Crime & Safety
State Approves Land Swap For New Woburn Fire Headquarters
The state legislature passed a bill allowing the city to construct a new fire headquarters on what would otherwise be protected land.
WOBURN, MA — The state legislature approved a bill allowing Woburn to swap land parcels and build a new fire headquarters at Main Street and Forest Park.
The swap is required because the new headquarters is on protected parks and recreation land. A plot adjacent to the Hurld-Wyman school will take its place as protected land, overseen by the Woburn Recreation Department.
The bill began as a home rule petition by the city and was signed into law on June 19, according to a news release by the state legislative delegation.
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The city is planning to spend $30 million building the new headquarters and renovating three of the existing five fire stations.
"This legislation will allow our community to move forward with building a 21st century fire station and headquarters that will serve both our city and our first responders well," state Rep. Richard Haggerty said in a statement. "As the grandson of a firefighter it’s great to see our city’s commitment to our fire department’s mission and it’s also terrific to see us investing in public safety. I am also thrilled to support our community’s commitment to open space by protecting the Spence farm parcel on Wyman Street – a purchase that I was happy to be a part of years ago on the City Council."
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“Fire safety is one of the most basic functions of local government,” said state Rep. Michelle Ciccolo in a statement. “I am pleased that with the passages of this legislation, the city of Woburn can now proceed with the necessary construction of its new fire station.”
“This bill was the first step to ensure Woburn has access to the land it needs to build a new fire
station,” said state Sen. Cindy Friedman. “I’m excited that the Woburn Fire Department can now move forward with this project, which will benefit our firefighters, our residents, and the larger
Woburn community. I’m glad to have worked with my colleagues in the House to get this done.”
The city is due to begin construction this summer and open the new facility in the fall of 2021.
Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.
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