MARLBOROUGH – The city will get to use Union Common for the next 10 years.
During the City Council meeting on Dec. 19, the city signed off on a new lease agreement with First Church of Marlborough Congregational.
“I would like to thank City Solicitor Jason Grossfield for his efforts as well as the First Church for allowing the city to use this beautiful parcel of land in the heart of downtown for public events for all to enjoy,” said Mayor Arthur Vigeant.
The new lease went into effect on Jan. 1, and will expire on Dec. 31, 2032.
The city will be responsible for lighting, snow removal, keeping the site in proper repair, maintaining the brick walkway and enforcing regulations against smoking and the sale of marijuana products.
The sale of alcoholic beverages will be limited to permitted public events, and to the sales of beer and wine only.
The lease can be terminated with 90 days’ notice from either the church or the city.
In addition to a public park, Union Common is used by the city for community events such as the summer concert series, a Halloween scarecrow contest and the recent “Home for the Holidays” event.
Union Common derives its name from the Union Society (later the Union Congregational Church), a merger of two Congregational societies in 1835.
It is home to the “John Brown Bell,” taken from Harpers Ferry, Va., by Union soldiers from Marlborough during the Civil War. The bell is named after abolitionist John Brown.
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