Criteria 2 replacement page□ CRITERIA 2: EXPEDITED PERMITTING
Description of Criteria
Adopt an expedited application and permitting process under which these energy facilities may be sited within the municipality and which shall not exceed 1 year from the date of initial
application to the date of final approval.
The expedited application and permitting process applies to the proposed facilities which are subject to the as-of-right siting provision.
An applicant can meet this requirement by applying the expedited permitting process of MGL c 43D to these zoning districts.
Type of Expedited Permitting
Please indicate which type of as-of-right zoning the municipality is providing (check the applicable box).
X Local Expedited Permitting Process
Documentation
See attached City Solicitor’s letter under Criteria 1.
As documented in the City Solicitor’s letter and the zoning and yield calculation criteria in Criteria 1, under zoning permits for energy facilities are as-of-right and must be issued
within an expedited time frame.
There is nothing within the State Wetlands Protection Act and regulations nor the Northampton Wetlands Protection Ordinance that would limit the Conservation Commission from issuing
their permits within the same time period as the Planning Board, which has been their practice for decades. Nonetheless, for the purpose of the lot yield assessment under the Criteria
1 section (above) we assume for lot yield only that land that does not need any Wetlands Orders of Condition to demonstrate that Criteria 2 is met regardless of how long the Conservation
Commission takes.
No other discretionary permits are required and non-discretionary permits (primarily building permit and related codes) are all issued on a state-mandated timeline.
Northampton Zoning Map Highlighting SI and GI Zoning—
Expedited Permitting coincides with RE/AE R&D and Manufacturing allowed by right