For more than five years, VHB has partnered with the Massachusetts chapter of NAIOP (National Association for Industrial and Office Parks) to present “Navigating the Permitting Maze: A Crash Course on Permitting in Massachusetts.” This two-day educational workshop gives an in-depth overview of how to navigate a development project through the Massachusetts permitting process. Last week, three VHB thought leaders facilitated the first day of the course with three informative sessions covering the nuanced regulations impacting projects in Massachusetts.
Senior Regulatory and Resilience Advisor Stephanie Kruel led the session “MEPA: State Review of Environmental Impacts.” Stephanie focused on the MEPA (Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act) review process, including how to determine when MEPA is applicable, an explanation of the regulatory requirements (including draft changes currently under consideration), and a rundown of filing types and strategies. She also covered how both the Commonwealth and the City of Boston require projects to consider the impacts of climate change, explaining the climate projection data, regulatory requirements, and impact assessment protocols.
Entitlement Permitting Strategic Advisor Lauren DeVoe gave an overview of how to navigate the City of Boston Article 80 Development Review process, focusing on Article 80B, Large Project Review. She highlighted how to determine applicability and level of review, how to identify required content and impact analyses, general review procedures and timelines, and the pros and cons of joint state environmental review filings.
Air Quality Engineer Mark Arnoldy’s presentation, “Climate Adaptation and Mitigation: From Decarbonization to Resilience,” equipped attendees with the knowledge to navigate evolving codes and make informed commitments toward net-zero carbon development. Mark provided a comprehensive overview of regulatory requirements, mitigation strategies, and submission expectations for energy and GHG analyses in Massachusetts, with a focus on MEPA and Article 80 processes
