On May 8, 2007, the Lowell City Council voted to designate the Hamilton Canal District as a "Priority Development Site" under Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 43D.  The provisions in MGL CH 43D, known at the "expedited permitting law," enables the City to obtain $150,000 in technical assistance grant funding to support the Hamilton Canal District project and place the site on the state's list of priority economic development opportunity sites. 

This web page is designed to provide a developer proposing a project within the designated Priority Development Site with access to all permit applications and submission requirements that the City requires through the local permitting process, primarily with regards to the following review boards: Conservation Commission, Historic Board, Planning Board, and Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA).

As outlined in the Lowell Zoning Ordinance, Section 9.5: Priority Development Sites, "All Special Permit or Site Plan Review decisions by the Lowell Planning Board or Lowell Zoning Board of Appeals on projects located within the boundaries of a Priority Development Site shall be issued within 180 calendar days after the filing of a complete application with the appropriate body as specified in this Zoning Ordinance.   Decisions may include approval, approval with conditions, or denial of the proposed project."  These or similar requirements are followed by the local review boards for projects within the designated Priority Development Site.

Below are permit applications for the Historic Board, Planning Board, and ZBA.

• Historic Board Permit Application
• ZBA Special Permit Application
• Planning Board Site Plan Review Application
• Planning Board Special Permit Application
• Planning Board Use Special Permit Application
• Planning Board Special Permit Addendum

For permit applications required for the Conservation Commission, please follow the link below to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection website.

Massachusett Department of Environmental Protection - Permits

Contact: