Committee Would Create 'Mini Master Plan' For State Hospital Site

A committee would help Westborough selectmen determine how to dispose of the Westborough State Hospital site, if voters approve town officials' proposed land deal at the Oct. 21 special town meeting.

Selectmen agreed Tuesday night to create a committee to develop, with public input, what Vice Chairman George Barrette called "a mini master plan" for the roughly 95 acres that Westborough would buy from the Massachusetts Division of Capital Asset Management. The committee would be formed if voters approve the purchase.

Town officials have proposed buying the site for $2.2 million, at 0 percent interest. The state would deduct $220,000 annually from Westborough's Cherry Sheet for 10 years, Town Manager Jim Malloy has said. Westborough also would reimburse the state up to 50 percent of the net proceeds of any land sales, a figure the town can reduce to 30 percent if certain milestones are met.

Selectmen would use the committee's master plan "as a blueprint" for determining the site's future, Barrette said. The board also would seek the committee's input, he said.

Barrette suggested the committee during selectmen's discussion of town meeting warrant article 5, which is "To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Board of Selectmen to dispose of portions of the former State Hospital property."

Chairman Ian Johnson said he has heard residents discuss "the openness of this article." He said there is "significant interest in this."

The Oct. 21 special town meeting warrant includes five articles related to the sale: appropriating the $2.2 million and authorizing selectmen to sign the deal; authorizing selectmen to file special legislation enabling the deal; authorizing selectmen to dispose of parts of the site for redevelopment; creating a revolving fund through which Westborough would pay the state its share of the net proceeds from the land sales; and appropriating $50,000 from free cash for ongoing maintenance of the site after buying the land.