MBTA Construction in Natick Center

Just last month, the MBTA’s Fiscal and Management Control Board announced that they awarded a $36 million contract to improve Natick Center’s MBTA Station. Improvements aim to support accessibility at the station and include the building of two elevators, two handicap-accessible ramps, and three new stairways. Old ground-level train platforms will be replaced with higher-level platforms in order to improve the safety, ease, and speed of passenger boarding. Additionally, the pedestrian bridge will be replaced, canopies will be rebuilt, and bicycle parking will be issued. Other upgrades such as better signage, emergency lighting, and drainage and flooding will be added.

The renovation period is expected to last 30 months. During this period, the station will remain open with the exception of 5-weekend shutdowns which are currently being scheduled. MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak is “excited to get this project started and provide Natick area customers with a modern, fully accessible Commuter Rail facility. Combined with the MBTA’s recent order of 80 new bi-level passenger coaches, major infrastructure improvements such as these will allow us to provide Commuter Rail riders with the level of service they expect and deserve.” 

This construction project is one of many being performed in Natick over the past year in an effort to improve accessibility and meet ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) requirements. Surely these tasks will accommodate all that live in Natick and enhance individuals’ everyday life. 

Information sourced from MassDot.

Local Artist

A recent 2019 graduate of Natick High, Denis Minevich, was honored with a plaque from the Natick Cultural Council for his painting on a utility box located on East Central Street. The Natick Cultural Council holds an annual contest inviting local students to submit ideas for ways to make Natick utility boxes more exciting. In his painting, Minevich turned to Natick’s roots and depicted Ulysses S. Grant Wilson’s old shoe-making shop which is still located on 181 West Central Street. Minevich’s work is both a creative and historical testament to Henry Wilson, who was a Massachusetts senator during the Civil war and was vice president of the shoe-making shop.  Congratulations to Denis! You can view him and his artwork below. 

Proposed Hospital Changes May Lead to Dangerous Impacts

Leonard Morse Hospital, in downtown Natick made the decision on January 21st to close their medical and surgery unit, intensive care unit, operating rooms, emergency department, and outpatient rehabilitation services in order to focus more on behavioral health services. Over the next 120 days, Leonard Morse Hospital will slowly close their acute care services and consolidate them at the Framingham Union Hospital campus. In Framingham, these changes include upgrading emergency services, hospital infrastructure, medical equipment, and more. CEO of MetroWest Medical Center, Andrew Harding, also plans to add wound care services to the Framingham campus. Harding is concerned about behavioral health in the Metrowest community and envisions “Leonard Morse Hospital campus becoming a unique behavioral health specialty center dedicated to the mental health of our community for child, adolescent, adult and geriatric psychiatric care.” 

According to the Department of Public Health, Leonard Morse hospital is licensed to for a total of 160 beds which include 64 medical/surgical, 10 ICU, and 86 psychiatric. Closing of acute care services at Leonard Morse raises concern not only for half of the 189 registered nurses to lose their jobs, but also for more back up and longer waiting times at the Framingham Union Hospital. The Department of Public Health will hold a hearing 60 days before proposed closures to go into effect. A spokeswoman for the department claims that they cannot require a hospital to legally keep a service open. 

A bill currently pending at the statehouse, sponsored by state senator Julian Cyr, would call for hospitals to “notify the DPH of a proposed closure at least one year in advance; show evidence of support and opposition from the communities they serve when they initially notify the DPH of any planned closure; submit a plan to the DPH to show how they will make up for discontinued services if the DPH determines those services are essential” (Schwan). If this bill is passed, this would greatly impact the hospital’s plans or any other future decisions that may be approved. The bill also calls for a committee to oversee all plans for discontinued services. If a hospital chooses to discontinue services without DPH approval, an injunction may be issued by a state attorney general. 

This is definitely a story to follow, as the closure of services could hurt the health of our local communities.

Boden Lane Bridge Open Once Again

MassDOT announced the reopening of a temporary ACROW bridge to replace Boden Lane Pedestrian Bridge in West Natick on January 27. The bridge was primarily used for pedestrians to travel to and from the West Natick MBTA Commuter Rail Station but was damaged in October of last year when a nearby crew was cleaning brush.  Since it’s closure and demolition, a shuttle service has been running to assist residents in their commute. The shuttle will now be discontinued. 

Although the temporary bridge is up, MassDOT remains unsure about when a permanent bridge will come in its place. A public hearing will be held in order for individuals to voice their thoughts and concerns. Additionally, the bridge will experience intermittent closures for contractors to complete work on the waterline. This will occur over the next several weeks during off-peak commute times to prevent any inconveniences. 

Local Contamination Concerns

Danger looms in Natick as the Department of Environmental Protection finally reveals an eleven-month-old report on the high levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) at East Park. The report, prepared in January by Civil & Environmental Consultants Inc., found the contamination levels to be as much as fifty times the amount considered safe by the Department of Environmental Protection. It was disclosed that the PCB contamination had spread from a Speedway Gas Station on Route 9 to the nearby East Park. 

Findings of PCB on Speedway property can be traced back to 2014, which is also the year the DEP was first notified about the contamination. However, Joseph Ferson, a spokesman for the DEP, claims that the levels of PCB weren’t high enough to trigger a notification to Natick until October of last year. 

What is a PCB?

Polychlorinated biphenyls are man-made chemicals that were common for industrial and commercial use. These chemicals were banned in the United States in 1979 after research revealed its carcinogenic properties and ability to harm the immune, reproductive, and nervous system. 

The Department of Environmental Protection safety standard for PCB concentration is 1 milligram per kilogram. Shockingly, the soil in the park and surrounding area ranged from 33-50 milligrams per kilogram while Speedway’s property boasts reports of approximately 1,400 milligrams per kilogram. 

What Are the Next Steps? 

The town of Natick is working as fast as possible to get all of the PCBs removed before it plans on how to tackle cleanup costs. Melissa Malone, town administrator, spoke about the possibility of going after the state regarding clean up costs due to the very late notice of the contamination. In a recent WCVB interview, Malone says that her “focus is ensuring the park opens”. She adds to this comment that Natick recently spent around $2 million to refurbish the park. Currently, the area in question has been fenced off to protect the public.