CPTC Webinar Series 2023
2023 Webinar Series, Fall
All workshops are on Zoom. Registration closes 48 hours before the workshop begins. Upon registration your will receive a link to a brief registration on Zoom. Upon completing that you will receive the link to the workshop session. If applicable, workshop handouts will be sent by email prior to the workshop.
Payment can be made by check or credit card. Checks can be received after the workshop has ended. Should you need to cancel you must do so at least 48 hours before the workshop begins in order to receive a refund.
3. Special Permits and Variances, (MIIA)
- Date: Monday, November 27, 2023 at 5:30PM
- Cost: $35
- Registration: Register here
Participants will learn about the difference between special permits and variances; the issues and criteria for decision-making; and procedural requirements. Additionally, the course will discuss who has the authority to issue special permits and variances and how judicial decisions guide the way we work with them.
- Presenter: Barbara Saint Andre, Director, Community and Economic Development, Town of Medway
- Sponsor: Montachusett Regional Planning Commission
4. Creating Master Plans, (MIIA) CM I 1.5
- Date: Wednesday November 29, 2023 at 5:30pm
- Cost: $35
- Registration: Register here
Participants will learn why and how to prepare, adopt, and implement the master or comprehensive plan described in MGL Chapter 41, Section 81D. The session will identify the sections of a master/comprehensive plan and specific steps by which the plan will be carried out. The session will also discuss what kinds of goals and policies does a master plan typically include? Why is an implementation program such an important part of creating a master plan? Evaluating future conservation and development opportunities. The advantages of hiring a consultant.
- Presenter: Alexis Lanzillotta, AICP, Barrett Planning Group
- Sponsor: Merrimack Valley Planning Commission
5. Roles & Responsibilities of Planning & Zoning Boards, (MIIA)
- Date: Tuesday, December 5, 2023 at 5:30PM
- Cost: $35
- Registration: Register here
Join us if you are a new Board member or building inspector. This program will launch you into your role as a local official, introduce you to the functions of the two boards and the main tools of planning and zoning. This session will also include an introductory discussion of the Open Meeting, Public Records, and the Conflict of Interest Laws.
- Presenter: Jeff Lacy, Rural Planning Associate
- Sponsor: : Citizen Planner Training Collaborative
6. Planning With Community Support, (MIIA) CM I 1.5
- Date: Wednesday, December 6, 2023 at 5:30
- Cost: $35
- Registration: Register here
The course describes how to conduct a planning process, with an emphasis on a comprehensive or master plan that will ultimately have the support of the community. A variety of public participation strategies will be examined, including plan implementation processes. The course will cover how to design the community engagement process.
- Presenter: Alexis Lanzillotta, AICP, Barrett Planning Group
- Sponsor: Central MA Regional Planning Commission
7. Writing Reasonable and Defensible Decisions, (MIIA)
- Date: Thursday, December 14, 2023 at 5:30PM
- Cost: $35
- Registration: Register here
This course covers some key points that will assist boards in writing clear and defensible decisions and why that is important. It describes criteria that should be contained in local zoning provisions and how they relate to the drafting of the decision and the conditions a board may impose when approving a special permit or variance application. This session covers legal and procedural requirements for conducting a public hearing and the ramifications of failure to follow procedural regulations in the decision-making process.
- Presenter: Jonathan Silverstein, Partner, Blatman, Bobrowski, Haverty & Silverstein, LLC
- Sponsor: Northern Middlesex Council of Governments
8. Site Plan Review, (MIIA) CM I 1.5
- Date: Monday, December 18, 2023 at 6:00PM
- Cost: $35
- Registration: Register here
The Zoning Act does not contain any provisions for the review of site plans, however the process can be a very effective tool for a board to review the details, aesthetics and impacts of a potential project. This course explains the legal issues when using site plan review; the difference between site plan approval and special permits; the review process; the types of conditions a board may impose; the reasons for disapproval; the appeal process and the types of information a municipality can require to be shown on a site plan. Additional material will be presented on how to incorporate site plan review into your zoning bylaw or ordinance.
- Presenter: Adam Costa, Partner, Mead, Talerman & Costa, LLC
- Sponsor: Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District
9. Planning with Community Support, (MIIA) CM I 1.5
- Date: Thursday, January 4, 2024 at 6:00PM
- Cost: $35
- Registration: Register here
The course describes how to conduct a planning process, with an emphasis on a comprehensive or master plan that will ultimately have the support of the community. A variety of public participation strategies will be examined, including plan implementation processes. The course will cover how to design the community engagement process.
- Presenter: Ezra Haber Glenn, AICP, Department of Urban Studies and Planning, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Sponsor: Pioneer Valley Planning Commission
10. Adopting and Revising Rules and Regulations of Boards, (MIIA)
- Date: Tuesday, January 9, 2024, at 6:00 PM
- Cost: $35
- Registration: Register here
Boards of appeal and planning boards frequently choose to, or are required to, adopt rules and regulations governing process, procedure and even the substance of their application reviews. While such documents are an important source of authority for boards, they also make life easier for board members and applicants by providing a clear road map for a fair and predictable process. This session will clarify which types of zoning, non-zoning and subdivision rules and regulations are mandatory and which are voluntary; describe what they can and cannot cover; and explain how they get adopted and amended. The regulatory framework for establishing fees and using consultants will also be discussed.
- Presenter: Carolyn M Murray, Esq., KP Law, P.C.
- Sponsor: Franklin Regional Council of Governments
11. Fair Housing Laws, (MIIA) CM I 1.5
- Date: Tuesday, January 16, 2024 at 6:00PM
- Cost: $35
- Registration: Register here
Fair housing laws regulate the development, leasing, buying and selling of real estate, as well as state and municipal housing programs, and aspects of municipal land use. This module will describe how land use regulations have been (and continue to be) used to exclude groups from specific neighborhoods and properties, and provide a detailed overview of federal and state laws intended to prevent discrimination and promote equity in housing. A special focus will be on the role of the municipality in enforcing a commitment to fair housing, and the potential consequences of not doing so.
- Presenter: Jenny Raitt, Executive Director, Northern Middlesex Council of Governments
- Sponsor: Cape Cod Commission
Previous Workshops
1. Creating Master Plans, (MIIA) CM I 1.5
- Date: Monday, November 6, 2023 at 5:30PM
- Cost: $35
- Registration: Register here
Participants will learn why and how to prepare, adopt, and implement the master or comprehensive plan described in MGL Chapter 41, Section 81D. The session will identify the sections of a master/comprehensive plan and specific steps by which the plan will be carried out. The session will also discuss what kinds of goals and policies does a master plan typically include? Why is an implementation program such an important part of creating a master plan? Evaluating future conservation and development opportunities. The advantages of hiring a consultant.
- Presenter: Wayne Feiden FAICP, Consultant
- Sponsor: Old Colony Planning Council
2. Zoning with Overlay Districts, (MIIA) CM I 1.5
- Date: Saturday, November 18, 2023 at 9:00 AM
- Registration: Register here
- Cost: $35
Overlay zoning is a popular and useful tool allowing municipalities to implement land use policies and strategies with greater flexibility than traditional zoning, without the necessity of amending the underlying zoning. This course illustrates the various types of overlay districts, and explains how they differ from traditional zoning measures and describes the form and contents of an overlay district. Discussion will allow participants to explore the potential pros and cons of overlay vs. traditional zoning.
- Presenter: Judi Barrett, Principal, Barrett Planning Group
- Sponsor: Martha’s Vineyard Commission