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2024 Webinar Series

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Fall/Winter Workshops

All workshops are on Zoom. Registration closes 48 hours before the workshop begins. Upon registration you 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 to receive a refund.

Fair Housing Laws

  • Date: Monday, November 18, 2024,  5:30PM
  • Cost: $35
  • Registration: Register

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: Jennifer (Jenny) Raitt, Executive Director, Northern Middlesex Council of Governments
  • Sponsor: Old Colony Planning Council

Introduction to the Subdivision Control Law & ANR

  • Date: Tuesday, December 3, 2024, 5:30PM
  • Cost: $35
  • Registration: Register

This session addresses the purposes of the Subdivision Control Law and the Planning Board’s authority under the Act. It also covers important procedural requirements and board responsibilities when reviewing subdivision and ANR plans; adoption of subdivision regulations; review of ANR plans; access issues; preliminary and definitive plans; Planning Board waivers; modifying, amending and rescinding plans; enforcement; vested rights and zoning freezes.

  • Presenter: Barbara Saint Andre, Director, Community and Economic Development, Town of Medway
  • Sponsor: Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission

Planning with Community Support

  • Date: Wednesday, December 4, 2024, 5:30PM
  • Cost: $35
  • Registration: Register

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 Glenn AICP, Department of Urban Studies and Planning, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  • Sponsor: Merrimack Valley Planning Commission  

Drafting Zoning Amendments

  • Date: Thursday, December 5, 2024 5:30PM
  • Cost: $35
  • Registration: Register

While regular review and amendment of a municipality’s zoning ordinance or bylaw in response to changing needs and circumstances is essential to ensuring that it remain up-to date, the process can be tricky. This course will provide a step-by-step roadmap on how to adopt and amend zoning codes in accordance with the strict requirements of G.L. 40A Section 5. Local officials and staff will gain an understanding of what type and scope of amendments are permissible; the relationship between zoning and other municipal planning documents; and the essential role of the Planning Board in the process. Tips for drafting zoning amendments, and strategies for successfully getting them passed will also be addressed.

  • Presenter: Jonathan M Silverstein, Blatman, Bobrowski, Haverty & Silverstein, LLC
  • Sponsor: Berkshire Regional Planning Commission

Roles and Responsibilities of Planning and Zoning Boards

  • Date: Tuesday, December 17, 2024, 5:30 PM
  • Cost: $35
  • Registration: Register

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: Bob Mitchell FAICP, Planning Consultant
  • Sponsor: Cape Cod Commission



Special Permits and Variances

  • Date: Wednesday, January 8, 2025, 5:30PM
  • Cost: $35
  • Registration: Register

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: Pam Brown FAICP, Esq, Brown & Brown, P.C.
  • Sponsor: Franklin Regional Council of Governments

Writing Reasonable and Defensible Decisions

  • Date: Monday, January 13, 2025, 6:00PM
  • Cost: $35
  • Registration: Register

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: Adam J. Costa, Mead, Talerman & Costa, LLC
  • Sponsor: Montachusett Regional Planning Agency

Coming Soon

These workshops are in the process of being scheduled for the 2024 Fall/Winter series. Check back here for updates or

  • Adopting and Revising Rules and Regulations
  • Writing Reasonable and Defensible Decisions
  • Site Plan Review
  • Drafting Zoning Amendments

    • Previous Workshops