The Owners' Manual | Issue 14 | Fall/Winter 2018

LISTEN, ENGAGE, EXCITE!

A Look into BL’s Rol e in Publ i c Hear ing’s & Publ i c Out reach

PUBLIC HEARING

During the permitting process for some of our development projects at BL Companies, we need to participate in a Public Hearing that gives citizens an opportunity to contribute their opinions about the specific project. Ultimately the decision for approval of the project is made by government officials, typically Planning & Zoning and Wetlands Commissions. Not all development projects require a Public Hearing. The main reasons that may require a project to be subject to a Public Hearing include , the size of the project, and if the proposed use requires a Special Permit. Larger scale projects often trigger the need for a public hearing due to the potential impact on the local neighborhood and entire municipality. A Special Permit designation is built into many local zoning codes or ordinances that allow officials to call for a public hearing when the proposed use may differ from the allowed use, or if the proposed use requires additional attention that the Public Hearing process would provide.

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