Boston's Suburban Property

The Boston Globe has an interesting story about a dispute centered on a 210-acre plot owned by Boston in the suburbs of Woburn and Burlington:

When Mary Cummings bequeathed 210 acres of old farmland in Woburn and Burlington to the City of Boston, she asked that it be kept forever as a "public pleasure ground." But 80 years later, angry suburban residents say Boston officials are failing to preserve the wealthy widow's vision. The public's pleasure, they contend, is not being served at all.

This is as much a trust issue as a land-use issue.  It appears that the central problem is that it is difficult for Boston to use the land for the benefit of Boston residents.  The locals, of course, want the park used for their own benefit.

Ben Barros

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