[Massplanners] Important Bill in the Legislature!

[ruralplanningassociates at crocker.com]

Greetings, planners:

 

I want to alert the planning community to an important planning/zoning bill
now in the legislature. The deadline for getting bills out of committee with
an "aught to pass" recommendation is fast approaching, so immediate action
is needed from planners and planning board members.

 

Currently, the Attorney General's interpretation of the state's Zoning Act
limits planning board associate members to serving only for special permits.
They can't do anything else, even count for a quorum so a meeting can take
place. House Bill, H3555 fixes that to expand associate members duties to
include any function of a planning board. See the attached summary.

 

The bill was filed by Kristin Kassner, a former town planner and one of us.
It had a hearing in October and received only favorable testimony from the
planning and development communities. Now it's time to give the bill the
push it needs to get out of committee. Please communicate this to the two
committee chairs listed below, and your own representatives and senators.

 

Carole A. Fiola, House Chair

Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government

24 Beacon St. 

Room 236

Boston, MA 02133

Phone:(617) 722-2430

 

Jacob R. Oliveira, Senate Chair

Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government

24 Beacon St. 

Room 416-B

Boston, MA 02133

Phone:(617) 722-1291

 

Thanks so much,

 

Jeff Lacy

Rural Planning Associates

(413) 230-9693

 

 

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