Legislative and Legal Committee advances Lacombe Street sewer easement cleanup

MARLBOROUGH -- March 21, 2022, Marlborough committee unanimously moves to clean up 1955-era sewer title problem on Lacombe Street. The Legislative and Legal Committee voted 3-0 on order 22-108516, authorizing the mayor to execute release deeds, accept a replacement sewer easement and amend a related drainage easement covering parcels at the Lacombe Business Center. City Engineer Tom DiPersio said Marlborough sold the land in 1955 but retained a 30-foot strip in fee to protect a sewer line, and that 1960s conveyances began describing the strip as an easement even though "there's really nothing in the title record where the city gave up its ownership." Peter Bemis of Engineering Design Consultants, representing the property owner, said his client is "fully supportive" of the cleanup, which surfaced during the pending sale of 44 Lacombe St. The committee will ask the full council to suspend its rules on March 28 to take the order up immediately.