SENATE DOCKET, NO. 2336        FILED ON: 11/30/2009

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2219

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the Year Two Thousand Nine

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Resolve establishing a special commission on the reuse of Westborough State Hospital.

Resolved, that a special commission shall be established to foster coordination and planning among municipalities and state agencies regarding the reuse of any portions of Westborough State Hospital that are determined, pursuant to chapter 7 of the general laws, to be surplus to current or foreseeable state needs after patients of the department of mental health are transferred from Westborough State Hospital.  The commission shall consist of the commissioner of capital asset management and maintenance or his designee who shall serve as chair; the secretary of housing and economic development or his designee; the commissioner of mental health or his designee; the commissioner of youth services or his designee; the commissioner of fish and game or his designee; the commissioner of agricultural resources or his designee; a representative of the Massachusetts Historical Commission; a representative of the department of highways; two representatives of the town of Westborough, who shall be a members of the Westborough board of selectmen or their designees;  two  representatives of the town of Northborough, who shall be a members of the Northborough board of selectmen or their designees; and a representative of the Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission.  A representative of the 495/MetroWest Corridor Partnership, as well as the senators and representatives who represent the towns of Westborough and Northborough shall serve as non-voting ex-officio members.  The commission shall be subject to the provisions of sections 11A and 11A-1/2 of chapter 30A of the general laws.

The commission shall: (1) review existing municipal comprehensive plans and zoning; (2) consider state, regional and local plans and policies that might affect or guide use of surplus portions of  the Hospital including, without limitation, plans and policies encouraging the development of a variety of housing options, jobs, and open space, and policies encouraging smart growth; (3) solicit public input on potential uses of surplus portions of the Hospital;  (4) provide information and analysis regarding these fore-mentioned matters to the towns of Westborough and Northborough as may be requested, to the extent funding for the provision of such information and analysis is available; (5) work with the planning boards and boards of selectmen of the Towns of Westborough and Northborough in a cooperative planning process to identify any appropriate zoning changes and to develop and bring proposals for such changes for town meeting approval; (6) consider potential municipal uses or needs in relation to any portions of the Hospital that may be surplused; and (7) be formally constituted and hold its initial meeting to begin its task no later than 45 days from the passage of this legislation; and (8) submit a written report and recommendation to the clerks of the senate and house of representatives and the commissioner of capital asset management and maintenance on potential re-uses of and appropriate restrictions upon surplus portions of the Hospital not later than 1 year after the determination, pursuant to chapter 7 of the general laws, that one or more portions of Westborough State Hospital are surplus to current or foreseeable state needs.