BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Hemenway & Barnes LLP, one of Boston’s most storied legal and fiduciary firms, today issued a new discussion paper, “Zoning in, zoning out: the impact of use exemptions on residential communities.” The paper looks at the mix of exemptions that often create conflict in residential areas.

“Communities and neighborhoods are built around a mix of land uses and the courts have consistently recognized that zoning exemptions are created to reflect community needs,” write co-authors Diane Tillotson, Partner, and Andrea Coloff, Associate at Hemenway & Barnes. “The breadth of activities exempt from zoning regulation in Massachusetts may surprise many homeowners.”

Hemenway & Barnes notes three uses that can often create controversy:

• Educational facilities: Uses that qualify as educational range from traditional schools (preschool to private colleges to adult learning facilities), to occupational training centers, and mental health transitional housing.
• Religious structures: Abutters often raise objections to religious buildings based on traffic during peak times, light and sound, and how the architecture of the structure fits – or doesn’t – with its surroundings.
• Agricultural use: local cooperative farms are multiplying to meet increased demand for locally grown and locally sourced food. Neighbors are not always prepared for some of the realities of agriculture, including tractors, crowing roosters, and odors from organic fertilizers and pigs.

For more information, please visit the Hemenway & Barnes’ News and Resources page or download the paper.

To view a video on the topic click here: http://hembar.com/news_resources/zoning-in-zoning-out-the-impact-of-use-exemptions-on-residential-communities.

About Hemenway & Barnes

Based in Boston, Hemenway & Barnes LLP has served for 150 years as trusted counsel to the region’s high net worth families, businesses, and nonprofit organizations. The firm is uniquely designed as a home for legal and financial expertise, with a focus on providing each client with services that are specifically tailored and results-oriented. Areas of expertise include estate planning, litigation, corporate work, and real estate. Its affiliate, Hemenway Trust Company LLC, is a New Hampshire based, private trust company offering a full range of wealth advisory and management services.

For more information please see www.hembar.com, and to watch a video about the fascinating history of Hemenway & Barnes, visit http://hembar.com/blog/150th-anniversary-video/.