Natick Report

More than you really want to know about Natick, Mass.

Natick confirms March 1 for its return to fluoride

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Natick’s Water & Sewer Division has notified customers that it is scheduled to resume adding fluoride to the drinking water system on March 1. As we recently reported, the division had informed the Select Board and Board of Health recently that it was aiming for a fluoride return by spring.

The division suspended the addition of sodium fluoride in January of 2022 due to a lack of availability caused by supply chain issues.

The division maintains a target fluoride level of 0.7 ppm, as recommended by the CDC and Massachusetts Department of Public Health to reduce tooth decay. Natick has added fluoride to its water supply for more than 25 years.

Natick Planning Board hears zoning change pitch by proponents of 200 Pond Road senior living plan

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A packed Natick Planning Board agenda on Feb. 15 included the latest on an intriguing plan to build an assisted living and memory care facility called 200 Pond Road…to be located fittingly enough at 200 Pond Road on the Natick/Wellesley line.

This facility would be about a mile down the road from the new Anthology senior living facility in Natick on Rte. 135.

The proponent for this Pond Road project has submitted a citizen petition for Natick’s Spring Annual Town Meeting for a zoning bylaw change to expand the town’s assisted living overlay plan to cover this property, and was seeking Planning Board support for it at the meeting. The board heard a brief presentation from the proponent, whose team includes a cast of many, as well as from neighbors, and discussion has been continued to March 1.

We broke news about this project last July, when the preliminary plan was to call the facility Wellesley Senior Living.

200 Pond Rd. is a Wellesley address that leads into a long driveway and property located in Natick atop the scenic road that cuts between Rte. 16 and Rte. 135. Overall, the area covers about 10 acres, more than half in Natick. A humungous (10,000 sq. ft.) home sits on the property.

The previous owner of this land previously sold adjacent property to a developer who built 2 houses near the top of Pond Road. Because the property is located on a scenic road, the development was met with some concern from town officials and neighbors, and the eventual homes built were considerably smaller than the ones first proposed to Wellesley.

200 Pond Rd
The petitioner seeks expanding the assisted living zoning overlay to cover the brown section on this map

 

The proponents of 200 Pond Road made their pitch for this 134-room facility to be situated in “bucolic woodlands” (see Natick Pegasus recording, starting at about the 3-hour, 45-minute mark) by emphasizing benefits to people in need of senior living accommodations and to the town, from tax revenue and building permit fee standpoints. They pointed to the town’s master plan, which calls for more options for senior housing. A lawyer for the proponent said “there are few locations in Natick that were as perfect as this” for the project, suggesting that people will barely notice it being there from a traffic and infrastructure perspective. Information sent to us from the team said the facility would support “the larger community through musical, theatrical, literary, and culinary events like recitals from Billy Joel’s piano teacher, the Yale Whiffenpoofs, and lectures from local professors.”

A handful of neighbors aired their concerns during the meeting, including one resident who argued “it may be the perfect use [of this property] for the companies… it’s not the perfect use for the neighborhood, it would represent a dramatic change to the neighborhood.” Another neighbor aired concerns about whether a seemingly high-end facility like this would actually be out of the price range of Natick residents and possibly be more of a benefit to Wellesley residents (“there’s a lot of money over in Wellesley…”). Other neighbors lawyered up, and their attorney weighed in.

Planning Board members reined in the proponents from presenting too much detail or too many artists’ renderings about their plans, saying this hearing was focused on giving the board a chance to consider whether it wanted to support the citizen petition about the proposed zoning change, not on any project plans. Any such plans would “be taken with a grain of salt” at this point in the process, Board member Terri Evans said.

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Natick Public Works: ‘It’s time to start putting fluoride back in the system’

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It looks as though Natick within a few weeks could have fluoride back in its public drinking water supply for the first time since it started running out in January of 2022. A nationwide shortage has made fluoride hard to come by for many communities.

The Department of Public Works and its Water/Sewer Division shared updates this week with the Board of Health and Select Board, both of which urged reintroduction of sodium fluoride as soon as possible. Fluoride plays an important role in strengthening teeth against decay, especially for kids.

Natick officials last month said they were up to stockpiling a 4-month supply of fluoride, and now are up to 6, which makes them comfortable that once they start putting fluoride in the water they won’t need to stop again. “‘It’s time to start putting fluoride back in the system’,” said the DPW’s Bill Spratt.

There are operational costs involved in the starting and stopping of fluoridating the water supply, as filters and material are prepared.

hunnewell town forest

Natick has acknowledged that it hasn’t done the best job of communicating about its fluoride situation with the public, so the discussion at the Select Board on Wednesday including ideas about how to best let the public know that fluoride will soon be back—something that might take those who never knew it was gone by surprise.

The town plans to mainly communicate electronically, including through its WaterSmart program, used by nearly 4,000 residents to keep track of water usage and more.

The Board of Health has also said it will reach out to area dentists and pediatricians, who may or may not be aware of Natick’s current fluoride status. We recently reached out to several Natick dental offices, and 1 dentist told us their office first heard about the fluoride stoppage some 8 months after the fact from a patient.

Natick originally thought it would run out in October of 2021, but Wellesley’s Department of Public Works came to the rescue with enough supply that Natick could use for the rest of that year (Wellesley didn’t need as much at the time because 1 of its treatment plants was out of action). Natick acknowledged in its annual water quality report issued last year (for the reporting year 2021) that as of June 2022 it was still unable to fluoridate the drinking water due to the shortage.

Natick Fire Dept. offering free CPR classes

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The scary situation during a recent Buffalo Bills football game when one of the players required CPR on the field inspired friends to take the free CPR class offered by the Natick Fire Department.

Regardless, of your inspiration, if you’re interested in taking the class and getting certified, you can select from 2 times in February:

  • Wednesday, Feb. 8 at 3:30pm
  • Wednesday, Feb. 22 at 6:30pm

The classes last about 2.5 hours, though can vary depending on class size. All ages are welcome to take the class.

If this schedule doesn’t fit yours, or if you’re interested in arranging for a group to take a class, reach out to Firefighter & Paramedic Alan Gentile at agentile@natickma.org

The classes are available to Natick and non-Natick residents alike, though there is a $20 fee per non-resident to cover the cost of a certification card. All ages are welcome to take the class.

Each certification card has a recommended renewal date 2 years after it is issued. “This is because advances in the medical field happen frequently, so to stay current the [American Heart Association] believes after 2 years you should renew if for no other reason to remember some of the ins and outs since it’s not a skill you use often,” Gentile says. Natick’s classes are good for initial certification as well as renewal.

“We appreciate anyone who takes our courses. As recently seen on Monday Night Football immediate CPR can save a life. By the time any first responder gets to a scene where CPR is needed, we are already behind the 8 ball and the longer the person is down, the less of a chance they survive,” Gentile says.