Montvale Avenue Widening Project Moves Forward

WOBURN, MA — Woburn City Council approved a taking order that will allow the long-awaited Montvale Avenue widening project to move forward. Construction on the project is scheduled to begin next spring. Tuesday night’s 7-2 vote to take portions of more than 20 properties through eminent domain allows the government to use eminent domain to acquire the land needed to widen the roadway.

Affected property owners would receive market value for their property. Payments would range from $1,100 to $254,390, depending on the size of the parcel taken. Property owners have the option of going through an appeals process if they believe the amount offered by the city is too low.

“It’s one of the most powerful tools government has -- the taking of property for the greater good,” said Councilman Michael Concannon. (Subscribe to Woburn Patch for more local news and real-time alerts.)

The proposed project has been in the works for two decades and would widen the busy thoroughfare to four lanes and add a turning lane from I-93 at the Stoneham town line to Central Street in East Woburn, covering a span of about 1,850 feet. The plan also calls for new traffic signals, sidewalks, wheelchair ramps and paving. About 30,000 cars use the stretch each day, but that number spikes when traffic backs up on I-93.

Work would begin in April and be broken into phases so that construction would not be continuous during the two-year work schedule. The current schedule calls for completion in 2019. In addition to $5.3 million from federal funding, Woburn is receiving $4.8 million in state transportation money to complete the project.

Two property owners spoke at Tuesday night’s meeting to voice concerns about lost parking spots and the impact those lost spots would have on their ability to rent their properties.

"I’m extremely troubled by the fact that this easement is going to….deprive them of the use of the property,” said Councilman Michael Anderson who, along with Councilwoman Joanne Campbell, voted against the taking order. “It’s significant. It’s a tiny postage stamp lot….there’s no way $20,000 is enough, especially if they lose the tenant.”

Councilwoman Darlene Mercer-Bruen, who represents the area where the work will be done and voted in favor of the taking order, urged property owners to retain attorneys and consider filing appeals while also echoing comments by other council members that they could not risk holding up the project by voting against the order.

"I'm disappointed with how this has played out. We talked about in committee people losing spaces and were told that wasn’t going to happen," she said. "And if it did happen, we should have the ability to somehow make them whole through special ordinance or permit or something."

"Unfortunately, takings are very difficult," added Council President Richard Haggerty. "It’s a situation, obviously,where we’re trying to widen the roadway and ... we can’t create more land."

Screenshot of Tuesday night's City Council meeting