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<p class="MsoNormal">Chris,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I’m in a similar position right now. However, we had a citizen petition that outlined a process of appointing a zoning bylaw review committee (with a specific make-up of residents) to perform a “review” of our zoning bylaws back in 2018.
Because the petition wording was flawed, it has taken awhile to put the bylaw review committee together and for them to perform the actions specified in the petition. Almost everyone agreed the citizen petition language was flawed to begin with, so this
committee was reluctant to really go deep with their review. They ended up asking our Town Counsel do a “zoning audit” of our bylaw to point out the areas that could be improved and also list the items that should be included. Once this is completed, that
will take care of the items you have listed under “a”: <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:black">a) Did you conduct a complete rewrite? What were the components? Structure and organization, legal review, adding user-friendly elements?</span></i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Once the audit is completed, the Town will most likely direct their existing “Bylaw Review Committee” to undertake a comprehensive zoning bylaw review. This is a committee appointed by the Board of Selectmen and includes 5 residents and
the Town Clerk and Building Commissioner as ex-officio members (the last time they were called into action was before Middleton had a Town Planner – but I think it’s more important to have the Building Commissioner there because he will be the one enforcing
whatever they decide upon). At some point, the Planning Board and I will be asked to review whatever they come up. At this point I hope they hire a consultant to guide them through the process. We do have $50K set aside for this, but I’m sure it will cost
more than that. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As for adding innovative zoning tools – I’m hopeful some will be considered but the size of the staff enforcing and administering our zoning bylaw is small and we need to keep it manageable. I have also run into problems at Town Meeting
when trying to introduce more complex zoning tools (a zoning amendment that would limit irregular lot shapes) and the residents didn’t want it because they couldn’t understand it.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I’ll be interested to see what kind of feedback you receive on your questions.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#244061">Katrina O'Leary, AICP
<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Cambria",serif">Middleton Town Planner</span></b><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#244061"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Cambria",serif">195 North Main Street Middleton, MA 01949 PH: (978)777-8917<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:8.0pt;color:#244061">When responding, please be aware that the Massachusetts Secretary of State has determined that most email is public record and, therefore, cannot be kept confidential.<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></i></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b>From:</b> MassPlanners <massplanners-bounces@masscptc.org>
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Christopher Ryan<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, June 29, 2021 3:17 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> massplanners@masscptc.org<br>
<b>Subject:</b> [Massplanners] Zoning Bylaw Rewrite?<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:black">Hi all</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:black">I need to be thinking about how we're going to approach the long overdue comprehensive rewrite of our zoning bylaws and had a few questions for the water
cooler.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:black">First, those who have addressed a dated and flawed bylaw, what has your approach been?</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:black">a) Did you conduct a complete rewrite? What were the components? Structure and organization, legal review, adding user-friendly elements?</span></i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:black">b) If not comprehensive, what were the elements and issues that you focused on?</span></i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:black">c) Did you introduce innovative methodologies and types? Form-based? Hybrid? Any elements of performance zoning?</span></i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:black">d) How did you fund it and what was the cost?</span></i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:black">e) What type of consulting team did you use? Multidisciplinary? Did you do some of it in-house?</span></i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:black">f) Did you have a committee? How was it composed?</span></i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:black">g) What was the biggest challenge?</span></i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:black">So, if you have recently done work on your bylaw, let me know what you did...or even if you are preparing for it or thinking about it.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:black">Thanks a ton in advance...</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:black">Chris R.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:black">=====================================</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:black">Christopher J. Ryan, AICP</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:black">Director of Community and Economic Development</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:black">Town of Harvard, MA</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:black">13 Ayer Road</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:black">Harvard, MA 01451</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:black">Phone: 978.456.4100 x.323</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:black">Email:
<a href="mailto:cryan@harvard.ma.us">cryan@harvard.ma.us</a></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:black">Web:
<a href="http://www.harvard.ma.us" target="_blank">http://www.harvard.ma.us</a></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:black">=====================================</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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