A Major Milestone Reached
Help us take the next Step
On September 14, 2026, the Norfolk Superior Court granted a group of Wellesley residents funded by the Friends of Centennial permission to join in the Town of Wellesley’s lawsuit against the Commonwealth.
Defending Wellesley's Largest Conservation Corridor
In the Fall of 2025, a small group of residents stepped forward to quietly begin the work of protecting the 40 Oakland Street parcel and the surrounding natural spaces that generations have relied on and loved. We funded the early research ourselves,
consulting legal and environmental experts while building a solid factual case
before asking the community to join us.
As momentum grew, the generosity of many donors and supporters allowed us to
strengthen our public outreach and deepen our legal challenge. We now proudly serve as a primary financial supporter of the Wellesley Residents’ Group joining (“intervening”) in the Town of Wellesley’s Complaint to halt the ill-conceived development proposed at 40 Oakland Street.
The Mission of the Friends of Centennial is to preserve and protect the 45 acre property at 40 Oakland Street by eliminating or significantly minimizing the proposed development of the property, thereby preventing irreversible harm to the forest, Centennial Reservation, and the surrounding communities.
This 45 acre parcel has been added to the Commonwealth's Surplus Land list under the 2024 Affordable Homes Act. Despite months of petitioning by our citizens through direct engagement with MassBay Community College, DCAMM*, and EOHLC*, the property remains on the Surplus Land list to be sold to a private developer to build a minimum of 180 housing units.
*Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance
*Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities
We Need Your Help!
The Affordable Homes Act (AHA) is a new and unique law that requires cutting edge land use expertise. We have hired the attorneys of Hill Law for their vast experience in Massachusetts land use law and permitting, real estate litigation and environmental law, and for their experience working with big cities to small neighborhood groups.
Protecting the clear interests of the area’s natural and livable environment requires specialized and dedicated legal resources. Hiring independent counsel will ensure the interests of Friends of Centennial will be represented. We believe this should happen simultaneously with the efforts of the Town, and we fully support our Select Board that has asked 37 important questions of the State.
Read the letter sent on our behalf by Hill Law to the MassBay Board of Trustees to understand why we are making the claim that this land should be protected under Article 97 of the Massachusetts Constitution and is not "surplus land."
Please consider a generous donation today to make sure this land is protected.
We would be happy to answer questions you may have. Write us at FriendsOfCentennialReservation@gmail.com and we will respond promptly.
At Risk: the Largest Wildlife Corridor in our Town
- The "top half" of what we think of as Centennial Reservation is actually owned by the State.
- Combined, these 80 acres are the largest forested lands in Wellesley - an amazing natural resource, providing clean air and water, stormwater capture, wildlife habitat, and recreation.
- Massive construction and development would erode this natural resource.
* Construction plans on the campus side were shared at the 9.16.25 Select Board Meeting.
This is what we stand to lose.
Help us preserve this valuable land.
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