1979 DRAFT Report of State Hospital Re-Use GroupSTATE HOSPITAL RE -USE GROUP
Composed of Members of
the Conservation Con - mission
Historical Commission
and
Planning Board
Preliffiinary Draft -
Please do not quote.
Draft Prepared by
Don Robinson
July 19, 1979
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 placed in community -based
facilities by June 30, 1981. Judge Freedman's decree left open
the possibility that as many as 50 patients may still need intensive
care at a State institution. (A plan for the care of these remaining
patients is currently in preparation, and is scheduled to be com-
pleted by November 15, 1979. It is still possible that these
patients may be located in a facility at the present site)
when this process of replacement is completed. A magnificent tract
of land, comprising over 600 acres, and encompassing over 40 sub-
stantial buildings, must be devoted to other uses.
This development is likely to have a significant impact on the
City of Northampton. The site is one of extraordinary beauty. The
site commands a magnificent perspective on the Connecticut River
Valley and the Holyoke Mt. Range. It includes a drumlin of extra-
ordinary charm and geological interest, some valuable farm land,
including a sizable flood plain, and is located only a short dis-
tance from downtown Northampton. The site was originally chosen
for its beauty, and its proximity to a culturally rich and an
economically thriving community. 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.
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It is of the utmost importance that the plans for using this
land and these buildings be formulated with care, and with an eye
to the well being of the entire region. This report will summarize
the present situation in the foreseeable future; it will summarize
the proposals which have been made for the use of this site; and it
will list recommendations for future use and for the planning process.
II. PRESENT SITUATION AND FORESEEABLE FUTURE
A. Buildings
There are at present 40 buildings on the hospital site,
less than half of which are presently occupied. The State is
committed to provide security in these buildings until November,
1981.
The oldest buildings at the site date from the middle of
the 19th century. They were designed by Jonathan Preston, an
influential Boston architect. The original brick building
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. The roof line
is irregular, with steep, triangular gables and segmental gables
alternating. Four cupolas top the slate roof, providing a
magnificent view of the Connecticut Valley and the surrounding
countryside.
Brownstone was used for all the trim of the hospital. 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
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it was built, the hospital block was the single largest struc-
ture in town, and most probably, in western Massachusetts.
The Elizabethan style of design was unique for Northampton,
and its preservation, 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 brick, and all are located to the
west of the hospital.
During the 1920'x, the hospital began to expand south of
Rt. 66, and to the west of the existing site. During the 1930'x,
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 State Hospital buildings thus vary greatly in his-
s
torical interest, the uses for which they were intended, and
their current state of repair. In common, they share a loca-
tion and share a view that can scarcely be dqualled in western
Massachusetts.
B. Land
If one were to draw a ring around the buildings of the
State Hospital, there would remain about 350 acres of land.
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To the east and north of the buildings, there is an area cur-
rently used by Smith College for horseback riding, and a wooded
area that slopes down toward the Mill River. To the west and
southwest, there are additional lands, including the drumlin
(a glacially formed, elongated hill), a stand of pine trees on
the drumlin slopes, several open fields 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 recent years, the County has rented
plots for vegetable 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 on the site.
Soils on the site were surveyed in 1973 as part of a com-
prehensive study done for the City by the USDA Soil Conservation
Service. The USDA /SCS survey included detailed maps and analyses
of the limitations of the site for certain types of development.
(For example, a -local engineering firm concluded, on the basis
of the earlier 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 consent decree, it is the
responsibility of the Departinment of Mental Health to develop
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programs for patients in community -based facilities at a pace
which would 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 Common-
wealth, coupled with difficulties in finding appropriate housing,
has caused some delay in implementing these changes. It is
estimated that the process is three to six months behind schedule
(there are 315 patients at the hospital in mid -July, 1979) but
officials of the Department of Mental Health are hopeful that
by July, 1980, the process may be back on schedule. In other
words, they are still hopeful of meeting Judge Freedman's 1980
deadline.
III. PROPOSALS IN HAND
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 appeared that the Commonwealth planned to reduce the size of the
State Hospital facility by 300 acres. The 1975 "proposal" was based
on extensive hearings and on submissions from the Northampton School
Department, the Conservation Commission, the Recreation Commission,
the Department of Public Works, the Smith's Vocational High School,
and several interested parties.
Several of the recommendations made in 1975 have been implemented.
Construction of the new County jail has begun; garden plots have been
assigned; and the Recreation Department has obtained a lease on a
15 -acre site. Also, the DPW has abandoned its plan to straighten out
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the S -curve on Burts Pit Road near the drumlin. Other elements of
the "proposal" have not 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
feeding traffic into either Rt. 10 or a relocated Rt. 10 "; 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 ".
But the centerpiece of the "proposal" was the transfer of several
areas to the City, with control resting with the Conservation Com-
mission. These areas included: a) flood plain and other areas adja-
cent to the Mill River; b) the slope and wooded areas adjacent to
the flood plain; c) the drumlin; d) the area known as the "red pine
stand "; e) Rocky Hill Pond and an area within 100 feet of the pond
and of all streams draining the site. It was recommended that these
areas be restricted to current agricultural use and to passive recrea-
tion. The "proposal" concluded that "only minimal development should
be considered (on the entire site) 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."
During hearings in March, 1979, and in letters and other com-
munications in the meantime, the following proposals have been
presented:
A. The School Department, in a letter from John Graves, Super-
intendent of Schools, dated April 20, 1979, has formally
requested that a parcel of land on Rocky Hill Road of
approximately 20 -30 acres be set aside for a school site.
In the same letter, Mr. Graves asked that consideration be
given to the possibility of adapting one or more of the
State Hospital buildings for School Department office space.
B. Smith College has indicated its 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 its 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 purposes ".
Mr. Reid's letter indicated the College's intention to allow
"public access to the area in question ".
C. In a telephone communication July 16, 1979, Ray Ellerbrook
of the Northampton Recreation Department, noted that his
department has a 50 -year lease from the Department of Mental
Health for 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 concerning the concept that the Con-
servation Commission might become the lessor for the City.
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He expressed concerns about restrictions on its possible
use, and said that the department would rather relate
directly to the City in planning for the site.
D. Several proposals were made for the agricultural use of
parts of the site.
1. In a letter from David Musante, Chairman of the Hamp-
shire County Commissioners, dated April 6, 1979, the
County expressed interest in acquiring "agricultural
land including two barns ", on the south side of Burts
Pit Road, west of the drumlin. Intention would be to
use this land for agriculture, employing inmates of the
jail. (The site on which the new jail is being con-
structed contains access to the road connecting the
jail site with the proposed agricultural land on Burts
Pit Road.) The use of this land for agricultural
purposes by the jail 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
of land, which it would use for instructional purposes
in agriculture and related fields. The proposal cites
the "close relationship with UMass" which the school
has long enjoyed in its agricultural programs, and
stresses the need for land close to the school grounds
for its agricultural education program. By growing
feed for cattle and using the pasture for heifers, the
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school would save money in an agricultural project that
serves students from Hampshire and Several surrounding
counties. In addition, forest and horticulture classes
could use this land for a variety of field -work experi-
ences.
3. In a letter from Roger F. Brunelle, President of River-
side Industries, dated April 19, 1979, the County
expresses interest in using "one or two acres" of land
near the Mill River for an agricultural project. The
purpose would be to provide produce for the residents
of Riverside Industries, and to explore the potential
for training opportunities in agriculture.
In addition to these specific proposals, many citizens have
expressed a more general interest in preserving the present character
of the site. There seemed to be no objection to the current use of
parts of the site for garden plots and other agricultural efforts.
The jail is accepted as an accomplished fact. But concern was
expressed, lest the site be devoted, piecemeal, to a variety of
intensive developments. In part, the importance of preserving the
drumlin was underlined. It commands a unique and unparalled panorama
of the region, and it holds enormous interest geologically. Whatever
is done with the rest of the site, these citizens asked that the
drumlin be preserved as it has been given to us.
IV. RECOMMENDATIONS. (Tentative; subject to discussion)
The following recommendations are in two parts: those dealing
with lands outside the site presently devoted to State Hospital
buildings; and those devoted to the buildings themselves and the
immediately contiguous land.
A. Property Beyond the Hospital Buildings.
The property outside the ring of buildings is presently
devoted to a variety of uses. A 29 -acre site in the south-
west portion is presently devoted to the construction of a
new County jail. A 15 -acre plot just north of Burts Pit
Road, is curretnly leased to the Recreation Department. A
plot at the eastern end of the property near the Mill River,
is used by Smith College as a riding area. In addition,
the School Department has indicated an interest in a plot
for a future school.
As the State moves to distribute the State Hospital
property, these sites should be allocated as indicated.
The lease to the Recreation Department should be honored,
and the property held by the City for this purpose. The
jail site should be kept under the control of the County.
The College should acquire the riding area. And the City
should acquire a future school site, as requested by the
School Committee. Concerning the latter recommendation,
The Environmental Handbook for Massachusetts Conservation
Commissioners (1978 edition), published by the Massachusetts
Association'of Conservation Commissions, states that
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"some people incorrectly view conservation land as a kind of
land bank for other municipal purposes" (page 23) if the City
wishes to withhold part of the site for a possible future
school, it should do so at this time.
Much of the site is either currently used for farming,
or sought for that purpose. It has been suggested that the
areas suitable for farming be acquired by the City and
placed under the control of the Conservation Commission.
But according to the Environmental Handbook, "serious legal
problems arise where Commission land is leased to a farmer ".
Such use may involve excluding the public from the portion
devoted to farming. In addition, an opinion by the Attorney
General implies that a two - thirds vote of the State legisla-
ture is required for such a lease. And there is a question
whether Conservation Commissions have legal authority to
enter into a lease of public land. The Handbook concludes
that the City Council should authorize any such lease and
that .... "City authorities should execute it." (Page 24)
These interpretations, incidentally, do not apply to the
granting of garden plots to individual farmers. Such an
arrangement can be made by a "license ", which is granted to a
particular person, generally runs from year to year, is easy
to terminate, and provides for more municipal control. Thus,
the Conservation Commission could certainly develop and
administer garden plots, but it ought not to be held respon-
sible for leasing portions of the site to other agencies.
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Thus, a decision must be made about the requests of
the Smith's School and the County for a farming plot near
the jail. If the Smith's School administration can demon-
strate management capability, the allocation of a site of
up to 100 acres, at the westerly end of the property, would
seem to be appropriate. Similarly, if the County can demon-
strate that its plans for a farm south of Burts Pit Road
and west of the drumlin will respect the attractiveness of
that area, the City should support its allocation for this
purpose, provided that the necessary restrictions are
written into the deed.
Concerning the request of Riverside Industries and the
current practice of garden plots, it seems well within the
capability of the Conservation Commission and its staff to
administer these uses.
The remaining property outside the ring of hospital
buildings should be transferred to the ownership of the City,
with responsibility for control resting with the Conservation
Commission. This area includes the slope and wooded areas
adjacent to the Mill River, the drumlin and associated land
to the south and east,, the area known as the "red pine stand ",
and the Rocky Hill Pond and an area within 100 feet of the
pond and of all streams draining the site. (Check the ac-
curacy of this description.) According to the Environmental
Handbook, it is the responsibility of the Conservation
Commission "to acquire, maintain, improve, protect, limit
the future use or otherwise conserve and properly utilize
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open spaces in land and water areas within its city or town
....". (The Conservation Commission Act, Chap. 15, Sec. 1.)
On land so acquired, the Commission may contract for neces-
sary maintenance work or arrange to have it done by the
Public Works Department. It can designate areas for passive
recreation, cut trails or create picnic areas, decide
whether to allow more intensive recreational programs,
provided that they do not involve the construction of such
structures as bleachers or new tennis courts, in which case,
a two- thirds vote of the legislature is required. The
Commission may designate areas for garden plots, as indi-
cated above, but the basic intention in assigning property
to the Conservation Commission is to preserve it as nearly
as possible in its natural state.
"It is very difficult for a municipality to sell conser-
vation land or transfer it to other uses." Such sale or
transfer requires (1) a majority vote of the Commission that
such land "is no longer needed for such purpose "; (2) a
two - thirds vote of the City Council authorizing sale or
transferring title to another board; (3) a two - thirds
recorded vote of each House of the State Legislature. A
municipality cannot use eminent domain procedures to divert
municipal land to another public purpose. "Thus, if four
people out of seven on a commission believe that a tract
under its control should not be transferred, the vote of
the other three members and every other voter in town cannot
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take the land from conservation use and put it to other use."
(Environmental Handbook, Page 26.)
These safeguards are appropriate for portions of the
property which the City intends to protect from further
development. We should be very careful to include all such
areas in our designation to the Conservation Commission.
B. Buildings and Immediately Contiguous Land.
Planning for the proper reuse of the hospital buildings
poses a tremendous challenge. Proposals have ranged all the
way from demolition, to the development of museums and craft
industry, the development of multiple use housing, or a
program to attract management offices to rehabilitated
buildings. Before intelligent choices can be made between
these alternatives, there must be a careful study of existing
resources and imaginative consideration of possible options.
The'first question is whether the Department of Mental
Health plans to retain part of the site for a facility for
its residual population following July, 1981. By November,
1979, the Commonwealth's plan on this should be formulated.
Certainly the options for future use of the rest of the site
will be affected by the decision regarding the site for
treatment of the patients (as many as 50 in number) whose
illness is so severe as to make community -based treatment
impossible.
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Even before comprehensive planning begins, it seems
clear that there are advantages in seeking to have several
of the hospital buildings placed on the National Register
of Historic Places. "The intent of the National Register
program is not to encourage the acquisition of all historical
properties 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
awareness of a community's historic and architectural assets,
arouse interest in finding alternative uses for distinctive
buildings, and encourage appropriate treatment and mainten-
ance of significant areas ". The advantages which accrue to
properties listed in the National Register are (1) recogni-
tion that the property is one of the country's natural
resources; (2) the property becomes eligible to apply for
50% matching grants -in -aid for historical preservation; and
(3) the property becomes eligible to apply for important tax
incentives for the preservation and rehabilitation of impor-
tant structures, which allow favorable tax treatments for
rehabilitation, permitting owners to amortize the cost of
rehabilitation over a five -year period or to depreciate the
costs of a substantially rehabilitated structure at an
accelerated rate (Tax Reform Act of 1976). Incorporation
of certain buildings at the State Hospital site onto the
National Register should be sought as soon as possible.
It is impossible to make recommendations concerning the
future use of the buildings without a careful study that lies,
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beyond the capability of a volunteer committee. First,
there must be a complete inventory of the existing buildings
and their present condition. Second, there must be reliable
estimates as to the costs of demolishing buildings for which
there is no foreseeable use. Third, there must be realistic
projections made as to the possible future uses by these
buildings. These ideas, once formulated, must be given wide
publicity and made the subject of careful deliberation by
citizens of this region. We need solutions which are
imaginative, durable, realistic and responsive to the well
being of all area residents.
Where can funds be obtained for such a study? If recom-
mendations can be formulated soon, it may be possible to re-
capture some money from the Department of Mental Health for
a reuse study. It may also be possible to obtain a community
development grant for this purpose; certainly it would be
difficult to imagine a better use for such funds. Or we may
be able to obtain money from the Economic Development Admin-
istration or other sources at the State level.
No effort should be spared in seeking these funds. A
site of such great potential, close to the center of town,
commanding such a magnificent vista presents a great oppor-
tunity to this community. It must not be allowed to degenerate
nor be devoted to inappropriate purposes.
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