WINCHESTER - The discussion ranged over a number of topics with potential health issues as the Board of Health met with representatives of Winchester Hospital to talk about the proposed development at 620 Washington St.

The discussion was led by David Heinold, since Chairman Richard Maggio had recused himself due to a conflict, and by Health Director Jennifer Murphy.

The meeting was held to assist the board in advising other boards which have jurisdiction over the project, particularly the Zoning Board of Appeals which has opened a public hearing on the hospital's application for a special permit/site plan approval.

Mike Gerhardt of College Street Partners, the hospital's development manager, gave an overview of the project, which includes:

- demolition of a portion of the existing building, a former factory building which has been transformed into an oncology center;

- construction of a 95,000 square foot ambulatory care center;

- and construction of a three-level parking garage.

Addressing first the demolition, Heinold asked about asbestos.

Gerhardt said that there was some asbestos and some lead paint.

He said extensive abatement was done when the building was renovated into a cancer center and that the survey and specs for removal of remaining hazardous materials had been completed.

Stormwater managment

After brief attention was paid to the flood storage area, the focus turned to the stormwater management system.

Gerhardt explained that stormwater from the parking garage roof drains and catch basins would collect in a sealed vault under or in the basement of the parking garage. Stormwater from the new medical building is designed to go into a separate tank.

Water from each tank is to be pumped into its own, separate infiltration gallery.

Gerhardt also said that a rain garden to the south, a part of which was built for the cancer center, is planned to be a bio-retention area. It is meant, he said, to clarify the water, which will eventually run out to the river.

To Murphy's questions about access and ventilation, Gerhardt said that both tanks would be sealed and not accessed through a door (as once suggested), would have ventilation through the catch basins, and be accessed through manhole covers.

Murphy asked about the Department of Environmental Protection's request that another location be considered. In a comment to MEPA, the DEP had stated that "the maintenance, repair, and replacement requirements for this system appear to be impracticable, if not infeasible, for an infiltration system beneath a building."

Gerhardt replied that the infiltration system is not below the building, although they had originally planned to put infiltrators there.

Asked if they had developed protocols for cleaning and maintenance, Gerhardt said they had included information about cleaning in the filing to the Zoning Board of Appeals.

İHe said that most sediment would be caught in the catch basins.

Regarding the potential for mold growth, he said that concrete is not a growth material for mold, that mold has never been an issue anywhere else with these tanks, and no one is going to be down there.

Heinold observed that, if the tank is ventilated, mold spores could get out.

Steven Kopp, a sales representative for Contech, manufacturer of the holding tanks, said that they have never had an issue on mold come back to them and that typically there is no problem with sediment.

He said they have not had to come up with a plan for mold treatment because it has not been issue, that the tanks are not an environment for mold growth.

To Murphy's question about the potential for mosquito breeding, Kopp said that there is no light in the tank and that they have not been required to provide vector control. The board, however, noted that catch basins can be a breeding site.

Soil contamination

Turning to the subject of soil contamination, Anne Leifer of GEI, the LSP for the project, said that the area is an old industrial site and there is some residual contamination, mostly around the building and in the area of the former mill pond.

She said that they had done site investigation over the past two years and in June had submitted a report and remediation plan to the DEP.

The main contaminants, Leifer said, are heavy metals, the list of which includes "everything that's in the river." There are also reportedly small amounts of petroleum oil around the building where there used to be tanks.

Regarding remediation, Leifer said that most of the soil to be remediated is in the areas to be excavated as part of the construction. She said it is possible to have the use that is currently there since people are not accessing the soil.

When the meeting was opened to public comment, Rob Dill of Sunset Road said he had questions about mold growth and sediment in the tank. He said a big, dark underground storage tank the size of a football field is not a typical detention system and suggested looking at it in more detail, along with what to do if it needs to be cleaned out.

Dill also observed that the ground water table is high and that water does stay in the existing rain garden, making mosquitoes an issue of concern.

Ann Sera of Andrea Circle said that there are swarms of mosquitoes around that area and that it fills with water even before the rain comes down.

Following the discussion with the hospital, the board and Murphy reviewed some of the issues, which Murphy is expected to summarize in a letter to other boards, along with suggestions for monitoring such issues as mold growth, mosquitoes, and vermin and treatment for any problems.

The ZBA hearing is scheduled to continue on Sept. 9.