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Spring Webinar Series

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Spring Workshops

The 2026 Spring Webinar Series workshops have begun. Check below for the workshop schedule. All workshops are held on Zoom. There is a $35 fee that can be paid by check or credit card. Registration closes 48 hours before the workshop begins. Handouts, if any, are emailed the day of the workshop. Cancelation policy, payment information & contact.

2026 Spring Workshops

Drafting Zoning Amendments

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.

Register

  • Date: Monday, 6/8/2026, 6:00 PM
  • Presenter: Bob Mitchell FAICP, Planning Consultant
  • Fee: $35

Vested Rights and Nonconforming Structures and Uses

The course will cover the issue of vested rights under zoning and subdivision law, why they exist, and how they affect the work of the Zoning Boards of Appeals and Planning Boards. Participants will learn what the Zoning Act says about vested rights and the way it occurs. This session will answer the question regarding whether nonconforming structures and uses can change and if so, how much. Finally, the course will address how judicial decisions shape the way provisions of the Zoning Act are interpreted today.

Register

  • Date: Monday, 6/22/2026, 5:30 PM
  • Presenter: Adam Costa, partner, Mead, Talerman & Costa, LLC
  • Fee: $35

Policies & Questions

  • Payment is available by check or credit card.  Checks can arrive after the registration deadline.   Please make checks payable to CPTC and mail to:  Citizen Planner Training Collaborative (CPTC), c/o Urban Harbors Institute, University of Massachusetts Boston, 100 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, MA 02125.
  • Cancelation Policy:  Payment is required unless a written cancelation request is received by the CPTC Coordinator at  coordinator@masscptc.org at least 48 hours before the webinar begins.  No refunds will be processed after that date/time. 
  • Contactcoordinator@masscptc.org with any question