Real Estate Board Opposes Third Party Project Review Bill

BOSTON-A bill that would allow a town or city’s conservation commission to require developers to pay for an outside consultant to review a proposed project has been filed in the state legislature. The Greater Boston Real Estate Board opposes the bill because of the lack of specific guidelines on how the review would be conducted.

A town or city’s zoning board or planning board already has the legal authority to have projects reviewed by consultants and paid for by the developer. According to Representative Marie J. Parente, this bill gives local conservation commissions the same right. “Towns have been filing similar bills to allow their consultants to evaluate the conservation impact and charge the developer,” she tells GlobeSt.com. “After looking at the individual bills we decided it was time for a statewide act.”

But Ed Shanahan, CEO of the Real Estate Board contends that the bill is not specific enough. “This shouldn’t be done without the proper balances,” he tells GlobeSt.com. In response to the bill, the board has proposed a statewide local option that would have “very specific parameters,” he says, instead of having local conservation commissions decide what developers should pay. “We don’t like the idea of developers having to pay,” he points out. “However that’s the reality and our members have shown a willingness to pay but we are concerned over the lack of specific restrictions. There’s no end to it. Let’s agree on what kind of parameters to put in pace to prevent developers from being abused.”