HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 6021        FILED ON: 4/6/2026

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The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Richard M. Haggerty and Kenneth I. Gordon

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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 city of Boston Department of Parks and Recreation to grant permanent easements over certain land in the city of Woburn and town of Burlington for highway purposes.

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PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 6021        FILED ON: 4/6/2026

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The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)

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An Act authorizing the city of Boston Department of Parks and Recreation to grant permanent easements over certain land in the city of Woburn and town of Burlington for highway purposes.

 Whereas, The deferred operation of this act would tend to defeat its purpose, which is to authorize forthwith the City of Boston, acting by and through its Department of Parks and Recreation to grant certain easements to the commonwealth for highway purposes, to support the intersection improvement project being undertaken by the commonwealth at the intersection of Cambridge Road at South Bedford Street and Bedford Road in Woburn and Burlington, therefore it is hereby declared to be an emergency law, necessary for the immediate preservation of the public safety and 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. Pursuant to section 5A of chapter 3 of the general laws, notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, city of Boston department of parks and recreation may transfer to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, acting by and through the Massachusetts department of transportation, for highway purposes, certain portions of land owned by the city of Boston department of parks and recreation located in Woburn and Burlington, being 8,917 square feet and shown as parcels 24-3-C and 24-PUE-4-C on a plan of land entitled, “Massachusetts Department of Transportation Highway Division Intersection Improvement Project Cambridge Road at South Bedford Street and Bedford Road in the city and town of Woburn/Burlington, Middlesex County Preliminary Right of Way Plans”, to be filed with the chief engineer of the highway division of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and recorded with the Middlesex north registry of deeds.

 SECTION 2. In anticipation of and as planned mitigation for the transfers described in section 1 of this act, and to ensure no net loss of land subject to article 97 of the amendments to the constitution of the commonwealth, during the May 25, 2025 approval of a special permit to Jumbo Self Storage, LLC - Jumbo Capital Management for land being located at 7 Wheeler Road in Burlington, Massachusetts and shown on Assessor's Map 52 as Parcels 4 and 6, the town of Burlington required that land be set aside for future improvements to the intersection of Cambridge Road at South Bedford Street and Bedford Road to satisfy Article 97. The town of Burlington further accepted a conservation restriction from Wheeler Self Storage, LLC on the Wheeler Road property containing approximately 9 acres, recorded with the Middlesex south registry of deeds at Book 78014, Page 433 . As described in conditions G and H of that certain special permit decision granted by the town of Burlington planning board recorded with the Middlesex south  registry of deeds at book 71169 and page 469, said conveyance was specifically intended to be mitigation for the transfer described in section 1.

 SECTION 3. The department of transportation shall assume all costs associated with engineering, surveys, appraisals, deed preparation and other expenses necessary to execute the conveyances authorized by this act.

 SECTION 4. This act shall take effect upon its passage.