Village Hill 1979 Plani
REPORT OF THE
STATE HOSPITAL RE-USE GROUP
4
Composed of Members of
the Conservation Commission
Joseph Misterka
Richard Carnes
Historical Commission
Gordon Clark
and
Planning Board
Marjorie Sackett
Donald Robinson
r
r, o I
I
August 17, 1979
The Honorable Harry
City Hall
S. Chapman, Jr., Mayor
Northampton, Massachusetts 01060
Dear Mayor Chapman:
On behalf of the ad-hoc State Hospital Re-Use Group, I
hereby convey to you'and to the members of the Northampton City
Council, the enclosed Report of our deliberations.
The Group has been composed of Joseph Misterka and Richard
Carnes, representing the Conservation Commission; Gordon Clark,
representing the Historical Commission; and Marjorie Sackett
and me, representing the Planning Board.
Our Report underlines the importance.of the Hospital site
for the City's future development; lists the suggestions received
over the past several months for the re-use of the land and
buildings; and sets forth a number of recommendations.
We have worked hard to achieve a consensus on these recom-
mendations. We have conducted several on-site investigations,
solicited opinions as widely as possible, and gathered as much
information as possible pertaining` to the site and the relevant
legal.and administrative factors.
You and the City Council, as well as the area's representa-
','tives in the General Court.and State Senate, will.of course want
to review these 'recommendat'ions very carefully before sending
' them along to the Re-Use Committee established by the Department
,of Mental Health. We hope that it will be possible for the City
to achieve a consensus on its recommendations, lest our disagree-
ments afford opportunity to officials outside the area to make
these important decisions for us.
We want to record our appreciation of Peter Klejna, Ed
Lonergan, and Clare Fennessey, of the Planning Office, for their.
energetic and skillful assistance in the preparation of this
Report. Whatever value the Report may have owes much to the
efforts of these able and dedicated public servants.
Sincerely,
ITonald Robinson
for the State Hospital Re-Use Group
0 u a
i
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
I. INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . 1
II. PRE
SENT SITUATION.AND FORESEEABLE FUTURE . . .
. . 1
A.
Buildings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . 1
B.
Land . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . 2
C.
Timetable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . 3
III. PRO
POSALS IN HAND . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . 3
A.
1975 Planning Department Proposal . . . .
. . . 3
B.
School Committee . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . 4
C.
Smith College . . . . . • • • • • • .
• • . 4
D.
Recreation Department . . . . . .
. . . 4
E.
Agricultural Uses . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . 5
1. County Commissioners . . . . . . .
. . 5
2. Smith's Vocational School . . . . • .
• 5
3. Riverside Industries . . . . . . . .
. . 5
F.
Citizens' Testimony . . . . . . . . . .
. . . 5
IV. RECOMMENDATIONS . . . • . • • • • • • • • 6
PROPERTY BEYOND THE HOSPITAL BUILDINGS . . . . 6
A.
Portions to be Assigned . . . . . . . . . . .
. 6
Jail Site . • . . . . . .
1. County
6
,
2. Recreation Department Site .
6
3. Smith College Riding Field
6
4. School Site
6
B.
Rocky Hill Conservation District . . . . .
. '7
C.
Farming Sites . . . . . . . .
7
BUILDINGS AND THE LAND AROUND THEM . . .
. 9
A.
Preliminary Steps
. 0 9.,
(1) National, Register of Historic `Places
9
I
2) Inventory of Existing''Buildings
10
I
(3) Demolition Costs
10
B.
The Need for Comprehensive Planning . . . .
10
ADDENDUM
. . . . . . . . . . .
.11
i
i~
I. INTRODUCTION
According to the consent decree issued by Federal District
Judge Frank Freedman, virtually the entire population of patients
at the Northampton State Hospital must be removed from the present
site and placed in community-based facilities by June 30, 1981.*
When this process of replacement is completed less than two years
from now, a magnificent tract of land, comprising over 500 acres,
and including more than 40 substantial buildings, will be available
for other uses.
This development will have a significant impact on the City
of Northampton. The site is one of great beauty. It commands a
magnificent perspective on the Pioneer Valley region and the Hol-
yoke Mountain Range. It includes a drumlin of extraordinary charm
and geological interest, and some valuable farm land, including a
sizable flood plain, and it is located only a short distance from
downtown Northampton. The site was originally chosen for its
beauty and its proximity to a culturally rich and prosperous com-
munity. The passage of time has enhanced these qualities, and the
attractiveness of the site is even greater.now than it was in the
middle of the 19th century.
It is crucially important that plans for the future use of
this site be formulated with great care by those who love this City.
This report will summarize the present situation and the fore-
seeable future, review the proposals which have already been made,
and set forth several recommendations for future use and for the
planning process.
II. PRESENT SITUATION AND FORESEEABLE FUTURE
Y
A. Buildings
There are at present.about 40 buildings on the Hospital
site, less than half of which are presently occupied. The
State is committed to provide security for these buildings
and grounds until November, 1981.
The oldest buildings at the site date from the middle
of the 19th century. They were designed by JonathanPreston,
an influentialo architect. The original brick building
B ston
.
consists of a four-story central block and three-story wings
to the north and south. The angularity of the design was
intended to insure ample light and fresh air circulation.
0
and surrounding countryside.
of the Hospital.
\1
Brownstone was used for the trim
The original building is at the brow of the hill, and
subsequent additions were placed at the sides or to the rear.
At the time it was built, the Hospital block was the single
largest structure in town and, most probably, in western
Massachusetts. The Elizabethan style of design was unique for
Northampton, and its preservation in the meantime, basically
intact, makes it a rarity over a much wider range.
As it developed, the State Hospital was a semi-independent
community, with its own farm, shops, and power plant. Still
standing are a hennery, a shop built in 1912, a late 19th
century piggery, and a storehouse built in the late 1880's.
All except the hennery are made of brick, and all are located
to the west of the Hospital proper.
During the 1920's, the facility began to expand south of
Rt. 66, and to the west of the existing site. During the 1930's,
several new buildings were erected, some of them featuring
colonial revival detailing. The Hospital also took advantage
of a Public Works Administration grant to construct a new
central heating plant, a laundry, new kitchens, and a dining
hall. The newest building, Haskill Hall, was completed in 1959
.and has been mentioned as a possible location for the treatment
of the residual patient population, should it be decided to use
a facility on the present grounds.
The State Hospital buildings thus vary greatly in histori-
cal interest, the uses for which they were intended, and their
current state of repair. In common, they share a location and
-a view that can scarcely be equalled in western Massachusetts.
B. Land
If one were to draw a ring around the State Hospital.proper
there would remain about 450 acres of land at the site To the
east and north of the buildings, there is an area currently
used by Smith College for horseback riding, and a wooded area
that slopes down toward the Mill River. To the west and south-
west, there are additional lands, including the drumlin (a
glacially formed, :elongated hill),, a stand of pine trees on
the drumlin slopes, several open fields on and above the flood
plain that have been used in recent years for farming, and the
site of the new County jail. The Northampton Recreation
Department holds a 50-year lease on a 15-acre site at the west
end of the property, on the north side of Burts,Pit Road. In
addition, the County in recent years has rented plots for vege-
table gardening,' and,the Agricultural School at the University
of Massachusetts has used land west of the drumlin and south
of Burts Pit_Road.for agriculture. There are two small sheds
at the latter location.
2
o m /
j
Soils on the site were surveyed in 1973 as part of a
comprehensive study done for the City by the USDA Soil Conser-
vation Service. The USDA/SCS survey produced detailed maps
and analyzed the limitations of the site for certain types of
development. (For example, a local engineering firm concluded,
on the basis of the government survey and its own study, that
much of the land was too rocky and/or too wet to be used for a
national,veterans' cemetery, which had been proposed in early
1974 by the U.S. Veterans Administration.)
C. Timetable
According to Judge Freedman's decree, it is the responsi-
bility of the Department of Mental Health to develop a plan
for placing patients in community-based facilities, so as to
reduce the patient population at the Hospital to 250 by July 1,
1979; to 150 by July 1, 1980; and to fewer than 50 by July 1,
1981. A change in administration in the Commonwealth, coupled
with difficulties in finding appropriate housing, has caused
some delay in implementing these changes. It is estimated
that the process is now three to six months behind schedule
(there were about 315 patients at the Hospital in mid-July,
1979). But officials of the Department of Mental Health are
hopeful that by next year (July, 198.0), the process will be
back on schedule. In other words, they are.still hopeful of
meeting Judge Freedman's 1980 and 1981 deadlines.
III. PROPOSALS IN HAND
in considering possible uses for the Hospital site, we have
had the benefit of an earlier study by the City's Planning Depart-
ment, and of proposals by several local groups and citizens.
A. In March, 1975, the Northampton Planning Department
prepared a "Proposal for the Use of Surplus Land at the
Northampton State Hospital," at the request of the Mayor of
Northampton. At that time, it was rumored that the Common-
wealth would soon reduce the size of the State Hospital
facility by 300 acres. The 1975 Proposal was based in part on
submissions from the Northampton School Department; the Conser-
vation Commission, the Recreation Commisgion, the Department
of Public Works, the Smith's Vocational High School, and
several other interested parties.
Several of the recommendations made in 1975 have already
been implemented. Construction of the new County jail has
begun; garden plots (presently administered by the County)
have been assigned; and the Recreation Department has obtained
a lease on a 15-acre site. Also, as the 1975 Proposal urged,
the DPW has abandoned its plan to straighten out the S-curve
on Burts Pit Road near the drumlin.
3 -
Other elements of the Proposal have not yet been acted
upon: the development of a picnic area north of Burts Pit
Road, east of the drumlin; the implementation of "long range
highway plans for the City to provide for the development
of a relocated Burts Pit Road/Rt. 66, west of the site"; and
the leasing of farmlands to local farmers. The 1975 Proposal
also recommended that a 29-acre site between Burts Pit Road
and Chapel Street (Rt. 66) "should be reserved as a possible
future elementary school site".
The central recommendation of the Proposal of 1975 was
that several areas be transferred directly to the City, with
control delegated to the Conservation Commission. These areas
included: a) the flood plain and other areas adjacent to the
Mill River; b) the slopes and wooded areas adjacent to the
flood plain; c) the drumlin; d) the area known as the "red
pine stand"; and e) Rocky Hill Pond and the areas within 100
feet of the Pond and of all streams draining the site. It was
recommended that these areas be restricted to current agricul-
tural use and to passive recreation. .
In conclusion, the 1975 Proposal urged that "only minimal
development should be considered, so that the area will remain
essentially in its present state and not broken up piecemeal.
The greatest.value of this land is that it is a large
tract of open space near the center of town. This value should
not be compromised."
B. The School Committee, via letters from John Graves,
Superintendent of Schools, dated April 20, 1979, and August 10,
1979, has formally requested that a parcel of land between
Chapel Street and Burts Pit Road, totalling approximately 20
acres, be conveyed to the School Committee for future educa-
tional purposes. In addition, Mr. Graves asked that considera-
tion be given to the possibility of adapting one or more of the
State Hospital buildings for School Department office space.
C. Smith College has expressed a desire to acquire the land
it currently uses, at the base of the hill, for horseback
riding. In addition, in a letter dated April 18, 1979, from
Philip Reid, Assistant to the President for Campus Planning,
the College indicated a willingness to acquire additional
acreage on the southern boundary of the Mill River, "solely
for the purpose of maintaining its natural state for teaching,
conservation, and aesthetic pruposes." Mr. Reid's letter
indicated that the Collegelwould intend to allow appropriate
public access to these areas.
D. In a telephone communication July 16, 1979, Ray Ellerbrook,
of the Northampton Recreation Department, noted that his Depart-
ment has a 50-year lease from the Department of Mental Health
on a 15-acre site-north of Burts Pit Road, at the west end of
the site. The Department has no plans to develop the site
within. its current five-year plan; beyond that, it cannot
project. The Department has no objection to farming by Smith's
.School on the site, but Mr. Ellerbrook did cite reservations
_ 4 _
i
i
about the prospect that the Conservation Commission might
become the lessor for the City. His concern centered on
restrictions on its possible use. He said that his Depart-
ment would prefer to relate directly to the City in its
planning for the site.
E. Several proposals have been made for the agricultural use
of parts of the site.
1. In a letter from David Musante, Chairman of the
Hampshire County Commissioners, dated April 6, 1979,
the County expressed interest in acquiring "agricul-
tural land including two barns," on the south side of
Burts Pit Road, west of the drumlin. The intention
would be to use this land for agriculture, employing
inmates of the jail. (The County's deed to the jail
site includes access to Burts.Pit Road. We are assured
that use of this land for farming by jail inmates would
not require fencing.)
2. In a letter from John Cahillane, Chairman of the Board
of Trustees of Smith's Vocational High School, dated
November 8, 1978, the School requests a 50-year lease
on 100 acres of land, to be used for instructional
purposes in agriculture and related fields. The pro-
posal cites the "close relationship with UMass" which
the School has long enjoyed in its agricultural pro-
grams, and stresses the need for land close to the
School grounds for its agricultural program, which
serves students from Hampshire and several surrounding
counties. Forestry and horticulture classes could
also use this land for a variety of field-work experi-
ences.
i
3. In a letter from Roger F. Brunelle, President of
Riverside Industries, dated April 19, 1979, the company
expresses interest in using "one or two acres" of land
near the Mill River to involve handicapped people in
an agricultural project. The purpose would be to
provide produce for persons involved in Riverside's
program, and to explore the potential for training
opportunities in agriculture.
F. In addition to these specific proposals, many citizens of
the region, during hearings yin March, 1979, expressed a more
general interest in preserving the present character of the
site, particularly its undeveloped parts There seemed to be
no objection to e urrent use of parts of the site for garden
plots and other a.,./ tural efforts. The jail is accepted as
an accomplished fact. But concern was repeatedly expressed,
lest the site be devoted, piecemeal, to a variety of intensive
developments. The importance of preserving the drumlin was
-Particularly underlined. It commands a unique and unparalleled
panorama of the region, and is of considerable interest geologi-
cally. Whatever is done with the rest of the site, these citizens
pleaded that the drumlin and surrounding areas be preserved as
they have come to us. f
IV. RECOMMENDATIONS
The following recommendations are in two parts: those dealing
with lands at the Hospital site outside the area presently devoted
to Hospital buildings; and those devoted to the buildings themselves
and the land (approximately 50 acres) on which those buildings sit.
PROPERTY BEYOND THE HOSPITAL BUILDINGS
A. Portions to be Assigned
Four parcels either have already been, or should now be,
devoted to particular uses, through carefully restricted deeds,
with the proviso that they revert to the City, if they are no
longer needed for the purposes specified.
1. The site of the new County jail, near the southwest
end of the property, has already been deeded to the
County.
2. The Commonwealth has entered into a 50-year lease on
a 15-acre site along the western border of the pro-
perty, north of Burts Pit Road, with the Northampton
Recreation Department. We recommend that this
property now be conveyed to the City, with the under-
standing that the City assign the property to the
Recreation Department, as at present. Until the
Recreation Department is able to plan uses for this
site, we recommend that it be assigned to the City
Lands Manager for maintenance purposes.
s 3. Smith College currently uses a plot at the eastern end
of the property near the Mill River, at the base of
the hill, for horseback riding. We support the College's
request to acquire this property, provided that the deed
specifically limits the development that can occur on
the property and provides for reversion to the City
when the College no longer needs the property for
horseback riding.
4.: The School Committee has requested a site at the south-
eastern end of the property, between Chapel Street and
Burts Pit Road,for possible future use as a school
site or for athlet'i~c fields. We are reluctant to
support land-banking with portions of this property.
On the other hand, there may be a future need for
additiorealK ool space near the downtown area, and
for athletit'fields in connection with the High School
program.' Also, if the City experiences growth of
population at or near the Hospital site in the coming
the site
years, it may be important to have part of
available for a new school.
,r a
here designated, provided that the lease be of
limited duration, and that it revert to the City if
the School Committee decides that it no longer needs
it for educational purposes.
B. Rocky Hill Cdnservation District.
We strongly recommend that the following portions of the
property be designated as a new Rocky Hill Conservation Dis-
trict: the drumlin, Rocky Hill Pond, the slopes on the east,
north, and northwest side of the site of the, present Hospital
buildings, and the lands within the 100-year flood plain on
the south bank of the Mill River. According to The Environ-
mental Handbook (1978 edition, published by the Massachusetts
Association of Conservation Commissions), it is the responsi-
bility of the Conservation Commission "to acquire, maintain,
improve, protect, limit the future use of, or otherwise con-
serve and properly utilize open spaces or land areas within
its city or town On land so acquired, the Commission
may contract for necessary maintenance work or arrange to have
it done by the Department of Public Works. It can designate
areas for passive recreation, cut trails and create picnic
areas, and decide whether to allow more intensive recreational
programs, provided that they do not involve the construction
of such permanent or semi-permanent structures as bleachers
or new tennis courts. The Commission may also designate areas
for garden plots. The basic intention in assigning property
to the Conservation Commission is to preserve it as nearly as
possible in its present state.
According to The Environmental Handbook, "it is very
difficult for a municipality to sell conservation land or to
transfer it for other uses". Such sale or transfer requires
' (1) a majority vote of the Commission that such lands is "no
longer needed" for conservation purposes; (2) a two-thirds
vote of the City Council authorizing sale or, transferring
title to another City board; and (3) a.-two-thirds recorded
vote of each House of the State Legislature, confirming the
new arrangement. A municipality cannot use eminent domain
procedures to divert conservation land to other public purposes.
"Thus, if four people out of seven on a aonservation Commis-
sion believe that a tract under its control should no be
transferred, the vote of the other three members and every voter
in town cannot take the land from conservation use and put it
to other use."- (Page 26) ,
These strong safeguards are entirely appropriate for
portions of the property which the City intends to protect
from further development. We strongly urge that the drumlin,
the Pond, the flood plain, and the slopes be so designated
and protected.
use of the portion of the land on Burts Pit Road for citizen
gardens, and of fields on both sides of Burts Pit Road, and
south of Rt. 66,for farming operations.
At present, the farming operations of Smith's School,
the County gardens and various individual farmers are conducted
by arrangement with the State Hospital administrators. The
question is, how should these lands be handled when responsi-
bility passes from the hands of these administrators?
our first instinct was to recommend that these areas be
declared a conservation district, with the City assuming owner-
ship and assigning it to the Conservation Commission for manage-
ment. We hoped in this way that the Conservation Commission
could monitor the use of these sites.
Unfortunately, there are several problems with this approach.
The first is legal. According to The Environmental Handbook,
"serious legal problems arise where Commission land is leased
to a farmer." Conservation districts-must be open to the public,
but use for farming may involve excluding the public from that
portion. A recent opinion by the Attorney General implies that
a two-thirds vote of the State Legislature is required for such
a lease. Beyond that, there is a question whether.Conservation
Commissions have.legal authority to enter into a lease of public
land at all. The Handbook concludes that, if land is to be
devoted to large-scale agricultural use,.the City Council should
.,authorize any such lease and "City authorities should execute it."
(Page 24)
A second major problem is administrative. The Conservation
commission is already heavily burdened. To ask the Commission
to monitor the use of farming lands by Smith's School and by
the County, as well as by individual farmers, is unreasonable.
A third question concerns policy. Again quoting The Envi-
ronmental Handbook, "some people incorrectly.view conservation
T and as a kind of land-bank for other municipal purposes."
(Page 23) We are not ready to recommend that these vast lands,
several hundred acres, be permanently devoted to conservation
and/or farming. We believe there should;be greater flexibility.
Whereas farming uses may be best for the present, other uses,
in conjunction with a larger plan for the total property, may
be preferable later.
a~
We therefore recommend that the sites most suitable for
farming (including the fields, forests, and gardens north of
Burts Pit Road, the, upland fields and barns south of Burts Pit
Road, and the meadows south of Rt. 66), be taken over by the
City and assigned to the Property Committee. We further recom-
mend that the City Lands Manager be made responsible for
administering the City's policies for these areas.
We find much merit in the plan of the Smith's School
administration to expand its agricultural program by using
100 acres of this site for a school farm. We are also sympa-
thetic to the idea of using a site south of Burts Pit Road
for a jail farm. We would urge the Property Committee to
conduct careful hearings into these plans, to test their
feasibility and their compatibility with neighboring planned
uses.
BUILDINGS AND THE LAND AROUND THEM
Planning for the proper re-use of the Hospital buildings poses
a tremendous challenge. Proposals have ranged all the way from
outright demolition of some or all of the buildings, to the develop-
ment of multiple-use housing, the encouragement of museums and craft
industries and a program to attract light industry or management
offices to rehabilitated buildings.
Before planning can begin in earnest, we must first know whether
the Department of Mental Health intends to retain part of the site
as a facility for its residual population following July, 1981. By
November, 1979, the Commonwealth's intentions on this point should
be formulated. Options for the future use of the rest of the site
will be deeply affected by this decision regarding the treatment of
patients (as many as 50 in number) whose illness is so severe as to
make community-based treatment impossible. We trust that in making
plans for the care of these patients, the Commonwealth will consider
.the impact of its decision on the usefulness of the rest of the
,site for other purposes.
Two things seem clear at the outset. The first is that no
single solution is likely to work for the whole site. We cannot
devote all of the buildings to housing, or to an industrial park,
or to any other single use. Nor would it be wise to.demolish all
the buildings, indiscriminately.
The second is that, before intelligent choices can be made
between the various alternatives, there must be careful study of
existing resources and full consideration of the possible options
and their implications.
A. Before comprehensive planning begins,, we urge several pre-
liminary steps. (1) It is,%Iear that there are advantages in
having several of the Hospital .buildings placed on the National
Rea-Later of Hist is Pllaaos. "The intent of the National
Register program is not to encourage the acquisition of all
historical propertie*'for use as museums nor to restrict private
owners in the use or treatment of their buildings Rather,
the National Register is a planning tool used to stimulate local
awaYCnCRR of a nnmmunitv's historic and architectural assets,
buildings, and encourage appropriate treatment and maintenance
of significant areas." The advantages which accrue to pro-
perties listed in the National Register are manifold: (a) the
property gains recognition as a national resource; (b) the
property becomes eligible for 50% matching grants-in-aid for
historical preservation; and (c) owners may apply for important
tax incentives for the preservation and rehabilitation of these
structures. Among these are favorable tax treatments for
rehabilitation which permit owners to amortize the cost of
rehabilitation over a five-year period or to depreciate the
costs of a substantially rehabilitated structure at an accel-
erated rate (Tax.Reform Act of 1976). For these reasons, we
urge that incorporation of certain buildings at the State Hos-
pital site onto the National Register be sought as soon as
possible. (2) We need a careful inventory of the existing
buildings and their present condition. Gene Bunnell, a build-
ings re-use specialist for the Department of Community Affairs,
and author of Built to Last, should be asked to inspect the
buildings and make recommendations concerning rehabilitation
and re-use. (3) We also need reliable gs~t mates as to the cost
of demolishing buildings for which there is to foreseeable use.
Everyone we have talked to agrees that many of the buildings on
the site will have to be dismantled. Estimates of the cost for
removing any substantial number of the buildings range from
$250,000 to $1,000,000.,
B. Once these preliminary steps have been taken, the City
should take the lead in preparing a comprehensive development
plan for the site. We have made a beginning, alerting several
sectors of the local community to the opportunities presented
by these buildings and the site as a whole. We have solicited
opinions from the Northampton Housing Authority, from the
Director of the Center for Economic Development at the University
of Massachusetts;' and from a leading local contractor. Fvom
the preliminary soundings, it is already apparent that the site
holds enormous potential for the future of the City.
To carry on the planning process, it,may be possible to
"recapture" some money from the Department of Mental Health
for a comprehensive re-use study. It may also be possible to
obtain a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) for this
purpose. Certainly it would be difficult to imagine a more
urgent or important use for.such funding-in this area. Or we
may be able to obtain support from the New England Regional
Commission, the U.S. Economic Development Administration, the
Small Business Administrati qn, the Department of Community
Affairs, or from other sources at the Federal or State level.
As far as we know, a relevant study of the re-use of a
large discontinued state hospital is not presently available.
There are some important studies that are tangentially related,
such as one dealing with the Chelsea Naval Hospital, -ehd
another relating to the recycling of several educational
institutions in Lenox, Massachusetts. But with the present10
policy of treating mental illness in community-based facili-
ties, rather than large institutions, such facilities are
becoming available in several communities of the Commonwealth,
as well as elsewhere in the United States. Northampton ought
to present itself as a typical small city, facing the challenge
and opportunity of re-using such a large institution, and offer
to make itself the subject of a pilot study and re-use process.
An imaginative proposal along these lines would have a good
chance for funding.
No effort should be spared nor time wasted in seeking
these funds for continuing the planning process. A site of
such great potential, close to the center of town, commanding
such a magnificent vista, presents a great opportunity to this
community.
ADDENDUM
After work on this report was completed, Gerald Hayes, Director
of the Center for Economic Development at the School of Business
Administration, University of Massachusetts, submitted a memorandum
setting forth his ideas on the "re-use" of the Hospital property.
Mr. Hayes accompanied us on one of our on-site inspections of the
Hospital buildings. His memorandum lends authority to several of
the suggestions in this Report. While we have not had time to con-
sider his recommendations in detail, we append his memorandum as a
useful perspective on some of the questions addressed in this Report.
We also note the receipt of a letter from Merton P. Burt,
' Deputy Master of the Hampshire County House of Correction, dated
August 16, underlining the County's request "for possibly five to
ten acres" for an inmates' farm. Mr. Burt notes that farming helps
to defray the cost of food, and has therapeutic value" for men
working the land. He adds that the County has'successfully conducted
such a program "for over a hundred years."
~t
11 _
OF ►f ~s~
UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS
AMHERST • BOSTON - WORCESTER
CENTER FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
SCHOOL OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
AMHERST, MASSACHUSETTS 01003
TO: Peter S. Klejna, Plannere Northampton Planning Director
FROM: Gerald V.'Hayes, Director, Center for Economic Development
SUBJECT: Re-use of Northampton State Hospital Property
DATE: August 20, 1979
The re-use of the property of Northampton State Hospital may be the
most critical economic development decision to face the City of
Northampton during the next ten years. The enormity of the facility
and the natural beauty of the site are exceeded only by the complexity
of reaching a decision which will maximize the potential which the
property holds.
It is probably impossible for anyone to provide well-reasoned
recommendations on the re-use of the -property with the information
currently available. Among the critical needs for more data are:
1. Site Inventory. A "fact sheet" should be developed which clearly
indicates the amount of land, the number of buildings and the
square footage of each, a general statement of.the condition of
-each building, a rough idea of how the internal space is subdivided
in each building, and a'schedule of the availability of each for
re-use. This type of information is very basic, but it is
essential to the formulation of re-use alternatives.
2. Infrastructure Analysis.- The facility's utility systems are unique.
Some basic research on`t'he condition of the heating, plumbing,
electrical, water, fire, tunnel, street and sewer systems should
be conducted. Any constraints on removing any particular building
from "loop" systems should be noted.
3. Engineering Analysis. Many of the buildings are quite old and a
"quick and dirty" evaluation of the structural soundness of the
various buildings may be in order. Particular attention should
be pald to roofs, foundations, extraordinary dampness and possible
settling.
F-xisting Commitments. Apparently-several formal and informal
commitments already exist on the use of buildings or land. All
these should be listed along with information on nature and
duration of each commitment as well as on the likelihood of the
use becoming permanent.
-2-
5. Proposed Commitments. Several re-uses have been suggested but
there appears to be no rigorous analysis of the ramifications of
each for job creation, tax potential and long term community
benefit. I would recommend that a formal set of criteria be
established and utilized to evaluate alternative proposals. The
City should be prepared to bargain very hard to achieve maximum.
benefit.
6. Market Survey. Information should be gathered on the general
economic conditions in the housing and industrial sectors for
the greater Northampton area. Since housing and industrial re-use
seem to be two obvious major alternatives, data should be generated
to determine the extent of demand and to forecast the possible
rate of absorption for these uses. Also, this survey should
examine specific sub-catagories within these borad areas (eg.
for subsidized housing or for research-oriented industry).
7. Institutional Re-use. The history, structure and configuration of
the buildings on the site suggest that the best re-use may be an
institutional re-use. While I realize that large-scale institutions
are not in vogue at this time, I would still recommend evaluating
this alternative very carefully. Contact should be made with all
educational, hospital correctional and governmental institutions
in the region in order to establish whether there is a potential
institutional re-use to be considered.
also have several suggestions for developing a frame of reference for
thinking about re-use alternatives:
1. The most important criteria which should be used in evaluating possible
uses is employment. Every proposal should be evaluated in terms of
its potential for creating or retaining jobs. This is particularly
'important in this instance because the phase-out of the facility
will result in a loss of stable employment in the community. I
's would strive to utilize the property in such a way as to at least
replace each of the jobs lost.
2. The property has been tax-exempt since the mid-nineteenth century.
There may be a temptation to carve up the property for various uses
which may continue this tax exemption. While the City of Northampton'
appears to have a great deal of fiscal strength, a firm and expanding
tax base will always be invaluable as a means for assuring long
term muniicipali stability. I would give priority consideration to
proposals which would yield property tax revenue for the City.
3:. .The reuse of the property may provide the City.of Northampton with
an opportunity to realize several broad community objectives (eg.
elderly housing, protection of conservation land, recreational
facilities etc.). Any designation of the property for such a use
should be preceeded by a thorough analysis of the extent of the
community.need being addressed and the degree to which the site
might.satisfy that need. I would, however, take great care to
avoid disposing of such a valuable community asset in such a way
as to achieve only a minimal benefical impact on the community
as a whole.
-3-
r i
4. As an "old buildings freak", i tend to prefer the adaptive re-use
existing buildings to demolition and new construction. This
proclivity must be tempered, however, by cold hard economic
facts. If the numbers don't work, the buildings may have to be
demolished.
5. Research may indicate that the ability of the City of Northampton
to absorb a facility of this size is quite limited. The City
should seriously consider the possibility of "moth-balling"
a portion of the site unitll an appropriate re-use is identified.
This may involve an expenditure to maintain the buildings in the
interim, but the state may be willing to help. The long term
potential benefit of the site to the City should certainly
justify a modest investment_in upkeep.
6. 1 detect sense of urgency about making a decision about the re-use
of the property. I suspect that any cautious approach to the
problem may take well over one year, especially if the time
frame includes time for a marketing effort. i would resist
attempts at a quick decision.
7. Since the re-use of the property:,will involve a major public policy
decision with very substantial long range economic ramifications,
i would recommend that the City play a lead role in the state-
organized re-use committee. i also recommend that the City be
be represented by the Mayor or~a personal designee of the Mayor.
8. The size of the undertaking may envolve the expenditure of large
'
a amounts of money for site preparation, demolition, utility
construction etc. I suggest that the possibility of an application
i
for an Urban Development Action Grant or to the Economic Development
Administration be kept in mind.
9. Speaking realistically, the property.will probably, be devoted to
a series of uses rather than to a single use. This fact will.
impose a special requirement to evaluate each proposed use in terms
of its relationship to all others. The City should seek a highly
compatible blend of uses.
I '-have read Bob Maher's comments and I feel that there is a great deal of merit
In h i s .remarks . I :;hope you w l l I keep h i s comments in ini nd.
z
Let me underscore my first point. This may well be the most Important economic
development decision to be made In Northampton in the next ten years -:perhaps
even in this half of the century. -The City should not hesitate to channel
a ;great deal of time and energy into reaching an intelligent decision.
i
in this regard, I would suggest that the City consider retaining a professional
consulting firm with specific experience in the re use of 'large institutional
facilities to. -help in~making re-use decisions.. -Normally, I'.m very skeptical
of-consultants, but it appears .that the City may have a genuine need for one
'
In :this :Instance.
jr.
b ~
~\I
Any consultant must be very carefully managed. I suggest that the consultant
be asked to perform only those tasks which the City cannot perform itself.
These tasks may include, market studies on the housing and industrial re-use
options as well as engineering or architectural analysis. I would also
attempt to get the state to pay for the consultant.
If I can be of any further help, please feel free to be in touch.
cc: Norm Tiedeman
Bob Maher