When is it necessary to submit a zoning map to the Attorney Generals Office for approval?
The zoning map, or relevant portion thereof, must be submitted to our Office for review and approval whenever there are changes to district boundaries, either through the creation of a new district, including an overlay district, or changes to the boundaries of an existing district. M.G.L. c. 40A, § 4, requires that all district boundaries must be shown on a zoning map. Section 4 also provides that the zoning map is part of the town’s zoning by-laws. Since a zoning map showing district boundary lines is a part of the zoning by-laws of the town, any change in the map must be accomplished by town meeting via a zoning by-law amendment. M.G.L. c. 40A, §§ 4 and 5. This means that amendments to the zoning map of the town showing district boundary changes must be submitted to our Office for review and approval.
