Who is a member?
Our members are the local governments of Massachusetts and their elected and appointed leadership.
The Attorney General’s Office today issued guidance on the regulation of religious and educational uses of land under the Dover Amendment (M.G.L. Ch. 40A, Sec. 3).
For over 50 years, Massachusetts law has exempted educational and religious uses of land from certain local zoning regulations through the so-called Dover Amendment. The statutory exemption is just one sentence long, but it has been given shape by dozens of court decisions applying it to a variety of real-life situations across the state.
The AG’s guidance summarizes the law of the Dover Amendment as expressed through that case law. It is intended to help municipalities, developers and residents to understand the types of land use that are exempted from local zoning requirements under the religious and educational use provision of the Dover Amendment and the practical implications of these exemptions.
The Attorney General’s Office will be making related materials, such as FAQs and one-page flyers, available soon on its website.