Chapter 45

Section 1. In this chapter ''town'' shall not include city. In this chapter ''park'' shall include a city or town common dedicated to the use of the public, or appropriated to such use without interruption for a period of twenty years.

Section 11. In a city which by a vote of its city council, or in a town which by vote of a town meeting, accepts this section, or has accepted corresponding provisions of earlier laws, the park commissioners may, in accordance with section thirty-seven of chapter eighty-two, esta…

Section 12. A city or town having public grounds or open spaces in any of its public ways, which have been or may be designated by it as not needed for public travel, may give the improvement thereof to corporations within its limits organized under section four of chapter one hu…

Section 13. Any person who wilfully or maliciously drives cattle, horses or other animals, or any vehicle, on or across such grounds or ways, or destroys or removes any fence or railing on such grounds or ways, or plays games thereon, or otherwise interferes with or injures the w…

Section 14. Any city or town may acquire land and buildings within its limits by gift or purchase, or by eminent domain under chapter seventy-nine, or may lease the same, or may use suitable land or buildings already owned by it, for the purposes of a public playground or recreat…

Section 15. Every town having a population of more than five thousand which accepts this section, and every city and town having such population which has accepted corresponding provisions of earlier laws, shall provide and maintain at least one public playground conveniently loc…

Section 16. In towns which have a population of more than five thousand and which have not already satisfied the provisions of the preceding section or corresponding provisions of earlier laws, upon petition to the selectmen by ten per cent of the voters filed fifteen days before…

Section 17. If in a town in the metropolitan parks district, or in any city, tenement buildings are built about or contiguous to open spaces, the owners of such buildings may apply to the park commissioners, if any, or, in a city or town of said district having no park commission…

Section 17A. For the purpose of promoting recreation, play or sport, the city of Boston, by written order of its commissioner of transportation and written approval by its police commissioner, any other city by ordinance and any town by by-law may provide for the closing to vehic…

Section 18. This chapter shall not be construed to prohibit the use of any playgrounds or recreation centers by adults or children of special age groups at the discretion of the body having the grounds or premises in charge.

Section 18A. A chain link metal basketball net shall not be used in a public park, playground, or recreation center.

Section 19. A town, by a two thirds vote at an annual town meeting, or a city, by a two thirds vote of the city council, may determine to take or purchase land within its limits, which shall be a public domain, and any appropriate money and accept gifts of money and land therefor…

Section 2. A town may elect a board of park commissioners, consisting of three or five persons and prescribe their terms of office, or the members of a town planning board or department of public works, or road commissioners may if so authorized by vote of the town act as park co…

Section 20. If a city or town has determined to take land for a public domain as provided by the preceding section, the aldermen or the selectmen shall within ten days adopt an order for the taking of such land in fee by eminent domain under chapter seventy-nine.

Section 21. The selectmen in the town and the mayor and the city council in a city shall appoint a special town forest committee to manage and care for that portion of the public domain known as the city or town forest; provided, however, that a town may vote to designate the con…

Section 22. Any city or town owning a public domain may lease any building thereon, and it may erect thereon any building for public instruction and recreation. All sums derived from rents or from the sale of the products of any such domain shall be applied, so far as may be nece…

Section 23. No land shall be taken or purchased for a public domain, no building erected thereon and no expenditures authorized or made or liability incurred therefor until an amount sufficient to cover the estimated expense thereof has been appropriated therefor as provided in s…

Section 23A. A town bordering on tidewater may, at an annual town meeting, vote to instruct its selectmen to petition in writing the county commissioners of the county in which said town is situated, in this and the two following sections called the commissioners, to establish, l…

Section 23B. If the commissioners, after a public hearing upon the petition and after such further investigation as the commissioners consider desirable, determine that public necessity requires that such a reservation should be so established, laid out and maintained, they shall…

Section 23C. After being authorized by the general court to establish any such reservation, the commissioners, on behalf of the county, may take by eminent domain under chapter seventy-nine, or acquire by purchase, gift, devise or otherwise, such land in fee as may be necessary t…

Section 24. Whoever violates any rule or regulation for the government or use of any land or way taken or held under this chapter or for like purposes under any special act, and made under authority of law by any board or officer in charge thereof, shall be punished by a fine of …

Section 25. In cities and towns the emergency telephone numbers of the local municipally-designated emergency ambulance service to render emergency first aid and transport persons to hospitals shall be posted in a conspicuous place at ice skating facilities, both public and priva…

Section 3. Any such board may locate public parks within its city or town and for that purpose may take in fee by eminent domain under chapter seventy-nine or by purchase, gift, devise or otherwise, land which it considers desirable therefor, or may take bonds for the conveyance …

Section 4. Such boards may connect any public park or way, under their control, with any part of the city or town for which they are appointed by taking over any connecting ways, or part thereof leading to such park, and may accept and add to such park any way or part thereof, ad…

Section 5. Such boards may lay out and improve public parks, make rules for their use and government, appoint all necessary engineers, surveyors, clerks and other officers, including a police force to act in such parks, define their powers and duties and fix their compensation an…

Section 5A. Whenever the board or officer having charge of the public parks in a city or town having a population of more than fifty thousand determines to lease concessions in any such park, said board or officer shall invite sealed proposals for such leasing which shall be publ…

Section 6. All amounts received for betterments which accrue by the laying out of parks under this chapter shall be applied to the payment of park loans.

Section 7. Land taken for or held as a park under this chapter shall be forever kept open and maintained as a public park, and no building which exceeds six hundred square feet in area on the ground shall be erected on a common or park dedicated to the use of the public without l…

Section 8. Without the consent of such board no military organization shall camp, parade, review, or perform any military evolution or exercise in, or enter, any park laid out as aforesaid, except in case of riot, insurrection, rebellion or war.

Section 9. Such boards shall make reports of their respective doings and detailed statements of all receipts, expenditures and liabilities for the preceding financial year, in towns at the annual town meetings and at such other times as the town directs, and in cities to the city…