A bill that would allow Expressway Motors to purchase roughly 13,000 square feet of land along Morrissey Boulevard from the DCR was enacted by the state House of Representatives early this week without a roll call. H 4801 must now go before the Senate and Governor Romney before the DCR would be obligated to sell the parcel, a long strip of land that runs along the Morrissey Boulevard sidewalk, at a fair, independently appraised market rate.

The sale would allow Expressway Motors LLC to incorporate the land into a comprehensive renovation plan that could begin as early as this fall.

A review of the architect's plans for the renovation revealed that the Expressway Motors parking lot already includes land technically owned by the DCR. The proposed purchase would give ownership of that land to the dealership, as well as a strip of green space that would be irrigated, landscaped, and maintained by the Expressway Motors.

Vanessa Gulati, a spokeswoman for the DCR, said that because the property is not on their list of surplus land, the agency was not actively seeking its sale. "We're looking at the bill right now, and will be working with the senate as it moves forward," she said.

Robert Boch, president of Expressway Motors, said that he has approached the community numerous times as the project developed and that their input was taken into consideration.

"It's safe to say the community's number one concern was removing our billboard," said Expressway Motors President Robert Boch. "The second was softening the view of the front of our building, which we'll do with this landscaping."

Dominic Gallucio, president of the Clam Point Civic Association said that he was not concerned about the plans as he understood them.

"It's a really transparent plan to us. It's going to ensure that we have proper irrigation and keep the boulevard beautified, as it should be," said Gallucio.

-Patrick McGroarty