NAIOP applauds Governor Patrick on signing landlocked tidelands bill

NAIOP Mass., the Forum for Comm'l. R.E., applauds Governor Patrick for signing House Bill 4324, An Act Relative to Licensing Requirements for Certain Tidelands. The bill, which was the result of eight months of work, preserves the exemption for landlocked tidelands from the Chapter 91 licensing process.  "By signing this bill, the Governor will provide certainty and clarity to projects constructed or proposed for development on tidelands. This bill is a fair and balanced compromise that will allow important economic development projects to proceed while ensuring that public benefits are closely examined," said David Begelfer, CEO of NAIOP. "This was a true team effort and the hard work of Governor Patrick and his administration, speaker of the house Salvatore DiMasi and senate president Therese Murray should be recognized." A conference committee released the final bill in Oct. in responseto a Feb. decision by the Supreme Judicial Court in the Moot vs. DEP case that required the Legislature to formalize a regulatory exemption that landowners have depended on for nearly 20 years. H.4324 will preserve the exemption while also creating a new public benefit review process by the Secretary of Energy & Environmental Affairs for projects built on all tidelands. NAIOP is also grateful for the leadership of the chairs of the Conference Committee, representative Frank Smizik and senator Pamela Resor, as well as all members of the Conference Committee.