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<p class="MsoNormal">Nipun,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I interpret the definition of “parties in interest” to include several parameters, including location and distance of the lots to be notified and also that the owners of those lots must be from the most recent tax list. This last part
is where the Assessor’s job to “certify” that the owners are from the most recent tax list comes in.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I did just have a case where we had a minor special permit for a front porch. The house happened to be roughly 299 feet away from the corner of a large condominium project with over 200 units. I admit I didn’t look over the certified
assessor’s list we received and our office dutifully sent out the 200+ notices for the public hearing. After a decision was made, and it was time to send out the “notice of decision” to the abutters – I noticed that according to the definition of parties
in interest, the list should have only included about 6 properties. As we were at the end of the fiscal year and out of stamps, etc. etc. I asked Town Counsel if we could send notices of decision out to the parties in interest as defined by MGL 40a Sec 11
even if the Assessor’s certified list was different. He told me that we only had to notify those that met the definition of parties in interest and that the Assessor certifies that the names are of the most recent property owners of the abutting land.<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> Nipun Jain <NIPUN@amesburyma.gov> <br>
<b>Sent:</b> Thursday, July 15, 2021 9:20 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> Katrina O'leary <katrina.oleary@middletonma.gov>; Danielson, Stephanie <SDanielson@easton.ma.us>; massplanners@masscptc.org<br>
<b>Subject:</b> RE: Automating Abutters List<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Katrina - Once you weed out any properties, do you have the Assessor re-certify the list? Take note of the language in ch40A section 11, specifically - "…..</span><i><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">such
certification shall be conclusive for all purposes"</span></i><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color:#1F497D">Nipun Jain<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color:#1F497D">Director of Planning <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color:#1F497D">Office of Community and Economic Development<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color:#1F497D">(978) 388-8110 x 503<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif"> Katrina O'leary [<a href="mailto:katrina.oleary@middletonma.gov">mailto:katrina.oleary@middletonma.gov</a>]
<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Thursday, July 15, 2021 8:57 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> Nipun Jain; Danielson, Stephanie; <a href="mailto:massplanners@masscptc.org">
massplanners@masscptc.org</a><br>
<b>Subject:</b> RE: Automating Abutters List<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Nipun - I’ve come to interpret the “assessors certification” as certifying that the addresses and names of parties of interest are from the “most recent applicable tax list.” I don’t depend upon our Assessor’s office to give us a list
that abides by the definition of “parties in interest” under the Zoning Act because I know that they use our GIS system to give us all abutters within 300 ft circle around the subject property – and that is not the proper definition of “parties in interest.”
This method ends up creating an abutter’s list that is much larger than if you followed the definition under 40A. I end up going through the certified Assessor’s lists our office receives and weeding out those properties that should not be included.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Stephanie - I suppose if your town’s GIS system only contains the names of property owners from the “most recent applicable tax list,” you could create a form that has a note from the Assessor’s office certifying that the list of property
owners is up to date? <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 <<a href="mailto:massplanners-bounces@masscptc.org">massplanners-bounces@masscptc.org</a>>
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Nipun Jain<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, July 14, 2021 4:28 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> Danielson, Stephanie <<a href="mailto:SDanielson@easton.ma.us">SDanielson@easton.ma.us</a>>;
<a href="mailto:massplanners@masscptc.org">massplanners@masscptc.org</a><br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [Massplanners] Automating Abutters List<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-autospace:ideograph-other">
<span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">The abutters list should be prepared under MGL Chapter 40A § 11 or MGL Chapter 131 § 40, as applicable, to certify that at the time of the last assessment for taxation made by the respective Town/City
that the names and addresses provided are the assessed abutting owners based on the distance noted pursuant to the applicable statute to the parcel of land
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-autospace:ideograph-other">
<span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">MGL Ch. 40A, section 11 states-
<i>…..The <b><u>assessors</u></b> maintaining any applicable tax list shall certify to the permit granting authority or special permit granting authority the names and addresses of parties in interest and such certification shall be conclusive for all purposes.</i></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-autospace:ideograph-other">
<span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">So hopefully any automation process takes these legal and statutory requirements into account.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color:#1F497D">Nipun Jain</span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color:#1F497D">Director of Planning </span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color:#1F497D">Office of Community and Economic Development</span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color:#1F497D"> </span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color:#1F497D">(978) 388-8110 x 503</span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif"> MassPlanners [<a href="mailto:massplanners-bounces@masscptc.org">mailto:massplanners-bounces@masscptc.org</a>]
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Danielson, Stephanie<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, July 14, 2021 11:52 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> <a href="mailto:massplanners@masscptc.org">massplanners@masscptc.org</a><br>
<b>Subject:</b> [Massplanners] Automating Abutters List</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Hi,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Wondering which/if communities have automated the abutters list process such that applicants are able to generate the lists and labels themselves and how it is working.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Candara",sans-serif">Stephanie Danielson, AICP,
</span><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Candara",sans-serif">Director of Planning & Economic Development</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Candara",sans-serif">Department of Planning & Economic Development</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Candara",sans-serif">Town of Easton, 136 Elm Street, Easton, MA 02356</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Candara",sans-serif">508.230.0641</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Candara",sans-serif"><a href="http://www.easton.ma.us/">Easton.ma.us</a></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Candara",sans-serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p><span style="font-family:"Times",serif">The Secretary of State's Office has determined email is a public record. All e-mail communications sent or received by persons using the Town of Easton network may be subject to disclosure under the Massachusetts Public
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Notice: Please be aware the Massachusetts Secretary of State has determined that most emails to and from the City of Amesbury are public records and therefore cannot be kept confidential.
<a href="http://www.malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleX/Chapter66/Section10">
MGL: Chpt.66, Sec.10 Public Records Law.</a> <o:p></o:p></p>
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Notice: Please be aware the Massachusetts Secretary of State has determined that most emails to and from the City of Amesbury are public records and therefore cannot be kept confidential.
<a href="http://www.malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleX/Chapter66/Section10">
MGL: Chpt.66, Sec.10 Public Records Law.</a> <o:p></o:p></p>
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