07/30/02-Officials hail NSH project
http://www.gazettenet.com/07302002/news/17275.htm

07/20/02-State hospital site for Kollmorgen
http://www.gazettenet.com/07202002/business/16934.htm

07/11/02-NSH portico falls, no surprise to security staff
http://www.gazettenet.com/07112002/valley_l/16486.htm

05/23/02-Unmarked graves recognized
"Four years after planning began to pay homage to a forgotten cemetery - where at least 180 patients of the former Northampton State Hospital are buried in unmarked graves - organizers hope to have a memorial in place this fall." Read the rest of the Daily Hampshire Gazette article here.

04/25/02-CAC submits comments, draft of purchasing agreement released
The Citizen's Advisory Committee's comments on Phase 1 have been submitted to the Environmental Monitor. They report that "the CAC continues to endorse the Village master plan. It was impressed with the thoughtfulness and quality of the Report, its research and analysis, and its mitigation measures." The rest of the comments focus on the need to ameliorate any forseeable traffic issues during development. While Phase 1 does not include Old Main, the CAC recommends looking into the potential for reuse of "the front wall façade of the Administration, 1 South, and 1 North wings of Old Main, but not necessarily any other portions of these wings...The North Infirmary and South Infirmary Buildings...The Auditorium and Olander Cafeteria." To avoid damage in the winter, the group suggested preliminary stabilization of these areas.

"The long-awaited agreement needed for the state to convey 126 acres and 50 buildings at the former Northampton State Hospital to the site's developers is finally out in draft form." For details on this and further summary of the CAC comments, read the Daily Hampshire Gazette article here.

04/15/02-Summary of 4/2 CAC meeting
At the April 2nd Citizen's Advisory Committee, the group reviewed and discussed the environmental impact report for Phase 1 of redevelopment. Among the points brought up, wetlands would not be affected by Phase 1. Also, Gerry Joseph said they would try to preserve all "sensitive" trees--the oldest, rarest, and most beautiful on the grounds. Traffic concerns regarding signals, sidewalks, etc, will be discussed in more detail at the next meeting. No money would be invested in stabilizing existing buildings until more is known about the structures. This money would eventually come from state and federal grants, as well as generated revenue from the project itself.

The developers will wait until the Environmental Monitor approves the report in May to proceed with Phase 1. One year into Phase 1, they expect to get the go-ahead for the rest of the phases of development. In general, Mass Development predicts 15 years of commercial and 8 years of residential building.

The next meeting is set for April 17th at 5pm in the Haskell Building conference room.

03/28/02-Environmental Reports available on web
The most recent environmental permitting reports for the Village at Hospital Hill can now be accessed at www.NorthamptonPlanning.org under the Community and Economic Development tab. There you can find the following reports:
1. Stabilization Report on the Old Main Complex
2. Photos from the Stabilization Report
3. Graphics from the Stabilization (which will be up within a couple of days)
4. DRAFT Village at Hospital Hill Phase One Report
The Citizens Advisory Committe has 30 days to review and comment on these documents. ÊPublic comment to the CAC is welcome during this time. The project developer will then consider the comments, revise the documents as necessary, and then submit them to the MEPA office.

03/25/02-Next CAC meeting
The next meeting of the Citizens Advisory Committee will be on Tuesday, April 2, 2002, 5:00-7:00 p.m. The location has been changed back to the 2nd floor conference room in the Haskell Building, State Hospital complex. The Agenda includes:
1) Approval of Minutes of 3/19/02 meeting (not yet completed)
2) MEPA Phase One Final Report-Review and Discuss Draft Report. Arrange Subcommittee Meetings.
3) Other Business
4) Set Next Meeting: April 17 at 5:00 p.m.

03/01/02-CAC meeting schedule
The next Citizen Advisory Committe meeting is set for Tuesday, March 5, 2002, from 5:30-7:30pm. It will be held at the Conference Room at the Haskell Building. In the agenda is the MEPA Phase 1 Final Report Preparation, with discussion of Traffic and Historic Issues.
The following meetings will be on March 19, April 2, and April 22, all at 5pm.

10/11/01-News briefs
The Community Action Committee approved "a special state environmental certificate that allows the first phase of development to begin." Also, The Main Building has been added to Historic Massachusetts list of the state's 10 most endangered historic resources. See additions in the articles section for more details.

10/10/01-Save Old Main news
The next Save Old Main meeting will be Oct. 16th at 7:00 at Smith College in Seelye Hall-Room 102.

09/24/01-Next Citizens Advisory Committee meeting
The very first phase covering environmental issues, officially called the MEPA Process and Environmental Notification Form, will be discussed at the next State Hospital Citizens Advisory Committee meeting, on
Tuesday, October 9, 2001 @ 6:30-9 p.m. @ JFK Middle School Community Room

08/06/01-public forum minutes
The CAC held a public forum on July 27th to discuss the preservation of the main building. Members from the Citizens Advisory Committee, The Save Old Main citizens' group, Gerry Joseph (CommBuilders), David Webster (MassDev), the press, and the public were present. Presentations were given by Save Old Main and their architects, the Northampton Historical Commission, and members of the public. Please click on this text to view the minutes from the meeting, which were graciously sent from Mayor Higgins' office.

7/21/01-public forum on building preservation
There will be a public forum on Monday, 7/23, 5:00-7:30 pm, in the conference room at Haskell Building, on the issue of historic preservation within the redevelopment of the state hospital. It has been organized by the Citizens Advisory Committee. The date was set at the last meeting of the CAC, 6/18/01. At that meeting, CAC endorsed the Phase 1 plans for beginning the development process. Community Builders and Mass Development hope to gain initial state approval to begin the first phase of commercial and housing development in January, 2002. In general, a principle was agreed to that would require the maintenance of a .85 ratio of housing to commercial space as the property is developed. However, there are some exemptions to that requirement
1. the 20 units at the ice pond parcel;
2. any units reusing historic buildings;
3. any units built above commercial space;
4. any affordable housing units.

5/25/01-CAC postpone vote, will hold forum
The Citizens Advisory Committee will hold a public forum on the possibility of saving the main complex. No date was set, & the decision was made afterter receiving a petition signed by 755 people. See article.
Also, The Citizens Advisory Committee postponed voting on endorsement of the developers' revised plan for Phase 1. See article.

4/04/01-NSH Preservation Group Meeting @ Smith College 7pm
A group from Historic Northampton, headed by Maryiln Marks and Stanley Elkins, met with interested citizens to discuss preserving the Main Building of Northampton State Hospital. They concluded that their objectives are the following:

"1. Preservation of all of some portion of the main building at the former NSH
2. Creation of a museum documenting the history of NSH and mental health treatment
3. Creation of a memorial to honor those who lived and worked at NSH
4. Preservation of as much green space as possible on he property
5. Use of the building to include possible mental health office space, a museum, affordable housing, retail stores, etc.
6. Adherance to Northampton's Vision 2020 planning objectives re: building preservation
7. Achievment of these objectives within the current time frame for NSH main building development"

The group has split into subgroups with separate issues to focus on, such as cost analysis, fundraising, and public relations.Their next meeting is set for April 18, 2001 at 7pm in Seeyle 105 @ Smith.

3/21/01-Citizens Advisory Committee meeting at City Hall 5pm
Representatives from the Department of Capital Asset Management, Mass Development, The Community Builders, City Council, and mayor Clare Higgins present. Gerry Joseph, stranded in Philadelphia due to weather, was absent.
In Phase 1 of the redevelopment plan, 100,000 sqaure feet are residential, and 140,000 square feet is commercial. Mass Development and Community Builders, as partners "Hospital Hill Development Corporation, " will be utilizing a "Master Plan Approach" to the rezoning process, allowing constant community and city council input at each stage.
The Land Disposition Agreement (see below for description) is on schedule, currently on its way to Mass Development for review.
That permitting, Phase 1 redelopment will begin in June or July of this year.
The next meeting is tenatively set for the third week of May.

2/21/01- Citizens Advisory Committee meeting at Haskell Building 5:00-6:30pm
Representatives from the Department of Capital Asset Management, Mass Development, The Community Builders, City Council, the office of the Senator, the Economic Development Office, and Mayor Clare Higgins were present. Discussed was what work has been done since November 2000, the planned timeline for various goals, and the next steps that need to be taken.
First, the representatives explained the nature of the partnership between The Community Builders and Mass Development. In order to use funds more effectively, DCAM and Mass Development are negotiating a Land Disposition Agreement for the transfer of the hospital grounds from DCAM to Mass Development. Accompanying the transfer of land will be the transfer of about $6 million dollars to Mass Development. It was noted that this money will not cover the costs of redevelopment (estimated to be over $12 million, based on the original Master Plan, which was CAC-approved July 1999), but Mass Development plans to raise funds from the potential value of the redevelopment. The current value of the property (which will be included in the transfered funds) has not been established, as appraisals have yet to be approved by the Inspector General.
DCAM and Mass Dev plan to have this Agreement negotiated by June 1st, after which there will be a 90-day review period.

Cleaning the property of all environmental hazards is neccessary for the Agreement, and abatement work is scheduled to begin August 1st. A representative from VHB discussed the environmental impacts of the redevlopment, and went over the various permits that need to be acquired to proceed with redevelopment. Implications regarding traffic, utilities, historic preservation, and construction were discussed. It was noted that roads surrounding the Memorial Complex will have to be modified to allow for the extra traffic and construction vehicles.
Timelines allowed for 15 months to gather the various permits and modify zoning regulations. In order to use time as effectively as possible, The Community Builders and Mass Development plan to begin work on Phase 1 as soon as possible, using analysis from that work to aid in proposals and permits for the other phases of clean up and development. After Phase 1 and its environmental impacts have been analyzed (estimated to take 3 and a half months), there will be a month-long community review period.

The Community Builders have been analyzing the market demand for the property, in comparison to how it was when the project was first proposed in 1994. Noted was the importance of the demand for assisted living units, as well as taking into consideration how the property itself has changed in the past 7 years.

There are plans for the reuse of some buildings--the South Staff homes, the garages and store house east of the Main Building, certain wings of the Memorial Complex, and parts of the power plant. As for the main building, Gerry Joseph of The Community Builders noted that within the next six months, the building will be analyzed for structural integrity, marketability, and the financial feasibility of saving it.

According to the timeline, community meetings are set for every other month throughout the entire process. The next meeting is set for Wednesday, March 21st, location to be announced.