Last week, in an important decision for land-use and development lawyers, the Massachusetts Appeals Court ruled in Palmer Renewable Energy, LLC v. Zoning Bd. of Appeals of Springfield that permit extensions granted by the...more
On March 28, 2025, Mass. Governor Maura Healy signed an emergency law extending the COVID-19 remote and hybrid meeting authorizations for public meetings of local boards and committees until June 30, 2027. The law, Chapter 2...more
On November 20, 2024, Governor Maura Healey signed into law An Act promoting a clean energy grid, advancing equity and protecting ratepayers, (the Act). This comprehensive Act is designed to streamline the permitting of...more
As has been widely reported, Governor Maura Healey on Tuesday signed into law the Affordable Homes Act (AHA), also known as the Housing Bond Bill (H.4977), which the Legislature passed in the wee hours of August 1, 2024....more
In its recent decision in Carroll v. Select Board of Norwell (pdf), the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) reaffirmed that where town-owned land is held for a specific purpose, M.G.L. c. 40, § 15A dictates that it...more
On March 1, 2023, Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell’s Municipal Law Department issued a decision (pdf) disapproving two sections of the Town of Wendell’s amended zoning bylaw, one of which prohibited...more
Late last year, pursuant to her review authority under M.G.L. c. 40, § 32, then-Attorney General (now Governor) Maura Healey (the AG) issued a decision disapproving the Town of Carver’s moratoria on large-scale solar projects...more
In GreenRoots, Inc. v. Energy Facilities Siting Board, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC), for only the second time, had an opportunity to interpret the Environmental Justice Policy (EJ Policy) promulgated by the...more