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October 15, 2024 Clear | 46°F
The 193rd General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

AN ACT EXPANDING 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 is hereby amended by striking out section 1C, inserted by 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 1 and enlarged and extended by sections 1A and 1B, 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 said section 1B; 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 at 2-16 Lynde street; but excluding the sidewalks along Cambridge street running from Bowdoin street to West Cedar street.

SECTION 2. Said chapter 616 is hereby further amended by striking out section 9, as appearing in chapter 314 of the acts of 1958, and inserting in place thereof the following section:-
         Section 9. Exclusions. – Nothing in this act shall be construed to: (i) prevent 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; (ii) 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; and (iii) 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 otherwise be subject to all of the requirements of this act.

SECTION 3. The first paragraph of section 11 of said chapter 616, as most recently amended by chapter 429 of the acts of 1965, is hereby further amended by adding the following sentence:- The commission may, after due notice and a public hearing, levy fines on any person who violates this act.

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

Approved, July 3, 2024.