The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the usual procedures, rules, and regulations for land use permitting. Since March 2020, Massachusetts cities and towns, and legal counsel and clients, have seen new legislation that says how municipalities can accept, review, grant, deny, and enforce their permits. Executive Orders and revisions changing state powers and requirements come out almost weekly. New SJC and lower court orders alter judicial procedures and deadlines from appeals to hearings to trials. McGregor & Legere, PC has published a comprehensive outline, authored by Olympia Bowker, Esq., on how these news laws, orders, guidance, and other temporary changes affect your environmental and real estate permitting. These are legally important features of our new social-distancing world, so you are not caught off guard by new obstacles and can capitalize on new opportunities. While these changes are described as temporary, we don’t know how long. Some of them may become permanent. And the extended board and agency deadlines for action, online filings, virtual meetings, hearing continuances, permit expirations, and statutes of limitations will have long term implications. They create choices for communities, counsel and clients to make their way through the pandemic together with a semblance of normalcy, to emerge on the other side safe and successful.
The Firm’s attorneys regularly present webcasts and podcasts on the new emergency laws and orders for the Massachusetts bar, real estate lawyers, business and industry, property developers, municipal boards and agencies, and conservation organizations. Contact us if you are interested. gimcg@mcgregorlaw.com