Second Medfield State Hospital Survey Hopes to Determine Land Options

A second Medfield State Hospital survey hoping to determine the future of land options is available for residents to take online.

The survey is available on mshvision.net and seeks to trim the options of what the town will do with the nearly 130 acres of the former Medfield State Hospital.

The first survey administered focused on an individual’s “dreams” and “nightmares” for the town-owned property. According to the survey, 85 percent of responses in the first survey mentioned something of recreation, sports, open space, or park and 54 percent of the overall acreage allocated to such combined activity.

The second survey asks those taking the survey to rate statements relating to those topics.

The “dream” results of the first survey had open field sports at 49 percent, park space at 36 percent and housing at 32 percent, according to the second MSH survey. On the flip side, housing was the No. 1 “nightmare” with 75 percent, followed by retail / restaurant space at 13 percent and commercial / office / service space at 7 percent.

“The land use study area encompasses not only the Medfield State Core Campus plus Sledding Hill, but adjoining town-owned parcels of McCarthy Park, the Hinckley Property near Council on Aging (not Hinckley Pond) and Lot 3 on Ice House Road,” the second Medfield State Hospital survey said.

The Town of Medfield purchased the property for $3.1 million from the State of Massachusetts in April 2014 after the hospital closed down in 2003. Events, including a grounds tour on Aug. 18, have been scheduled to discuss possible options for the land.

To take the second Medfield State Hospital survey, visit Medfield State Hospital Vision and Master Plan website.