SENATE DOCKET, NO. 2908        FILED ON: 12/21/2023

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2692

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Sal N. DiDomenico

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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 economic development on the Mystic River.

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PETITION OF:

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 2908        FILED ON: 12/21/2023

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2692

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 relative to economic development on the Mystic River.

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. (a) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, a certain parcel of land located at 173 Alford street situated partly in the city of Everett and partly in the city of Boston shall be removed from and not be considered to be within the boundaries or a part of the Mystic River designated port area pursuant to 310 C.M.R. 25 and 310 C.M.R. 9 or any other applicable law, rule or regulation; provided, however, that such removal shall only be for the purpose of converting the parcel into a professional soccer stadium and a waterfront park. The parcel consists of approximately 43.11 acres and is located on the southeasterly side of Alford street, on the southwesterly side of Dexter street and bounded southerly by the Mystic river and is more particularly described in a deed recorded in the land court department of the Middlesex southern district registry district as document No. 1554521 and recorded with the Middlesex southern district registry of deeds in book 56211, page 350 and also recorded in the land court department in the Suffolk county registry deeds as document No. 786425 and recorded in the Suffolk county registry of deeds in book 47428, page 145. Site redevelopment on the parcel shall be subject to licensing in accordance with 310 C.M.R. 9 as a nonwater-dependent use.

(b) If the professional soccer stadium and waterfront park fail to be permitted and constructed within a reasonable time after the effective date of this act, as determined by the secretary of energy and environmental affairs, then subsection (a) shall be void and the port area designation and corresponding use restrictions under 310 C.M.R. 25 and 310 C.M.R. 9 shall be restored to the parcel; provided, however, that such determination of a reasonable time period shall not be made sooner than 5 years after the effective date of this act.

Nothing in this section shall be construed to exempt or alter the site’s obligations under chapter 91 of the General Laws or 310 C.M.R. 9 beyond designated port area-related use restrictions.

(c) The department of environmental protection, in consultation with the office of costal zone management, shall: (i) complete a review of existing designated port area criteria and use restrictions; and (ii) update relevant regulations based on the results of the review; provided, however, that updates to regulations shall include, but not be limited to: (A) the protection of traditional maritime industrial activities; (B) the addition of allowable uses consistent with future maritime industrial uses and clean energy activities; (C) the reevaluation of compatible uses within designated port areas; (D) a requirement, to the extent feasible, that all traditional and new allowed uses be resilient to coastal flood damage; (E) examining the feasibility of creating working port easements to purchase development rights from landowners in designated port areas; (F) opportunities to create grants and revolving loan funds to update port infrastructure, including conversion from 1 designated port area use to another designated port area use; (G) consideration of coastal flood resilience for inland neighborhoods; and (H) an assessment of new and adjacent areas that could be added to designated port areas to reduce net loss of acreage.

(d) Except for the boundary adjustment provided for in subsection (a), there shall be no boundary adjustments to designated port areas until the review required in subsection (c) is completed; provided, however, that the department and the office may continue to conduct boundary reviews.

(e) The commonwealth, having previously transferred control to, and taken on the behalf of the city of Boston a certain parcel of land situated in the city of Boston, being a part of a state highway location, Layout No. 5242 dated September 11, 1962, and shown as Parcel No. 8 in an Order of Taking recorded with said Layout No. 5242 in the Suffolk county registry of deeds in book 7681, page 307, and as shown on the plan filed therewith, and also shown as parcel 0201831001 on the city of Boston assessors’ maps, shall transfer, remise, and release to the city of Boston any interest the commonwealth may have in such parcel.