By Richard Conn/Daily News staff
Daily News Tribune
GHS
Posted Jul 25, 2008 @ 12:25 AM

The governor signed a bill yesterday that ensures that roughly 50 acres off Trapelo Road will remain undeveloped.

The land is part of a parcel known as Lot 1 - an undeveloped 54-acre section of the former Middlesex County Hospital campus, of which 47.5 acres lies in Lexington, while another 6.5 acres sits in Waltham.

The bill, which the House and Senate OK'd last week, transfers the land in Lexington from the state Division of Capital Management to the Department of Conservation and Recreation, which would ensure the land stays out of the reach of developers.

State Rep. Thomas Stanley, D-Waltham, who, along with state Sen. Susan Fargo, D-Lincoln, and state Rep. Jay Kaufman, D-Lexington, shepherded the bill through the Legislature, said its passage is important because it means Trapelo Road won't be further overburdened.

"That's the key," Stanley said. "Trapelo Road is already overdeveloped. There's traffic congestion, flooding issues."

Lot 1 is also a crucial portion of the Western Greenway, which includes about 1,000 acres of undeveloped land that runs through Belmont, Waltham and Lexington.

"This is a pristine segment of the Western Greenway," Stanley said.

Earlier this year, the governor signed a bill to transfer the 6.5 acres in Waltham, which is mostly wetlands to Waltham, at fair market value.

Because of its size, the Lot 1 portion in Lexington was thought to be more prized by developers.

That section is valued by conservationists because it contains quality woodlands, meadows, several vernal pools and wetlands.

Stanley said the Lot 1 has long been at the center of a debate of how state-owned property is declared surplus.

"This land has been at the flash point of debate with regards to selling of state land," Stanley said.

Richard Conn can be contacted at 781-398-8004 or rconn@cnc.com.
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