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1 J <br />/ <br />h <br />letter to'Planning Board <br />Town of Mashpee <br />Re: Effective Date of Zoning Law Changes as to "Appproval ;Not Required P',larrs". ' <br />Apr! 1 25,1913 <br />In"the case, 6fIa61jrmer;VS; Millis 377 Mass I, the Court stated: " <br />,,..Accordingly, having in mind Chapter 40A, ,Section II, the legislature can <br />hardly have intended that a planning board must disregard the ter rr.s of a <br />` <br />zoning by-law already, adopted by the;town even, if not yet, approved by the' <br />Attorney "General, when cal Ied'upon'to considec,a sirbdrvrsion plan violating <br />that, law " (Emphasis'suppNed) <br />+ <br />It is argued, by some that a later case`involJing the same parties '(Dollner <br />YJ <br />VS Millis'212•NE2nd'460) req'wres;the,result that until the, newly enacted <br />zoning, by-law is approved by•the'Attorney General the oIder,,.rnore aiberal, ' <br />by-laws govern the'plan during the protected' period. -','I cannot::read this <br />-, <br />conclusion in the. later case.., The later case:dealtwith the question of whether <br />or not the amendrrient"to General Law Chapter 40A'Section 7'A4was to be <br />applied retroact'i,vely.or prospectively only and'thecourt dismissed the <br />s <br />petitioners. a appeal'fromdisapprovalkiy the planning board which disapproval'` <br />, <br />was based•on the assurnption'that the plan', was `inconsistent with the, new by - <br />,• <br />law. .The casedid 'not, treat,with the; problem of`when'the new by law became <br />effective., ep r se, Vi.S a vrs:,p'lanning',6oard'determinations ' <br />In facto there, are no.Massachusetts.Casesleicactly`in pointand it,may.be-noted <br />that the, court' in dicta in the case,of, Oulette. VS Building Inspector of Quincy <br />285 NE2nd 423 reaffirmed its earl ier,holding in,th61(rst Doi,iner case,., supra <br />J <br />The U.C.A. Pubirc Law Memo"No 34'reriches"a conci`usion different <br />that <br />my,own and among various town counsels there isa difference of opinion On. 1 <br />occasions before thoroughly (researching this'questiori; 1-'may.haveFgiven an off <br />the -cuff opinion which,diffe'rs`from ik'e one given here.` <br />, <br />4 <br />1'.concIude'that the effective date as .to the new by Iaw with respect tp plans "' <br />aubmltted asking for "Approval Not Required!' <br />endorsement.within. theF <br />4 <br />F <br />Meaning of G.;L: Chapter 40A:Section,' 7A is the trmel.of town meetingSaction <br />and not the time when the new by law.is approved by' -the Attorney'G*'neral. ' <br />Respeetful'ly submitted, <br />f <br />Richard O. Staff; Mashpee Town Counsel <br />' <br />11 , <br />M <br />6 <br />.. V, <br />..1 L'eti...'.._L . _e <br />