Zoning Board Lacks Quorum, Hears 40A Briefing
Zoning Board · Meeting of October 6, 2026
Brewster's Zoning Board of Appeals, lacking a quorum, held a joint educational session with the Planning Board to absorb sweeping state changes to Chapter 40A. Town Counsel Carolyn Murray of KP Law, with colleague Miranda Cecil, detailed amendments signed into law July 9, 2026 and made retroactive to July 1, including a new "practical difficulty" variance standard replacing the traditional hardship test, an abandonment period extended from two to four years, and zoning freezes now lasting 24 months instead of 12. Murray said boards no longer need to issue a special permit for many alterations to pre-existing nonconforming structures, calling it a fix for towns where "all of our lots are nonconforming." She called the removal of explicit variance-conditioning language from the statute a drafting choice she personally disputes: "I am not going to subscribe to that point of view." No votes were taken; the Planning Board, which held its own quorum under Chair Rob Michaels, adjourned separately from the zoning board.
In the full story:
- Who Was There
- Organizations And Documents Referenced
- The complete report — 2,774 words
Source: the Zoning Board meeting of October 6, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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