Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

Notwithstanding the provisions of any general or special law to the contrary, the town of Mansfield is hereby authorized to lay out and accept as public ways any of the ways listed in a document on file with the town clerk in accordance with the following provisions. The planning board of said town shall hold a public hearing on the issue of the layout and acceptance as public ways so listed within nine months after the effective date of this act at which time interested persons shall be given an opportunity to be heard. Within 21 days after said hearing, the planning board shall submit a communication to the board of selectmen with its recommendation as to which ways in said document should be laid out and accepted as public ways by said town.

The communication from the planning board shall be referred to said board of selectmen for the sole purpose of considering the proposal to lay out and accept as public ways the ways so listed. Within 45 days of such referral, said board of selectmen shall hold a public hearing on said proposal.

At least 14 days prior to the public hearing by said board of selectmen, written notice of the intention of the town to lay out and accept as public ways and the intention to hold a public hearing thereon shall be sent to the owners of land abutting or being a part of the ways so listed. In addition, notice of the town's intention to lay out and accept as public ways those ways so listed shall be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the town once in each of two successive weeks, the first publication to be not less than 14 days prior to such hearing. Such notice shall also be posted in a conspicuous place in the town hall for a period of not less than 14 days prior to such hearing.

Said board of selectmen shall within 14 days of the public hearing vote as to which ways so listed should and should not be laid out and accepted as public ways by said town.

The town meeting may then vote to adopt, amend or reject the proposal to lay out and accept as public ways any or all of the ways listed.

If said town meeting approves the vote by a two-thirds vote of said town meeting, the ways contained in the final proposal shall be considered laid out and shall be accepted as public ways.