Massachusetts Rivers Protection Act — Riverfront Area (MGL c. 131 §40) (MA)
Tracked preemption from the Massachusetts overlay bundle.
Overview
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Effective
1996-08-07
Sunset
—
Authority
state
Scope
state:MA
Other Massachusetts preemptions
Massachusetts Chapter 40Y — Starter Home Zoning Districts (Opt-In)Massachusetts MBTA Communities Act — Multi-Family Zoning Requirement (MGL c. 40A §3A)Massachusetts Chapter 40S — Smart Growth School Cost ReimbursementMassachusetts Chapter 40R — Smart Growth Zoning Overlay District (Opt-In)Boston Planning Department (former BPDA) Article 80 Development ReviewMassachusetts Outstanding Resource Waters & DCR Watershed ProtectionCape Cod Commission Regional Land Use Authority (St. 1989, c. 716)Massachusetts Solar PV Siting — DOER Statutory Preference (MGL c. 40A §3 ¶9)
Trigger predicate
When this evaluates true for a parcel, the law's preempted fields take precedence over base zoning.
parcel.within_riverfront_area == TruePreempted fields
2 fields on the base district schema are rewritten when the trigger fires.
| Field | Op | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
base_districts[*].buildable_area_sf | exclude | 200ft_riverfront_area | 200 ft from mean annual high-water line on perennial streams (25 ft in densely-developed areas / designated downtown / industrial) |
review_type | require_additional | conservation_commission_notice_of_intent_riverfront | Higher burden than standard wetlands: applicant must show no practicable alternative and no significant adverse impact |
Citation
Authority source
Rivers Protection Act, Chapter 258 of the Acts of 1996; amends MGL c. 131 §40; 310 CMR 10.58 (Riverfront Area)
§ Chapter 258 of the Acts of 1996; 310 CMR 10.58
Research notes
Created Riverfront Area as a new wetland resource area: 200 ft inland from mean annual high-water line on each side of every perennial river, stream, or creek statewide. Reduced to 25 ft in densely-developed areas (per 310 CMR 10.58(2)(a)5) — specifically certain cities of >50,000 population and designated redevelopment zones. Stricter performance standard than other wetlands: 'no practicable and substantially equivalent alternative' + 'no significant adverse impact' findings required. Conservation Commission jurisdiction; appeals through MassDEP.