In the Peabody State of the City address, Mayor Ted Bettencourt announced a plan to purchase roughly 80 acres of land adjacent to Meadows Golf Course, Spring Pond and Cedar Grove Cemetery. Once purchased, the land would be preserved as open space in perpetuity, blocking any future development. The Mayor cited stress on infrastructure, traffic concerns and school capacity as the impetus for purchasing the land.
This announcement comes on the heels of a recent proposal to build multi-family housing on a portion of the property near Marlborough Road. In addition, the city has recently purchased 4 acres of open space on Bartholomew Street and 6 acres of open space near Brown’s Pond.
Once the agreement to purchase the 80 acres is finalized, it will be presented to the City Council for approval. Mayor Bettencourt thanked City Council president Craig Welton and Ward 2 Councilor Peter McGinn for spearheading the efforts to purchase the 80 acres of open space.
