WARE — Attorney Patrica Davidson told the Hospital Review Committee, in charge of figuring out what is the next step in the story of Mary Lane Hospital, the closed facility has three major issues.
Davidson has been hired to assist the town navigate through the hospital issue. She is a Worcester-based lawyer specializing in will, trusts and real estate issues.
Speaking to the committee on July 25, Davidson reviewed the situation. The hospital buildings and property belong to Baystate Health. There has been an intention announced to the committee the hospital group plans to demolish the buildings once the demolition delay runs out in October and sell the land to Westmass Area Development for $1. Westmass Area Development has not announced any plans for the property.
The property has a restriction on the deed, Davidson, noted, that specifies the property be used for a medical facility. There are also trust funds — the Gilbert Fund, among others — worth $17 million founded to support the former hospital.
The deed, the future use of the land and how the trust money can or can’t be used are the three things the committee and the towns must address.
She said her goal is to “put together a plan that makes sense to everyone.”
Hospital Review Committee Chair Howard Trietsch said the committee wants to know if the land can be developed for any other use other than for health facilities and how the trust money could be used to support what is developed there.
Davidson explained the attorney general will undoubtedly be involved with the answers to those questions as she has the oversight for charitable trusts that can no longer fulfill its original objective.
Trietsch also noted the Friends of Mary Lane Hospital have been researching the possibility of a new health facility. One person attending the meeting expressed her concern when she sees ambulances coming from the direction of neighboring small towns that now must take people to Wing Memorial in Palmer.
She said Ware and outlying towns are in a health care “desert.” The hospital served patients from Belchertown, Hardwick, Gilbertville, New Braintree, Oakham, North Brookfield, West Brookfield, Warren, Brookfield and East Brookfield.
Athol Memorial Hospital in Athol, Harrington Memorial Hospital in Southbridge and Baystate Wing Hospital in Palmer are now the closest hospitals to the area.
Trietsch said the town has been “hesitant” to take the property over because of the threat of brownfields, as well as the fact the town does not develop properties. To his knowledge there has been no formal agreement between Baystate Health and Westmass Area Development.
There were questions raised if the trust fund could be used to help establish a new health facility for the community. Davidson said the Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts might be of help.
Another committee member said the committee needs opinions from the public about how they would like the property to be redeveloped.
