Source: http://sharon.wickedlocal.com/x607945917/Another-message-from-Coakley-to-Sharon?rssfeed=true
Timestamp: 2017-02-19 23:43:02
Document Index: 342669699

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 32', '§ 32', '§ 5', '§ 32', '§ 5', '§ 5', '§ 32', '§ 32', '§ 32', '§ 32', '§ 32', '§ 5']

Another message from Coakley to Sharon - News - Sharon Advocate - Sharon, MA
Another message from Coakley to Sharon
Attorney General Martha Coakley is still dealing with the town on an incident that began when a November snowstorm forced a hearing to be canceled by the Sharon Planning Board. While the Nov. 7 hearing was rescheduled to Nov. 28, Coakley’s office said the follow-up meeting was not properly advertised.
Attorney General Martha Coakley is still dealing with the town on an incident that began when a November snowstorm forced a hearing to be canceled by the Sharon Planning Board. While the Nov. 7 hearing was rescheduled to Nov. 28, Coakley’s office said the follow-up meeting was not properly advertised.The two zoning articles in question that were to be discussed at the hearing were passed at the Dec. 3 Special Town Meeting. Article 2 involved rezoning some parcels of land from residential to light industrial as the area around them already was zoned.“In this case the parcels we added were adjacent to and logistically aligned with (light industrial) use, sandwiched next to Route 95 and skinny parcels unlikely to be used otherwise,” planning board chairman Eli Hauser said in March. “There is also an opportunity presented to the town for placing billboards on the parcels along Route 95 requiring an underlying industrial zoning.”Article 7 clarified language and used the term “Post Office Square” in regards to design guidelines in that area of town.In a letter dated Mar. 12, Coakley’s office said the rescheduled hearing date should have been published in a newspaper in the town “once in each of two successive weeks, the first publication to be not less than 14 days before the day of said hearing.”“Based on materials submitted to this office, we have identified the following defect: the planning board hearing notice was not published in a newspaper of general circulation at least 14 days before the date of the hearing as required by General Law Chapter 40A, section 5,” the letter stated.To rectify the situation town clerk Marlene Chused posted the state’s letter at the town hall and around the town of Sharon beginning Mar. 14 for 14 days. A notice also needed to run in the newspaper so that any resident who wants to file a claim of invalidity regarding the hearing items discussed has opportunity to do so within 21 days of the newspaper publication.A notice did appear in this paper is March. And now the town is required to run another newspaper from the Massachusetts Attorney General’s office in reference to articles 21 and 22 at Sharon’s Annual Town Meeting from May 6.Coakley’s notice to the townThe notice is dated May 29 and is marked in reference to case no. 6686, Pursuant to G.L. c. 40, § 32, as amended by Chapter 299 of the Acts of 2000The following is the note to the town from Coakley:Attorney General's limited authority to waive procedural defects in the notice of the planning board hearing Pursuant to the provisions of G.L. c. 40, § 32, as amended by Chapter 299 of the Acts of 2000, if the Attorney General finds there to be any defect in the procedure of adoption or amendment of any zoning by-law relating to the form or content of the notice of the planning board hearing prescribed by G.L. c. 40A, § 5, or to the manner or dates on which said notice is mailed, posted or published as required by that section, then instead of disapproving the by-law or amendment by reason of any such defect, the Attorney General may elect to proceed under the defect waiver provisions of G.L. c. 40, § 32. Under those provisions, the Attorney General is conditionally authorized to waive any such defect. Defect Determined in Notice of Planning Board Hearing The Attorney General has determined that the notice requirements for the planning board hearing relating to the above articles failed to comply with the notice requirements for such hearing established by G.L. c. 40A, § 5. Section 5 provides in part (with emphasis added): No zoning by-law or amendment thereto shall be adopted until after the planning board in a town has held a public hearing thereon at which interested persons shall be given an opportunity to be heard.Notice of the time and place of such hearing, of the subject matter, sufficient for identification, and of the place where texts and maps thereof may be inspected shall be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the town once in each of two successive weeks, the first publication to be not less than 14 days before the day of said hearing, and by posting such notice in a conspicuous place in the…town hall for a period of not less than 14 days before the day of said hearing. Notice of said hearing shall also be sent by mail, postage prepaid to the department of housing and community development, the regional planning agency, if any, and to the planning board of each abutting city and town.In cases involving boundary, density or use changes within a district, notice shall be sent to any such nonresident property owner who has filed such a request with the city or town clerk and whose property lies in the district where the change is sought.Based on the materials submitted to this office, we have identified the following defect: the planning board hearing notice was published on March 15, 2013, which is 12 days before the March 27, 2013 planning board hearing. The notice was not published at least 14 days before the planning board hearing as required by G.L. c. 40A, § 5. Apart from this defect, the notice in all other respect appears to satisfy the requirements of the statute. Attorney General's election to proceed under the waiver provisions of G.L. c. 40, § 32 The Attorney General has elected to proceed under the limited defect waiver authority conferred by G.L. c. 40, § 32, as amended by Chapter 299 of the Acts of 2000. Suspension of review of zoning by-law amendments The 90-day period prescribed by law for the Attorney General's review of local by-laws is therefore suspended in accordance with the provisions of G.L. c. 40, § 32, as amended by Chapter 299 of the Acts of 2000. Posting and publication of this notice The Town Clerk shall post a true copy of this notice in a conspicuous place in the Sharon Town Hall for a period of not less than 14 days and shall publish a copy once in a newspaper of general circulation in the Town of Sharon. Filing of Claim That Defect in Notice Was Misleading or Otherwise Prejudicial Within 21 days of the date on which this notice is published in a newspaper of general circulation in the Town of Sharon, any resident of the Town of Sharon, or the owner of any real property in the Town of Sharon, or any other party entitled to notice of the planning board hearing may file with the Town Clerk a written statement that the notice defect was misleading or otherwise prejudicial. The statement must include the reasons supporting the claim that the defect in the Planning Board Notice was misleading or otherwise prejudicial. This statement must be actually on file with the Town Clerk not later than 21 days from the date on which this Notice is published in the newspaper. Town Clerk's certification of compliance with this notice After the expiration of the 21-day period, the Town Clerk shall submit to the Attorney General a true copy of this notice with a certification of compliance with the publishing and posting requirements of the preceding paragraph, and a certification that either (a) no claim was filed within the 21 day period, or (b) one or more claims were filed within the 21-day period. The Town Clerk shall submit to the Attorney General true copies of any such claim(s). Resumption of Attorney General's Review Upon receipt of one original copy of this notice with the clerk's certification, the 90-day period provided for the Attorney General's review under G.L. c. 40, § 32, shall resume. If no claim is made, the Attorney General has the discretion to waive any such defect; if any claim is made, however, the Attorney General may not waive any such defect. Note: By not filing a claim under this provision, a person shall not be deprived of the right to assert a claim of invalidity arising out of any possible defect in the procedure of adoption or amendment, as provided in G.L. c. 40, § 32, and in G.L. c. 40A, § 5.Very truly yours,Martha Coakley – Attorney GeneralBy Margaret J. Hurley, Assistant Attorney general, Chief, Central Massachusetts Division and Director, Municipal Law Unit, Ten Mechanic St., Suite 301, Worcester, MA 01609 – 508-792-7600, ext. 4402. About Us