After months of consideration, Newton says it’s willing to use eminent domain to protect a patch of woods currently owned by Boston College.
In a statement released this week, Mayor Ruthanne Fuller said, "while I remain open to achieving a mutually acceptable agreement with BC, I have decided to initiate a process of acquiring the property’s 17-plus acres of pristine woods through the City’s power of eminent domain. In the coming weeks and months, I will work with the Community Preservation Committee, the Conservation Commission, and the City Council to provide the necessary authority and funding to acquire the woods."
Boston College purchased the land in 2017.
A spokesperson says BC will take legal action to oppose the Mayor’s decision.
Earlier this year, a group of Newton students penned a letter requesting that Webster Woods be protected, saying if it were to be developed, it would "prove disastrous to the local environment."
