Celebrating 15 years
as a grassroots voice
for the natural environment!
MASSBAY LAND SALE
IMPORTANT: Write to the State regarding the MassBay Forest Sale by
Wednesday, May 13. See below for details and instructions.
Saving the forest means not building on or adjacent to it.
A Special Town Meeting will be held on May 11 with questions on the MassBay project. More details to follow. Please contact Town Meeting Members and request they vote in favor of saving the forest by stopping this dense development. Mark your calendars to attend.
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It's complicated. Read the following articles to help make sense of it all:
MassBay forest under threat from "high density urban-style housing," Letter to the Editor, The Swellesley Report
"Let's not accept a check-the-box narrative for MassBay property," Letter to the Editor, The Swellesley Report
Wellesley Conservation Land Trust clarifies Boston Globe article
"You Can't Rebuild Forest" in Wellesley College's Wellesley News
Read the State's response to the questions, which the Select Board said "Did not answer any of the questions that we sent in our January 9 letter," here.
READ 37 QUESTIONS the Select Board has for the State regarding this project, here.
The Town received official notice from the State of Surplus Property at 40 Oakland Street, beginning the 30 day comment period.
MASSBAY VISIONING WORKSHOP POSTPONED
Read the November Select Board Announcement
MassBay has added 45 acres of land - outlined in white below - to the Surplus Land Inventory, to be sold to a developer and used through the new Affordable Homes Act (AHA)
This land is directly adjacent to Centennial Reservation's 40 acres, which is protected under Article 97 of the Massachusetts Constitution.
This is a State-sponsored project which does not go through the Town's normal zoning and approval process, such as wetlands protection laws.
State land to be sold outlined in "white" above.
Map is hand illustrated, lines are approximate.
The State's new Affordable Homes Act allows "by right" zoning, and limits a municipality's ability to control the permitting. It stipulates a minimum of 180 units to be built "by right" on this 45 acre parcel. (4 units per acre), and fastracks development. DCAMM and EOHLC* have informed the Town that this project is on a fast timeline, yet we know no details about the project.
*DCAMM: Department of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance
*EOHLC: Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities
- The "top half" of what we think of as Centennial Reservation is actually owned by the State
- Combined, these 80 acres are the largest forested lands in Wellesley - an amazing natural resource, providing clean air and water, stormwater capture, wildlife habitat, and recreation
- Massive construction and development would erode this natural resource.
- Proceeds from the land sale will partially fund a new $75 Million dollar academic building on the main campus at 50 Oakland Street.
- New location, costs and phasing of the 650 students parking spaces are unknown.
- The sale value of the land to a developer is unknown.
- The date for the issuance of an RFP (Request for Proposal) to developers is unknown.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
Visit our partners at
FriendsOfCentennial.org
Friends of Centennial is a new, citizen‑led, self‑funded nonprofit organization committed to defending our community's largest conservation corridor by eliminating or significantly minimizing the proposed development of the 40 Oakland Street parcel. The distinguished firm, Hill Law, is leading legal efforts with its combined expertise in environmental protection and Massachusetts land use law. Please visit FriendsOfCentennial.org to learn more and consider a donation.
Write! Again!
The State’s 30-day comment period for the MassBay project will end on May 13, 2026.
This comment period begins a NEW, and final process before a Request for Proposal (RFP) is released to developers, scheduled for July 1.
Please send comments (you may use your previous letters) to:
Please cc:
Order a Free Sign
Sign up for a free lawn sign and it will be installed in Wellesley and neighboring communities by our team.
Sign Our Petition
Join over 3,300 people who are asking for this land to be removed from the Surplus Land Inventory, including the Wellesley Conservation Land Trust and the Friends of Brookside.
The Commonwealth invited comments on draft Surplus Land regulations. Read the:
Natural Resources Commission’s Comments
Residents’ Comments
Mass Municipal Association Comments
You can read the draft regs here. (The comment period is now closed.)
MASSBAY FOREST WALK
(Saturday, December 13, 10:00am)
Thanks, again, Wellesley Trails Committee, for leading over 50 people (and several pooches) for an informative walk through the MassBay Forest last Saturday morning. The property lines between Centennial Reservation and MassBay are now marked, but the lands are indistinguishable from each other.
(Over 30 residents attended the post-Thanksgiving morning walk. We appreciate everyone's interest in preserving this important land. )
Article 97 of the Massachusetts Constitution is a state law that protects the right to a clean environment and specifies that certain public lands, designated for conservation, recreation, or agriculture, cannot be disposed of or have their use changed without meeting strict legal requirements. The MassBay State-owned 40 acres are not designated as being protected under Article 97, unlike adjacent Centennial Reservation.
This map from the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs evaluates this land as "Prime Forest Land." The pink lines are Hiking Wilderness Trails with a 10 meter buffer. The map is entitled: Article 97 Natural Resource Site Evaluation.
Take a Deeper Dive
- Town Project Website
- MassBay Slide Presentation to Select Board
- affordable-homes-act-section-122
- Wellesley Property Added to Inventory of State Land to be Used for New Housing
- State Land for Homes, Upcoming Parcels
- Gov. Healey unveils plan to cut environmental rules to fast-track housing development
- Healy-Driscoll Administration Launches Nation-Leading Plan to Protect Nature and Wildlife