Plymouth Seeks 99-Year Lease to Take Over Management of Pilgrim Memorial Park

Hearings-Joint · Meeting of July 27, 2026

BOSTON -- Plymouth pushes for a 99-year state lease on Pilgrim Memorial Park to streamline community access. State Representative Michelle Badger testified virtually before the Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight at a July 27 hearing on House Bill 5592 and companion Senate Bill S-3187, arguing that current Department of Conservation and Recreation permitting rules are "cumbersome" and discourage use of the historic waterfront park near Plymouth Rock. The bills, co-filed by Representative Lenatra and Senator Fernandez, would give Plymouth management authority over maintenance, utilities, insurance, and permitting while the Commonwealth retains ownership and approval rights over major improvements.

Senate Chair Nick Collins, attending remotely, pressed Badger on whether commercial event revenue should flow into a community maintenance fund and asked whether DCR had taken a formal position; Badger said the agency's stance was not fully known. The park hosts the nation's third-largest Thanksgiving Day Parade, an annual Waterfront Festival, and a summer Wednesday-night concert series, most events free to the public.

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Source: the Hearings-Joint meeting of July 27, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.