Session Laws

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

SECTION 1. Chapter 118 of the acts of l964 is hereby amended by striking out section 2 and inserting in place thereof the following section:-

Section 2. Establishment of District. - There is hereby established in the town of Bedford the Great Road/North Road/Springs Road/South Road/Maple Street/Elm Street historic district. The locations and boundaries of said historic district being shown on a map on file in the office of the town clerk entitled, "Plan of Land in Bedford, Mass., Showing Historic District," Scale 1"=100', prepared by BSC-Bedford, Drawing Number 1340.30, dated January 17, 1986.

SECTION 2. Section 3 of said chapter 118 is hereby amended by inserting after the definition "Historic district" the following definition:-

"Landscaping", the planting and removal of trees and the alteration of site topography,- and by striking out the definition "Structure" and inserting in place thereof the following definition:-

"Structure", a combination of materials, other than a building, including a wall, fence, walk and driveway.

SECTION 3. Section 4 of said chapter 118, as amended by section 1 of chapter 180 of the acts of 1979, is hereby further amended by striking out the first two sentences and inserting in place thereof the following two sentences:- An historic district commission in the town of Bedford is hereby established and shall consist of five members and two alternate members appointed by the board of selectmen, including one member from the Bedford historical society or the Bedford historical commission, one member shall be a resident of the historic district to be administered by the commission, and one member shall be a registered architect or a person experienced in the building trade. The appointments to membership in the Commission shall be so arranged that the term of at least one member shall expire each year and his successor shall be appointed in the same manner as the original appointment for terms of three years for each member.

SECTION 4. Section 5 of said chapter 118 is hereby amended by striking out subsection (e) and inserting in place thereof the following subsection:-

(e) No landscaping within the historic district, and subject to view from a public street, way or place, except for ordinary maintenance, shall be undertaken until a certificate of appropriateness shall have been issued by the commission.

SECTION 5. Subsection (a) of section 6 of said chapter 118 is hereby amended by striking out, in lines 3 to 9, inclusive, the words "; nor shall anything in this act be construed to prevent landscaping changes except landscaping changes, involving more than ordinary maintenance, which relate to landscaping features considered in granting a certificate of appropriateness or permit for demolition or removal and referred to in such certificate or permit as a necessary condition to the granting of such approval".

SECTION 6. Section 7 of said chapter 118 is hereby amended by inserting after the word "five", in line 7, the words:- , or to landscape within the historic district, for which a certificate of appropriateness is required under paragraph (e) of section five.

SECTION 7. The third paragraph of section 8 of said chapter 118 is hereby amended by striking out, in line 4, the word "fourteen" and inserting in place thereof the word:- seven.

SECTION 8. The first paragraph of section 11 of said chapter 118 is hereby amended by adding the following sentence:- Each day such violation continues shall constitute a separate offense.

SECTION 9. Section 12 of said chapter 118 is hereby amended by adding the following paragraph:-

The commission shall file this act, amendments thereto, maps of historic districts created thereunder, annual reports and other publications of the commission, and a roster of membership with the Massachusetts historical commission.

SECTION 10. This act shall take effect upon its passage.