House May Authorize Study of MTA Land Sale

A bill creating a commission to study the sale of the Bennett St. MTA yards (across from Kirkland House) has almost reached the final stages in the state House of Representatives. Now in the Ways and Means Committee, it is expected to come up for a final vote sometime within the next three weeks, according to sponsor John R. Sennott of Cambridge.

The non-paid commission that Sennott and Rep. John J. Campbell proposed would consist of two Senators, three Representatives, and three appointees of Governor Volpe.

If the bill passes both the Senate and the House within the next few weeks, Sennott estimates that the committee might complete its report within another month. With a favorable report, Sennott said he would immediately sponsor a bill to sell the site on the basis of competitive bidding.

Such a sale might take place sometime this Spring.

The University has been negotiating on and off since 1958 to purchase the site, its first choice for location of the tenth House called for in the Program for Harvard College. In the past, the Administration has offered as much as $5 million, approximately one million above market value.

Although the Rules Committee reported the "study commission" bill unfavorably to the House, Sennott and Campbell "overturned" the report. They thus secured enough votes to send it on to Ways and Means.

At present, Sennott noted that he knew of no other groups interested in the MTA car barns site. In the past, there has been speculation that such outside investors as Webb and Knapp (William Zeckendorf) were negotiating to purchase the land.

"Harvard has as much right to buy the land as anyone else," Sennott remarked. "It would provide excellent use for the land."

Sennott speculated that approximately two-thirds of the Bennett St. area is now unused. The proper use of the site might result in a $10 tax reduction for all the citizens of Cambridge.