Freetown Development Project Advances

BOSTON - Tuesday, August 30, 2011 - The Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development today announced that Medical Information Technology Inc. (Meditech), which has proposed a five-story office expansion in Freetown designed to accommodate more than 800 new employees over a seven-year period, has completed its Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) review - a significant milestone that enables developers to seek permits to build the project and marks the final step in the Patrick-Murray Administration's regulatory review of the project. The health care software vendor currently has a 128,000 square foot building in Fall River, and other locations in Norwood, Canton, Framingham and Westwood.

"Creating jobs in all regions of the Commonwealth continues to be a top priority for our administration," said Lieutenant Governor Timothy Murray. "As Meditech moves forward with its development plans, the completion of the MEPA review is welcoming news for the South Coast region and the Commonwealth. By working collaboratively across state agencies, we will continue to create jobs and support business development in Massachusetts."

"Meditech is a great company that is committed to creating jobs on the South Coast, and we are doing everything we can to assist their expansion plans," said Housing and Economic Development Secretary Greg Bialecki. "The timely completion of the MEPA review as well as resolution of all regulatory matters within the administration's jurisdiction exemplifies our work to make Massachusetts a friendly, predictable place to do business and put people to work."

Last week, Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) Secretary Richard K. Sullivan Jr. issued a MEPA certificate stating that Meditech's Environmental Impact Report (EIR) complies with MEPA regulations requiring developers to consider all potential environmental impacts of a development and propose ways to eliminate, minimize or mitigate them. Previously, Secretary Sullivan granted Meditech's developers' request for a single EIR environmental review procedure, rather than the lengthier and customary two-step draft and final EIR process.

Located on 138 acres of land west of South Main Street in Freetown, the proposed Meditech Office Development includes a 186,460 square foot office building, an access drive, parking areas, underground utilities and stormwater management facilities. The successful EIR details how Meditech's developers decreased the originally planned size of the building and the amount of impervious surface and parking spaces, while committing to convey a conservation restriction to The Trustees of Reservations to preserve the scenic, natural and historic qualities of the property.

In his certificate, Secretary Sullivan noted that Meditech's EIR includes the developer's plans to limit impacts to wetland areas through the use of culverts and bridges, incorporate low-impact design features to enhance its stormwater management system, avoid impacts to potential vernal pools on site and implement a range of energy efficiency measures designed to reduce the project's greenhouse gas emissions.

"Meditech is an important company for Massachusetts and the South Coast region, and I very much appreciate their continued commitment to creating quality jobs in the greater Fall River area," said Senator Michael Rodrigues. "Under the leadership of the Patrick-Murray Administration, all state agencies and in particular the environmental agencies, have pulled together to complete a thorough and professional review of this project in record time, demonstrating again that Massachusetts understands what it takes to create jobs for the working people of our state."

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