HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2823        FILED ON: 1/16/2015

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 3012

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Kate Hogan

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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act relative to aviation preservation restrictions.

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PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2823        FILED ON: 1/16/2015

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 3012

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 3071 OF 2013-2014.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Eighty-Ninth General Court
(2015-2016)

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An Act relative to aviation preservation restrictions.

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.  Section 60 of chapter 6C of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2008 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following sentence:-

The division shall establish a program to assist the commonwealth in the acquisition of aviation preservation restrictions.

SECTION 2.  Said chapter 6C of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after section 61 the following section:-

Section 61A.  There shall be within the aeronautics division an aviation lands preservation committee which shall consist of the administrator or his/her designee, the chief aeronautics counsel, and a representative of the aviation industry to evaluate and accept or reject proposed aviation land preservation projects submitted by municipalities or by a charitable corporation or trusts whose purposes include preservation of buildings or sites of historical significance or of a particular such building or site.  The criteria for such projects shall include the following: (1) whether the airport is sustainable; (2) the fair market value of the land as determined by independent appraisals; and (3) the degree to which the proposed acquisition would serve to promote aviation throughout the commonwealth.

SECTION 3.  Section 31 of chapter 184 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2008 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following paragraph:-

An aviation preservation restriction means a right, whether or not stated in the form of a restriction, easement, covenant or condition, in any deed, will or other instrument executed by or on behalf of the owner of the land appropriate to retaining land or buildings for aviation use, to forbid or limit any or all construction or placing of buildings except for those used for aviation purposes; and other acts or uses detrimental to such retention of the land for aviation use.  Such aviation preservation restrictions shall be in perpetuity except as released under the provisions of section 32.  All other customary rights and privileges of ownership shall be retained by the owner including the right of privacy and the right to carry out all regular aviation practices.

SECTION 4.  Chapter 184 of the general laws is hereby amended by striking out section 32 and inserting in place thereof the following section:-

Section 32.  No conservation restriction, agricultural preservation, watershed preservation restriction as defined in section 31, held by any governmental body or by a charitable corporation or trust whose purposes include conservation of land or water areas or of a particular such area, no preservation restriction, as defined in said section 31, held by any governmental body or by a charitable corporation or trust whose purposes include preservation of buildings or sites of historical significance or of a particular such building or site,  no affordable housing restriction as defined in said section 31, held by any governmental body or by a charitable corporation or trust whose purposes include creating or retaining or assisting in the creation or retention of affordable rental or other housing for occupancy by persons or families of low or moderate income and no aviation preservation restriction as defined in section 31 held by any governmental body or by a charitable corporation or trust whose purposes include aviation or the promotion thereof, shall be unenforceable on account of lack of privity of estate or contract or lack of benefit to particular land or on account of the benefit being assignable or being assigned to any other governmental body or to any charitable corporation or trust with like purposes, or on account of the governmental body the charitable corporation or trust having received the right to enforce the restriction by assignment, provided; (a) in case of a restriction held by a city or town or a commission, authority or other instrumentality thereof it is approved by the secretary of energy and environmental affairs if a conservation restriction, the commissioner of the metropolitan district commission if a watershed preservation restriction, the commissioner of food and agriculture if an agricultural preservation restriction, the Massachusetts historical commission if a preservation restriction, the director of housing and community development if an affordable housing restriction, or the administrator of the aeronautics division of the Massachusetts department of transportation if an aviation preservation restriction; and (b) in case of a restriction held by a charitable corporation or trust it is approved by the mayor, or in cities having a city manager the city manager, and the city council of the city, or selectmen or town meeting of the town, in which the land is situated, and the secretary of energy and environmental affairs if a conservation restriction, the commissioner of the metropolitan district commission if a watershed preservation restriction, the commissioner of food and agriculture if an agricultural preservation restriction, the Massachusetts historical commission if a preservation restriction, the director of housing and community development if an affordable housing restriction, or the administrator of the aeronautics division of the Massachusetts department of transportation if an aviation preservation restriction.

Such conservation restriction,  agricultural preservation, aviation preservation, watershed preservation and affordable housing restrictions are interests in land and may be acquired by any governmental body or such charitable corporation or trust which has power to acquire interest in the land, in the same manner as it may acquire other interests in land. The restriction may be enforced by injunction or other proceeding, and shall entitle representatives of the holder to enter the land in a reasonable manner and at reasonable times to assure compliance. If the court in any judicial enforcement proceeding, or the decision maker in any arbitration or other alternative dispute resolution enforcement proceeding, finds there has been a violation of the restriction or of any other restriction described in clause (c) of section 26 then, in addition to any other relief ordered, the petitioner bringing the action or proceeding may be awarded reasonable attorneys' fees and costs incurred in the action proceeding. The restriction may be released, in whole or in part, by the holder for consideration, if any, as the holder may determine, in the same manner as the holder may dispose of land or other interests in land, but only after a public hearing upon reasonable public notice, by the governmental body holding the restriction or if held by a charitable corporation or trust, by the mayor, or in cities having a city manager the city manager, the city council of the city or the selectmen of the town, whose approval shall be required, and in case of a restriction requiring approval by the secretary of energy and environmental affairs, the aeronautics administrator, the Massachusetts historical commission, the director of the division of water supply protection of the department of conservation and recreation, the commissioner of food and agriculture, or the director of housing and community development, only with like approval of the release.

No restriction that has been purchased with state funds or which has been granted in consideration of a loan or grant made with state funds shall be released unless it is repurchased by the land owner at its then current fair market value. Funds so received shall revert to the fund sources from which the original purchase, loan, or grant was made, or, lacking such source, shall be made available to acquire similar interests in other land. Agricultural preservation restrictions shall be released by the holder only if the land is no longer deemed suitable for agricultural or horticultural purposes or unless two-thirds of both branches of the general court, by a vote taken by yeas and nays, vote that the restrictions shall be released for the public good. Watershed preservation restrictions shall be released by the holder only if the land is deemed by the commissioner of the metropolitan district commission and the secretary of energy and environmental affairs to no longer be of any importance to the water supply or potential water supply of the commonwealth or unless two-thirds of both branches of the general court, by a vote taken by yeas and nays, vote that the restrictions shall be released for the public good.

Approvals of restrictions and releases shall be evidenced by certificates of the secretary of energy environmental affairs or the chairman, the aeronautics administrator, clerk or secretary of the Massachusetts historical commission, or the commissioner of food and agriculture, or the director of housing and community development or the city council, or selectmen of the town, as applicable duly recorded or registered.

In determining whether the restriction or its continuance is in the public interest, the governmental body acquiring, releasing or approving shall take into consideration the public interest in such aviation, conservation, preservation, watershed preservation, agricultural preservation or affordable housing and any national, state, regional and local program in furtherance thereof, and also any public state, regional or local comprehensive land use or development plan affecting the land, and any known proposal by a governmental body for use of the land.

This section shall not be construed to imply that any restriction, easement, covenant or condition which does not have the benefit of this section shall, on account of any provisions hereof, be unenforceable. Nothing in this section or section 31 and section 33 shall diminish the powers granted by any general or special law to acquire by purchase, gift, eminent domain or otherwise to use land for public purposes.

Nothing in this section shall prohibit the department of public utilities or the department of telecommunications and cable from authorizing the taking of easements for the purpose of utility services provided that: (a) said department shall require the minimum practicable interference with state and federal air space requirements or farming operations with respect to width of easement, pole locations and other pertinent matters; (b) the applicant has received all necessary licenses, permits, approvals and other authorizations from the appropriate state agencies;  and (c) the applicant shall compensate the owner of the property in the same manner and the same fair market value as if the land were not under restriction.