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On Thursday April 14, the Medfield High School auditorium was the site of a 2.5-hour Zoning Board of Appeals public hearing.
This meeting was a continuation of the January 27 and March 8 public hearings regarding the proposed assisted living facility to be built by LCB Senior Living on Main Street in Medfield. LCB has applied for a special permit, which is a requirement to build an assisted living facility on the type of land they are seeking to build on.
At the meeting, LCB Senior Living presented their revised proposal, which incorporates the future purchase of the Clark Tavern property. LCB had several speakers, including attorneys, a professional engineer, an architect and a traffic engineer who laid out the revised proposal and landscaping design.
The major change in the plan from the last hearing is the agreement to sign a purchase and sale agreement for the Clark Tavern property, and the decision to maintain the Clark Tavern property for residential use. Due to this change, there will be more space for vegetation and evergreen trees surrounding the proposed building, which will all but hide the facility from sight from Route 109.
Representing Medfield at the meeting was Town Planner Sarah Raposa, as well as two Zoning Board of Appeals members. The third member was absent due to a death in the family, but he will review the meeting at a later date.
Judy Barrett, a land use consultant hired by the town of Medfield, presented a peer review for the Zoning Board of Appeals. She presented her findings in which she summarized that after doing her research in comparable towns, she has determined that assisted living facilities probably do not have any impact on property values.
The most controversial comment of the night came from Attorney Robert Buckley from Riemer and Braunstein, special counsel for LCB Senior Living.
Attorney Buckley suggested that since there will be residents at the proposed facility that will have medical issues that could be considered “disabilities,” ruling against moving forward with the facility could be considered discrimination under the American with Disabilities Act, as well as under Federal and State Fair Housing Laws.
Many residents were offended by this perceived “intimidation tactic” and one resident even suggested that Attorney Buckley owe the residents of Medfield an apology for suggesting that opposing the project would be discriminating those with disabilities.
Once the microphone was opened up to the public, many residents spoke up to voice their opinion against the proposal, stating a variety of reason from unsafe traffic issues, lack of parking for the facility which would lead to parking issues on Route 109, and issues regarding the historic and environmentally sensitive location.
The overall feeling of Medfield residents who oppose the project was loud and clear: they do not oppose supporting seniors or working towards having an assisted living facility developed in Medfield, they simply believe that this is not the right location and that other locations should be considered that would not be as controversial.
“They are not looking to ban assisted living, just the choice of location is not good,” said a Medfield senior citizen at the meeting. “We as a town should respect what was given to us..we should leave Medfield’s history intact…..all of this can be worked out if the corporation will consider different locations.”
Several residents noted that 100 acres at the Medfield State Hospital should be seriously considered as a possible location for the facility.
“No matter how much money LCB spends on advertising and PR, it doesn’t make it the right location…. we need a solution for senior housing but this is not it,” said Jerry Potts of Medfield.
Michelle Tristani, a Medfield resident since 1998 and a geriatric speech pathologist, voiced her support for the project.
“We are all talking about aesthetics, money, wood, vernal pools…. but not about people,” Tristani said. “We need to care about how we can make a difference in people’s lives. LCB has their hearts in the right place – none of us are going to escape aging – let’s not hide assisted living, let’s embrace it.”
Chris McCue-Potts, who has led the opposition in Medfield against the project, focused her concern at the meeting on a list of issues about LCB Senior Living, citing a litany of safety concerns reported at many LCB locations.
She also brought attention to the fact that many LCB employees don’t tend to work for LCB for long periods of time. She also made the observation that she has not heard that Medfield’s seniors need assisted living, what they really need is single level, economically priced housing.
Steve Callahan echoed this concern. “There is really no affordable component to this plan,” Callahan said.
Ted Doyle, Director of Marketing and Public Affairs at LCB Senior Living, thought the meeting went well.
“[We were] very pleased with the process the ZBA laid out last night. We felt we had every opportunity to put our project in its best light.”
Other residents still have concerns about the project and the proposed changes, however.
After the meeting, Chris McCue-Potts did not feel that her concerns about the project were being addressed by LCB, including issues with flood levels. She also noted that LCB is required by law to file paperwork for review with the Massachusetts Historical Commission because of documented archaeologically sensitive items found at the property in the past.
She also felt that the addition of the purchase and sale agreement to the project only served to confuse residents.
“It is clear that LCB is preying on community sentiment with regard to the Clark Tavern, and also trying to trick people into believing that entering into a ‘convenant’ and 120-waiting period with the Linnerts is the same as an outright purchase of the tavern – they are not,” McCue-Potts said.
The Zoning Board of Appeals will review all of the information presented to them at this meeting as well as an additional noise study that LCB plans to submit, and any other peer reviews that are planned.
Another public hearing on this issue will be held on Tuesday, May 17 at 7:30 p.m. at the Medfield High School auditorium.
