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:
(a) Notwithstanding section 20 of chapter 6C of the General Laws, section 7E of chapter 81 of the General Laws or any other general or special law to the contrary, the secretary of transportation, or a designee, may convey through a release deed a certain parcel of land in the city of Pittsfield, owned by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and taken for highway purposes, to the Roman Catholic Bishop of Springfield, a body politic and corporation sole, established under chapter 368 of the acts of 1898 for cemetery purposes.
(b) The parcel of land to be conveyed pursuant to subsection (a) contains 28 acres, more or less, and is identified as “Parcel B” in an order of taking dated June 16, 1971, recorded in the Berkshire middle district registry of deeds in book 908, page 87.
(c) The consideration for the conveyance authorized in this act shall be the full and fair market value of the parcel as determined by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s office of real estate and economic development and as agreed to by the Roman Catholic Bishop of Springfield. The parcel shall be conveyed in its present condition, as is, where is and with all faults, through the Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s standard form release deed.
(d) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Springfield shall be responsible for all costs and expenses associated with the conveyance authorized in this act including, but not limited to, all costs associated with any engineering, surveys, appraisals and deed preparation as such costs may be determined by the secretary of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.
Approved, August 8, 2024.