BILL NUMBER: S8642B
SPONSOR: MAY
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the town law, the village law and the general city law,
in relation to enacting the "planning approval predictability act"
 
PURPOSE:
To bring clarity and predictability to municipal site plan review by
making sure applicants know exactly what is required for a complete
submission and by creating a uniform 30 day window for determining
completeness.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
The bill updates the sections of town, village, and city law that govern
site plan review. It directs each planning board or reviewing body to
publish a single, standardized application form that lists every study,
report, and document required for a complete submission. An application
filed on that form with all listed materials is considered complete when
received and deemed complete by the reviewing authority. Boards may only
ask for additional information if the submission does not meet the stan-
dards on the form or if the project changes in a meaningful way after
filing as determined by the board.
The bill requires boards to notify applicants within 30 days whether an
application is complete following submission. If a board does not notify
the applicant within that period, the application is treated as complete
by law. A finding of completeness begins the substantive review period
but does not signal approval or endorsement of the project. Boards may
update their forms but must inform any applicant with a pending
submission within ten business days. The new requirements cannot be
waived. Municipalities must publish their forms within 180 days of the
act taking effect.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Local site plan review is sometimes unpredictable because the rules for
what counts as a complete application are not always clear or consist-
ent. Many municipalities do not publish a single, definitive list of the
materials they require, and applicants can be asked to supply new
studies or reports after they have already filed what they believed was
a complete submission. These shifting expectations create delays,
increase costs, and complicate the work of planning boards that must
manage prolonged and sometimes repetitive review cycles.
The Planning Approval Predictability Act sets out straightforward proce-
dural rules that let both applicants and municipalities begin the proc-
ess on solid ground. By requiring each planning board to publish one
comprehensive application form that lists every document, study, or
technical standard needed for a complete submission, the bill ensures
that applicants know exactly what is expected before they file. When
applicants meet those published requirements, and they are deemed
complete by the reviewing authority, their applications are treated as
complete, which prevents after the fact expansions of the checklist
unless the filing fails to comply with the form or the project itself
changes in a meaningful way as determined by the board.
Establishing a 30 day window for determining completeness brings routine
order to the early stage of review. Applicants receive timely confirma-
tion that their materials are sufficient, and boards can begin substan-
tive review without needless delay. A completeness determination does
not limit a municipality's authority to review, condition, or deny a
proposal. It simply prevents procedural drift and makes the process more
transparent and easier to administer.
These reforms support local governments by reducing confusion, cutting
down on avoidable back and forth, and help boards manage their calen-
dars. They also help applicants plan their work with a clearer sense of
what is required. The bill preserves full municipal control over land
use decisions while improving the basic mechanics of how applications
are received and processed.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New Bill.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT:
Minimal.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act takes effect immediately. Municipalities must publish standard-
ized application forms within 180 days.