Bruce Freeman Rail Trail: Dec. Cutoff For Framingham To Buy Land

FRAMINGHAM, MA — Mayor Yvonne Spicer wants the City Council to allow her to borrow $5 million to buy land for a future segment of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail — but she doesn't need it right away.

That was the message Framingham Chief Operating Officer Thatcher Kezer gave to the City Council Finance Subcommittee during a meeting this week.

On July 20, Spicer sent a request to the Council for the $5 million bond authorization. Kezer said the city is under a a Dec. 1 deadline to negotiate the purchase of a defunct rail corridor between Route 9 and the Sudbury line with a subsidiary of the rail company CSX. But with the negotiation deadline four months away, Kezer said the Council doesn't have to act right away.

"The whole idea of filing this now is to get in front of the Council and, as we negotiate and move forward, we'll keep the Council up to date," Kezer said at the meeting.

The Bruce Freeman Rail Trail (BFRT) begins near Lowell. Plans call for it to end at Route 9 in Framingham. Other communities along the trail, including Sudbury and Concord, have either begun construction or have closed on land deals with CSX.

Several Councilors bristled about granting Spicer authorization to spend $5 million for the purchase. Council Chair George King Jr, who sits on the Finance Subcommittee, said he supports the trail, but feels the Spicer administration hasn't successfully negotiated real estate deals in the past. He cited the sale of the Nobscot chapel and the attempt to buy the Perini building.

Kezer said the $5 million would cover a previous appraisal that valued the defunct CSX railway at around $4 million. The remaining money would be used to secure parts of the corridor. Kezer also said Framingham will seek state funding to offset costs.

Ultimately, the subcommittee voted to pause discussions on the the $5 million request. If the issue comes back, the subcommittee would be responsible for recommending to the full City Council whether to approve Spicer's bond request.