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IamSauerKraut t1_j5atbe7 wrote

Reply to comment by baxterstate in MaineHousing ready to spend $21 million to provide overnight shelters this winter by Shake-Spear4666

>You don't have to zone the entire town that way, just a couple of acres

That's called what, spot zoning? Prohibited. There is a reason it is called zoning.

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baxterstate t1_j5bvcid wrote

That's called what, spot zoning? Prohibited. There is a reason it is called zoning.

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You are mistaken. In every city and town different parts have different zoning. For example, only specific parts have commercial zoning. The zoning can be changed. Towns I lived in in MA sometimes would change the minimum allowable lot size.

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IamSauerKraut t1_j5c3p72 wrote

>In every city and town different parts have different zoning

I'm fairly certain that in Maine there is case law wherein “spot zoning” is the singling out of one lot or a small area for different treatment under the zoning code even though the lot receiving different treatment is indistinguishable from surrounding parcels with respect to physical characteristics and potential uses.

As to MA, spot zoning is, as the link states, unlawful. If it was allowed to occur, it was only because no one challenged it. Judges rarely allow it for small, house-size properties. https://www.phillips-angley.com/blog/2021/05/spot-zoning-what-you-should-know/

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