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Acton Select Board approves amended Blueberry Hill lease with cleanup and reimbursement clause
Summary
The Select Board approved a five-year amended lease for the Blueberry Hill property that allows the town to clean the site if the owner fails to do so within 60–90 days and to recoup cleanup costs from future lease payments; the owner had requested a $100 increase.
The Acton Select Board on July 10 approved an amended five-year lease for the Blueberry Hill property that adds a cleanup requirement and a mechanism for the town to recover costs if the owner does not complete required cleanup within an agreed timeframe.
Select Board members discussed a revision that followed review by the town attorney. The property owner asked for a $100 increase in the lease payment and agreed to clean the site within 60–90 days, according to the Select Board's discussion. The amended lease adds a clause permitting the town to undertake cleanup and recover any costs from future lease payments if the owner fails to meet the timeline.
Why it matters: The change gives the town an enforcement mechanism to address site upkeep without immediate escalation to litigation, and preserves lease revenue while ensuring the property is maintained.
Select Board member Thomas McGurty moved to approve the amended lease with an explicit amendment allowing reimbursement to the town for cleanup costs taken from future lease payments; Edward Walsh seconded the motion and the board voted unanimously to approve the amendment. Board members noted the lease is for five years, not the previously discussed 10-year term.
The amended lease directs the town attorney to finalize language about collection of cleanup expenses. The board did not specify exact enforcement mechanics at the meeting; members said legal counsel could rewrite the clause to clarify collection procedures.
