HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 4540        FILED ON: 8/24/2023

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 4076

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Jay D. Livingstone

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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 enhancing the Historic Beacon Hill District.

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PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 4540        FILED ON: 8/24/2023

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 4076

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)

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An Act enhancing the Historic Beacon Hill District.

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 616 of the acts of 1955, as amended by chapters 314 and 315 of the acts of 1958, chapter 622 of the acts of 1963, chapter 429 of the acts of 1965, chapter 741 of the acts of 1975, and chapter 450 of the acts of 2008, is hereby amended by striking section 1C as appearing in chapter 622 of the acts of 1963 and inserting in place thereof the following section:

“Section 1C:  The Historic Beacon Hill District, created by section one and enlarged and extended by sections one A and one B, is hereby further enlarged and extended to include an area contiguous thereto bounded as follows: -northerly by the southerly sideline of Cambridge street; easterly by Bowdoin street; southerly by Derne and Myrtle streets; westerly by Irving street; generally southerly by the northerly, easterly and westerly boundaries of the area defined in section one B; southerly by Revere street; westerly and northerly by Embankment road; and northerly by the southerly sideline of Charles street circle and Cambridge street; and including the traffic island in Charles street circle; and all estates therein, including the estates located at 131 and 141 Cambridge street and 2-16 Lynde street; but excluding the sidewalks along Cambridge street running from Bowdoin street to West Cedar street.”

SECTION 2.The first paragraph of section 11 of chapter 616 of the acts of 1955, as amended by chapter 314 of the acts of 1958 and chapter 429 of the acts of 1965, is hereby further amended by adding at the end the following sentence:

“The commission may levy such fine or fines on whoever violates this act, after due notice and public hearing.”

SECTION 3.Said chapter 616 of the acts of 1955, as amended by chapters 314 and 315 of the acts of 1958, is hereby further amended by striking section 9 and inserting in place thereof the following section:

“Section 9. Exclusions. – Nothing in this act shall be construed to prevent any ordinary maintenance or repair of an exterior architectural feature now or hereafter in the historic Beacon Hill district which involves no change in design, material, color or outward appearance thereof, nor shall anything in this act preclude the full or partial alteration, demolition or reconstruction by or at the direction of the City of Boston, of the sidewalks running along the south side of Cambridge street, nor shall anything in this act be construed to prevent the full or partial alteration or demolition of any feature, which the building commissioner shall certify to the commission, with such advance notice as practicable, is immediately required on an emergency basis because of an imminent unsafe or dangerous condition; provided, however, that any reconstruction after full or partial alteration or demolition shall be otherwise subject to all of the requirements of this act.”

SECTION 4. This act shall take effect upon passage.