[Massplanners] Zoning Review Committee

[Panak, Victor]

Hi Doug,

Brookline has/had this – the Zoning By-law Committee. The success of the Committee depended a lot on the experience/expertise of its members. I think that a lot of good feedback on zoning articles came out of their meetings and since they were dedicated to their singular purpose, they had the time and commitment to dig very deep into the issues related to each zoning article. On the flip side, their existence probably caused the Planning Board to shed a bit of their responsibility (not sure that’s a good thing). The ZBLC also only meets a handful of times per year, right before Town Meeting, to review already-submitted articles. It’s a large Committee where almost every member also sits on other boards/committees so scheduling their ad-hoc meeting dates is a nightmare.

I strongly recommend that if you intend to create a similar committee, they should meet throughout the year to continually discuss possible improvements to the zoning ordinance/map and discuss the effects of recent changes or proposals that are bouncing around. I think that probably produces the most effective version of that committee. Of course, that’s usually the role of the Planning Board isn’t it? However, some of our Planning Boards are drowning in Site Plan Review, Design Review, Subdivisions, etc. and therefore can’t spend the time they need to continuously consider updates to zoning.

Victor Panak
Chief Planner
Executive Office of Economic Development | Planning & Regulatory Services Division
City of Worcester | 455 Main St., 4th Floor, Worcester, MA 01608
P: 508-799-1400 x31434
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From: MassPlanners <massplanners-bounces at masscptc.org> On Behalf Of Douglas Landry via MassPlanners
Sent: Tuesday, July 23, 2024 10:39 AM
To: massplanners at masscptc.org
Subject: [Massplanners] Zoning Review Committee

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Happy Tuesday, everyone!  Do any of you have any knowledge of - or experience with - a standing zoning review committee in a municipality that acts as an extra step in adopting zoning by-law/ordinance and map amendments beyond the Planning Board’s role and responsibilities under Section 5 of the Zoning Act?  I’d love to hear pros and cons.  Thanks!

Doug Landry
(617) 285-6111
Town of Natick Planning Board
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