SECTION 1.The purpose of this legislation is to promote and facilitate the coordinated and predictable development of larger-scale institutional facilities.  The legislation permits the City to require the adoption of an institutional master plan, as described below in Section 2.  An institutional master plan is a land-use and development plan for all land owned or used by an institution within a community, that identifies growth and development over a number of years, or in several phases.  The master plan provides a tool to assure the community that strategies and development impacts are addressed through the review and adoption of the plan, while providing predictable outcomes for any planned growth of the institution.

SECTION 2.Notwithstanding G. L. c. 40A, § 3 or other applicable law, the City of Somerville is hereby authorized to adopt local legislation imposing institutional master plan review to regulate the use of land or structures for land owned, leased, or  otherwise occupied by hospitals, health care institutions , colleges, universities, and non- profit educational corporations.

SECTION 3.This act shall take effect upon passage.