Priority Development Sites (43D)

Priority Development Sites (PDS) & Expedited Permitting

At a Special Town Meeting on February 21, 2008 citizens of the Town of Orange voted to accept the provisions of Chapter 43D of the Massachusetts General Laws in regard to the Expedited Permitting Program and approved three Priority Development Sites (PDS) in downtown Orange, all located within the Commercial Area Revitalization District (CARD) and the National Register Historic District.

The three sites consist of several multiple parcels each stretching from North Main Street. to West River Street, and are divided up/segmented by the railroad tracks and the Millers River. For a parcel to be included in a PDS area, prior written approval by the property owner was required. 

The three PDS areas were officially designated by the State's were included in the program with the written permission of the private owner for participation and were approved by the state Interagency Permitting Board in May 2008.

Sites

The Town of Orange's three Priority Development Sites are:

(See the CARD District Map (PDF) and more detailed descriptions of each PDS.)

Advantages of the Expedited Permitting Program

As a result of participation in the Expedited Permitting Program, eligible projects within the Orange PDS areas will receive priority consideration for select state grants, such as PWED, CDAG, Brownfields remediation assistance, infrastructure funds, and other financing through quasi-public organizations. The state also will provide online marketing of PDS site areas and promotion of the Town's economic development incentives for these sites to bring together willing landowners and potential developers.

The Town of Orange receive $100,000 in grant funding from the Massachusetts Permit Regulatory Office (MPRO) to provide for technical assistance in the implementation of the local expedited permitting process. This included a legal review of all of the Town's bylaws, rules and regulations that would affect PDS areas, development of the permit application package referenced above, and creation of this expanded website to permit easy access to all materials needed to submit a complete PDS development proposal. 

The grant also provided funding for a Parking Study of the downtown and an architectural/engineering review of stabilization efforts for the Putnam Hall to assist the Town in attracting development to this area.