<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto">Steve,<div><br></div><div>In my humble opinion, in the context of your question dealing with the expansion of a pre-existing nonconforming structure, a finding would simply be the determination by the SPGA that the proposed expansion would not be “substantially more detrimental to the neighborhood than the existing nonconformity.” </div><div><br></div><div>So although I do not believe you are likely to find a definition of the word “finding,” in the context of Ch. 40A, Sec. 6, it is simply the determination by the SPGA as described above.</div><div><br></div><div>Barry</div><div><br></div><div>P.S. Hello to my “old” friend Bob Ritchie! <br><br><div dir="ltr"><div>Barry R. Crimmins, Esquire</div><div>Principal at Platinum Partners, LLC</div><div>Tel: (888)239-9911</div><div>www.platinumpartnersllc.com</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><br></div><div dir="ltr"><br><blockquote type="cite">On Sep 6, 2023, at 9:54 AM, Stephen Wallace via MassPlanners <massplanners@masscptc.org> wrote:<br><br></blockquote></div><blockquote type="cite"><div dir="ltr">
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)">
<style>@font-face { font-family: Helvetica; }
@font-face { font-family: "Cambria Math"; }
@font-face { font-family: Calibri; }
@font-face { }
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; }
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink { color: rgb(5, 99, 193); text-decoration: underline; }
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed { color: rgb(149, 79, 114); text-decoration: underline; }
span.EmailStyle17 { font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: windowtext; }
.MsoChpDefault { font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; }
@page WordSection1 { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 1in; }
div.WordSection1 { page: WordSection1; }</style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
<div class="WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Good Morning Planners:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Do any of your zoning bylaws contain a definition of a “Finding” as it relates to Zoning Boards dealing with the expansion of non-conforming structures?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Thanks in advance. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#444444;background:white">Stephen Wallace<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#444444;background:white">Town Planner <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#444444;background:white">Phone: 978-422-8111, Extension 2320 <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#444444;background:white">Email: </span><a href="mailto:swallace@sterling-ma.gov"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#064A78;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in;background:white">swallace@sterling-ma.gov</span></a><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#444444;background:white"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#444444;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#444444;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in;background:white">Butterick Municipal Building</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#444444">1 Park Street<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:inherit;color:#444444">Room 202<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#444444;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in;background:white">Sterling</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#444444;background:white">, <span style="border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">MA</span> <span style="border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">01564</span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered)">
<style>@font-face { font-family: "Cambria Math"; }
@font-face { font-family: Calibri; }
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 107%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; }
span.ng-binding { }
span.ng-scope { }
.MsoPapDefault { margin-bottom: 8pt; line-height: 107%; }
@page WordSection1 { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 1in; }
div.WordSection1 { page: WordSection1; }</style>
<div class="WordSection1">
<table class="MsoNormalTable" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="515" style="width:386.25pt;background:white;border-collapse:collapse">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td width="515" valign="top" style="width:386.25pt;padding:0in 0in 7.5pt 0in">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
normal">
<span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;
color:#444444"> </span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height:1.0pt">
<td valign="top" style="border:none;border-top:solid #000E58 1.0pt;padding:
7.5pt 0in 0in 0in;height:1.0pt">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
normal">
<span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;
color:#2C2C2C">When writing or responding, please be aware that the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth has determined that most email is a public record and, therefore, may not be kept
confidential. However, the preceding email message (including any attachments) contains information that may, under specific circumstances, be confidential, may be protected by law or other applicable privileges, or may constitute non-public information.
It is intended to be conveyed only to the designated recipient(s) named above. If you are not an intended recipient of this message, please notify the sender by replying to this message and then delete all copies of it from your computer system. Any use, dissemination,
distribution, or reproduction of this message by unintended recipients is not authorized and may be unlawful.</span></p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
</div>
<span>-- </span><br><span>MassPlanners mailing list</span><br><span>MassPlanners@masscptc.org</span><br><span>http://masscptc.org/mailman/listinfo/massplanners_masscptc.org</span><br></div></blockquote></div></body></html>