While I think there are some…

While I think there are some great changes included in this act, such as shortened timelines for appeals and requiring permission for two units in a single dwelling, I'm extremely concerned over the reinstitution of de novo hearings at the LPAT, which ignores any previous evidence collected and examined regarding the impact of new developments in their communities. Not only is this the opposite of streamlining the appeals process, by requiring a completely new application, but it undermines the ability of municipal and community groups to advocate for the development characteristic of their communities. This essentially reforms LPAT into the former highly criticized and highly disliked (at least in my area!) OMB, which essentially saw almost every community decision unilaterally overruled. Very disappointed the government is returning to this style of hearing, which is not only disconnected from the community, but also far less efficient. Hopefully this will be revised in the upcoming discussions.