Harris Park Home Rule Petition Revised 03-24-11 — File 191022

SECTION 1. WHEREAS, the City of Somerville, MA has an existing playground called “Harris Park” in East Somerville at 0 Cross Street East; and WHEREAS, the existing Harris Park playground consists of a predominantly asphalted area immediately adjacent to I-93, a roadway which carries approximately 400,000 vehicles per day; and WHEREAS, the playground is not used by neighborhood children because of its unaesthetic appearance, excessive noise, and poor air quality; and WHEREAS, studies have increasingly shown a correlation between poor health indicators and proximity to highways; and WHEREAS, the City wishes to acquire a slightly larger piece of land on Cross Street East further away from I-93 and its impacts and construct on it a high quality recreational facility; IN THE YEAR TWO THOUSAND ELEVEN AUTHORIZING THE CITY OF SOMERVILLE TO DISCONTINUE THE EXISTING HARRIS PARK AT 0 CROSS STREET EAST IN EAST SOMERVILLE AND TO REPLACE IT WITH A NEW HARRIS PARK NEARBY AT 15-25 CROSS STREET EAST. REFILE OF PREVIOUS MATTER: BILL #: OF YEAR: Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows :

NOW THEREFORE, THE CITY OF SOMERVILLE is hereby authorized to discontinue the existing Harris Park at 0 Cross Street East and replace it with a new Harris Park at 15-25 Cross Street East in East Somerville. As described in an Order of Taking by the Somerville Board of Aldermen recorded January 27, 1972 in Book 12148 at Page 329, the metes and bounds of Harris Park are as follows: “The said parcel of land is situated in Somerville, County of Middlesex, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and is shown as Lots 13, 14, 15, 16, and parts of Lots 17 and 18 on a plan entitled: ‘Plan of Land in Somerville, Somerville Home Building Association, C.E. Bray, C.E., August 1916,’ recorded in the Middlesex South District Registry of Deeds August 14, 1916 in Plan Book 251, Page 24, bounded and described as follows: Starting at a point eighty-four feet from the North side of Pennsylvania Avenue and Cross Street; thence running along said Cross Street Two Hundred and Twenty feet; thence turning and running Southeasterly Seventy-seven feet by land taken for Route I-93 by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; thence turning and running Southwesterly One Hundred Ninety-five feet; thence turning and running Northwesterly Seventy-five feet to the point of beginning. Said area contains about 15, 360 square feet.” SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon its passage.

AN ACT AUTHORIZING THE CITY OF SOMERVILLE TO DISCONTINUE THE EXISTING HARRIS PARK AT 0 CROSS STREET EAST IN EAST SOMERVILLE AND TO REPLACE IT WITH A NEW HARRIS PARK NEARBY AT 15-25 CROSS STREET EAST. PETITION ___________ To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General Court Assembled. The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the passage of the accompanying bill or resolve. PETITIONERS: LEGISLATOR/CITIZEN DISTRICT/FULL MAILING ADDRESS CHIEF SPONSOR: