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H 4765

Amendment H.4765

194th Legislature (2025-2026)

Authorizes release or amendment of land-use restrictions on Foxborough State Hospital parcels H-1/H-2 to permit housing, with town paying costs and possible sale to housing firms.

Text of an amendment, see S2141
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Bill Summary · H 4765

Summary of Massachusetts H 4765 (Amendment H.4765)

Overview

  • Bill Number: H 4765
  • Title: Amendment H.4765 (relative to the Foxborough State Hospital)
  • Introduced: November 18, 2025
  • Status: Text of an amendment; reference to Senate Bill S2141
  • Purpose: To authorize the immediate release or amendment of certain land use restrictions on parcels associated with the Foxborough State Hospital to permit housing-related uses, with the Town of Foxborough bearing associated costs.

What the bill would do

  • Authorize the Commissioner of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance (CCAMM) to release or amend Commonwealth use restrictions on specific Foxborough land on Payson Road.
  • The land affected includes parcels identified as H-1 and H-2 in deeds on file in the Norfolk Registry of Deeds (book 20013, page 470; book 13416, page 205) and depicted on an “Approval Not Required Subdivision Plan” for Foxborough State Hospital (dated December 10, 1998; plan by Rizzo Associates, Inc.; recorded in plan book 465, page 256).
  • Current restrictions, which pertain to municipal recreational purposes, public safety, and other municipal building uses, may be released or amended.
  • In exchange, the Commonwealth would require a housing use restriction (which may include market-rate and senior housing) on all or part of the parcels.
  • The Town of Foxborough would be authorized to convey all or part of the parcels to a third party for housing purposes in the future.
  • The Town would be responsible for all costs associated with the transaction (engineering, surveys, appraisals, title work, recording fees, etc.), as determined by CCAMM.

Key provisions and drafting details

  • Section 1: Establishes the authority for releasing or amending use restrictions on the specified parcels, notwithstanding existing general or special laws (e.g., G.L. ch. 7C, ch. 312 of 1996). Specifies the description of the land and the required housing-use consideration.
  • Section 2: Allocates responsibility for transaction costs to the Town of Foxborough.
  • Emergency preamble and title: The amendment includes an emergency preamble declaring the act necessary for immediate preservation of public convenience and proposes a new title: “An Act relative to the release or amendment of certain use restrictions for the Foxborough State Hospital.”

Who would be affected

  • Commonwealth of Massachusetts (via the Commissioner of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance): would have authority to release or amend restrictions and would set housing-use considerations.
  • Town of Foxborough: would bear transaction costs and would gain the option to convey land for housing purposes; would be subject to housing-use restrictions on the parcels.
  • Foxborough State Hospital parcels (H-1 and H-2): land use restrictions could be altered to permit housing development.

Financial and timeline considerations

  • No specific dollar amounts are listed for the housing restriction or conversion; costs to Foxborough (engineering, surveys, appraisals, title work, recording fees, etc.) would be paid by the town.
  • The measure is drafted as an emergency act, intended to take effect immediately upon passage.
  • The bill is presented as an amendment to Senate Bill 2141 and would proceed under the legislative process as part of that measure.

Potential implications

  • Enables housing development on land previously restricted to municipal uses, potentially increasing housing supply (including senior housing) in Foxborough.
  • Shifts some control of land use from the Commonwealth to a housing-use framework, contingent on HUD/municipal approvals and subsequent conveyances.
  • Could influence local zoning, planning, and infrastructure considerations tied to new housing development.
  • Fiscal impact centralized on the Town of Foxborough for associated costs; the Commonwealth bears no explicit funding obligation beyond enabling authority.

If you’d like, I can map these provisions to any specific statutory references you’re examining (e.g., exact sections of Chapter 7C or the 1996 acts) or provide a quick comparison to the current restrictions and typical housing-use arrangements.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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