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By Josh Perry
Hometown Weekly Staff
A group of Medfield residents released a petition with 500 signatures against a proposed assisted living facility on Main St. The facility, which is was proposed by LCB Senior Living, would be located on a plot of land behind the Peak House and the Clark Tavern.
The intitial proposal was for a building with a footprint of more than 70,000 square feet and neighbors have voiced concerns over how that size of a facility would be integrated into the residential community.
There are also a number of residents who have expressed disappointment and confusion that an assisted living facility could be allowed in a neighborhood that has been zoned residential. According to a 2012 Town Meeting vote, residents approved a change to the by-laws that allows for zoning changes for this specific type of facility but residents are saying that what was being voted for at the time was unclear.
This weekend, organizers of the online petition held a meeting at the Pfaff Center that included former selectman John Harney.
Most opponents of the facility would like LCB Senior Living to reconsider the location and to use land at the Medfield State Hospital, although the land has not yet been zoned for this type of usage. In an interview in January, LCB spokesperson Ted Doyle also explained that it is better for the seniors to be located nearer to the center of town for shopping, socializing, and being closer to relevant activities.
The residents opposing the facility are calling on the Zoning Board of Appeals to deny the zoning change and rule against LCB’s proposal. An earlier meeting of the ZBA had to be postponed due to a computer issue at Town Hall.
In addition to changes in the neighborhood, residents are also highlighting potential environ-mental impacts to the watershed area on the plot that LCB has purchased. LCB said that it is working with conservation officials to ensure there would be no impact.
As petitions continue among opponents to the facility, LCB has indicated that it will be making alterations to the initial proposal and will be releasing those to the public. The new proposal had not be released at the time of writing.
Josh Perry is an Editor at Hometown Weekly. He can be reached at news@hometownweekly.net and followed on Twitter at @Josh_Perry10.
