Bill > S596

This bill amends Section 21 of Chapter 40B of the Massachusetts General Laws, which deals with affordable housing development. Specifically, it clarifies that applications for affordable housing projects seeking a "comprehensive permit" – a streamlined approval process designed to encourage affordable housing development – are not exempt from local rules and regulations designed to protect environmentally sensitive areas. These sensitive areas include things like wetlands, which are areas saturated with water, watersheds that supply drinking water, scenic rivers, marshes, wildlife sanctuaries, and vernal pools, which are small, temporary pools of water crucial for amphibian breeding. The bill states that complying with these local environmental protections will not be considered an "uneconomic condition" that would prevent a project from proceeding, and local boards will have the authority to decide whether to waive these local rules.