DCR/MDC Laws

[fellsbiker]

Hi
I remember reading somewhere that there is a state law that says if you are going to i guess "Propose" any development where you are going to take any DCR park land, you have to Give back land to the park in a more than one to one ratio. Thats all I remember but I wonder if someone can point me to more detail on this, preferably on the web somewhere.

[digger]

Are you thinking of Article 97 MA state constitution? Policy detailed here http://www.state.ma.us/envir/mepa/fourthlevelpages/article97policy.htm?

[fellsbiker]

Yeah I think thats it, I'm not sure if there's more to what I'm thinking of or not, but thats a good start, thanks!

[digger]

Isn't the proposed Stoneham office park all on private land? I'm not familar with then area, but took a look at the map at fellsbiker. I can see what the stink is about - the place is smack dab in the middle of the reservation. Where were the complainers when the property was on the market? Now it seems that Guitierrez has every right to do what he wants with his land.

[fellsbiker]

I couldn't agree more, and NEMBA is the perfect example, NEMBA stepped up and bought vietnam, isntead of waiting for someone else to buy it then making a stink about bikes getting kicked out. That could have happened here but [RANT WARNING] the friends of the fells aren't about posative things, they don't make progress, all they do is complain. The only stance they take is AGAINST, no matter what the issue. I wouldn't be for this project at all if I thought it would have any real negative impact on the Fells, obviously i am a fan of the Fells ;), but from what I can tell, they wants someone to buy this land and do nothing with it. I don't know. But I have an idea that might make everyone happy, I don't know if its even plausible, but I'll find out.

[joe]

The issue with taking land has to do with the widening of roads. To support the number of cars that the developer wanted to have coming into and out of the office park certain roads would have had to be widened. Those roads run through the Fells and the land to widen them would have come from the Fells.

As for buying that parcel of land, the Friends don't have anywhere near enough resources to pull that off. Having a conservation group purchase that land and return it to a forested state would have been wonderful but it also would have been incredibly expensive.

[fellsbiker]

They just don't have what it takes ;D