Bill > H2798

This bill establishes a new division within the Department of Conservation and Recreation, named the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway division, to oversee and manage the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway. The "greenway" is defined as specific open space and park parcels in Boston, excluding development areas and any parts of the Thomas P. O'Neill, Jr. tunnel deemed necessary for its operation and maintenance by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT). This new division will have exclusive control over the greenway, responsible for its improvement, maintenance, and operation as a public park, and will be empowered to seek and accept funding for these purposes. A Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway board, composed of 11 members appointed by various state and local officials, including representatives from MassDOT, the Mayor of Boston, and legislative members, will be established to guide the greenway's management, ensuring a balance between public recreation and open space programs. This board will have the authority to assess fees for commercial use of the greenway, with all collected funds going into a dedicated Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway Fund, which will be audited annually by the state auditor. The bill also transfers existing interests in land, leases, contracts, and agreements related to the greenway from MassDOT or the Rose Fitzgerald Greenway Conservancy, Inc. to the new board, and repeals a previous act from 2008 related to the greenway.