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Woburn secures $115,000 state site‑readiness grant for Boston Street study; council to approve required grant language
Summary
Mayor Michael P. Concannon informed the council that the city won a $115,000 MassDevelopment site‑readiness grant to fund an opportunity analysis for the Boston Street area; the grant requires council adoption of specific reimbursement language because the city owns seven parcels in the study area.
WOBURN, Mass. — Woburn officials told the City Council on Tuesday the city has been awarded a $115,000 site‑readiness grant from MassDevelopment to fund an opportunity analysis for the Boston Street area, and the council referred the mayor’s communication and required grant language to the Committee on Infrastructure and Public Lands.
Mayor Michael P. Concannon told the council the city will use the funds to hire a technical consultant to prepare what he described as a small master plan for the northeast section of the city. As a condition of the grant, the state requires language that obligates the city to reimburse a prorated portion of the award if the city later sells any public parcels included in the study area.
Concannon said Woburn owns seven small parcels in the study area that together account for roughly 38% of the study land. If the city were to sell all seven parcels, the city would need to repay about $15,000 of the $115,000 award on a prorated basis; the grant does not require the sale of any parcels.
Councilors asked procedural questions about whether the council or the mayor should sign the required language. Concannon said the grant’s language is specific and is included in the order before the council; the order must be adopted by the council to accept the grant under the terms the state requires. Councilor DeMearns and others said they wanted to review the exact state language and the order included in the packet.
Councilors voted to receive the mayor’s communication into the record and to refer the matter to the Committee on Infrastructure and Public Lands.
Why it matters: The grant funds an analysis that could shape future development and public‑land decisions in the Boston Street corridor. The council must adopt the state’s required language to satisfy the grant condition because city‑owned parcels are in the study area.
What’s next: The item goes to the Infrastructure and Public Lands committee for review before any final action by the full council. The consultant procurement and scope will be set by the administration and committee staff if the council approves acceptance of the grant language.
