Procedure for Special Permits
1. Applicant goes to the Building Inspector who denies the petition on the Procedure Sheet because a Special Permit is required.
2. Applicant obtains a Special Permit application from the Town Clerk who stamps it with the date that begins the official process.
3. Planning Board holds a preliminary conference at the next scheduled meeting after the date stamp of the application.
4. After the preliminary conference the Planning Board:
- Obtains a certified list of abutters from the Assessor’s Office (which needs to be filed in applicant’s file)
- Verifies ownership of the property
- Estimates the cost of the notifications
- Fee for certified notification is what the current USPS rate is/per abutter (The rate as of 10/2023 is $8.56.)
5. At the Planning Board’s next scheduled meeting after the preliminary conference, the Planning Board
- gives the applicant a procedural order which states what information the Planning Board requires.
- informs the applicant of the cost of the notifications and informs him or her that this fee must be paid prior to the public hearing.
6. The applicant has 30 days in which to produce the required information.
7. If there is no required information, then a public hearing can be scheduled in a minimum of three weeks from the meeting in which the procedural order was given. Once the site plan is received (if required) the Planning Board can schedule a public hearing in a minimum of three weeks from the meeting in which the site plan is received. The public hearing must be held within 65 days of the filing date of the application.
8. Notification of the public hearing:
- Advertisement in newspaper
- Posted at Town Hall
- Applicant
- Abutters
- Any town boards or departments which have jurisdiction over any aspect of the project.
9. Once the public hearing is held, the Planning Board has 90 days in which to make a decision.
10. Once there is a vote, a written decision must be submitted to the Town Clerk within 14 days.
11. Abutters must be notified of the decision and of the appeal period.
12. Once 20 days has passed, the Town Clerk can certify that no appeals were filed and the applicant can return to the Building Inspector for a building permit.
Please Click Here to download Appilcation for Special Permit or Site Plan Approval