review and download.

This press release was produced by the Town of Dedham. The views expressed here are the author’s own.