Bill > H1844

This bill aims to streamline permitting processes for businesses and landowners by clarifying rules around zoning variances and introducing a new site plan review process. It amends existing laws to ensure that special permits, which are required for certain uses in specific zoning districts, are in harmony with the overall intent of zoning ordinances and run with the land, not just the applicant. The bill also revises the criteria for granting variances, which are exceptions to zoning rules, by requiring permit-granting authorities to consider the practical difficulties of strict enforcement, weighing the benefit to the applicant against potential detriment to the neighborhood, and evaluating factors like neighborhood character, alternative solutions, and whether the difficulty was self-created. Additionally, it establishes a "site plan review" process, where planning boards will review plans for proposed developments that are permitted by right under zoning laws, focusing on the arrangement of site features like parking and circulation, and sets standards for approval, denial, and the lapse of site plan approvals. Finally, the bill introduces a provision that prohibits monetary payments or property exactions as a condition for decisions related to zoning, subdivision plans, or conservation commission matters unless explicit findings are made demonstrating compliance with federal constitutional requirements.