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Woburn committee votes to send historic Station 3 to disposition; auction recommended
Summary
The Infrastructure & Public Lands Committee voted to send an order to make Fire Station No. 3 (654 Main St.) available for disposition and recommended auction to the highest bidder, while members and public urged considering traffic and neighborhood needs before sale.
WOBURN — The city’s Infrastructure & Public Lands Committee voted Sept. 9 to send an order directing the mayor to dispose of Fire Station No. 3 at 654 Main Street, with committee members recommending disposition by sealed auction to the highest bidder.
The mayor told the committee the parcel had been held while neighbors and the ward councilor weighed uses; staff said prior auctions for other stations followed procurement rules and returned funds to the city. "If you tell me you're ready to make a decision and you're telling me to auction it off, then that's what I will do," the mayor said, asking for council direction.
Several councilors and planning staff urged caution, noting the parcel’s potential role in a neighborhood master plan and the opportunity to reconfigure a nearby five-way intersection to improve egress for the Boys and Girls Club. Public commenters and the planning director encouraged the council to consider roadway improvements, drainage fixes and a broader master-plan approach before the city parts with the land.
After public comment, a motion to adopt the order and send the property out for disposition via auction carried by voice vote. The committee directed that any disposition comply with state procurement rules and that the mayor follow legal requirements for auction or sealed-bid sale.
The order now moves forward to the full council for whatever subsequent steps are required by ordinance and state law.
