HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 4626        FILED ON: 10/16/2023

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 4174

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Tricia Farley-Bouvier and Paul W. Mark

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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 authorizing the Massachusetts Department of Transportation to convey a certain parcel of land in the city of Pittsfield.

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PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 4626        FILED ON: 10/16/2023

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 4174

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 authorizing the Massachusetts Department of Transportation to convey a certain parcel of land in the city of Pittsfield.

Whereas, The deferred operation of this act would tend to defeat its purpose, which is to provide forthwith a conveyance of land in the city of Pittsfield, therefore it is hereby declared to be an emergency law, necessary for the immediate preservation of the public convenience.
 

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. Notwithstanding section 7E of chapter 81 of the General Laws, or any other general or special law to the contrary, the secretary of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation may, on behalf of the administrator of the division of highways, convey a certain parcel of land in the city of Pittsfield owned by the commonwealth and taken for highway purposes, to the Roman Catholic Bishop of Springfield, a corporation sole, established under Chapter 368 of the Acts of 1898 of the General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for the purposes of a cemetery.

SECTION 2. The parcel of land to be conveyed pursuant to section 1 is described as follows: the property situated in the city of Pittsfield known as “Parcel B”, which is the right-of-way owned by the commonwealth by and through the division of highways, and described in an order of taking dated June 16, 1971, recorded in the Berkshire middle registry of deeds in Book 908, Page 87, containing 28 acres, more or less.

SECTION 3. The consideration for the conveyance authorized in this act shall be the full and fair market value of the parcel as determined by the secretary of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and as agreed by the Roman Catholic Bishop of Springfield.

SECTION 4. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Springfield shall be responsible for all of its costs and expenses including, but not limited to, costs associated with any engineering, surveys, appraisals and deed preparation related to the conveyance authorized in this act as such costs may be determined by the secretary of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.