§ 38. Compliance with local building regulations and restrictive
covenants. 1. As used in this section:

"Department" shall mean the department, bureau, division, agency or
person, including any joint agency, of a county, city, town or village,
charged with the enforcement of the applicable building code, multiple
dwelling law, multiple residence law or other law, as defined in section
three of this act, relating to the construction, maintenance and use of
buildings, structures or other real property and to the control of land
uses in such county, city, town or village.

"Owner" shall mean the owner or owners of the freehold of the premises
or any lesser estate therein, a mortgagee or vendee in possession, an
assignee of rents, a receiver, executor, trustee, lessee, agent or other
person, firm or corporation directly or indirectly in control of a
building, structure or other real property.

2. Notwithstanding any inconsistent provision of law, as defined in
section three of this act, any shelter constructed or installed or
proposed to be constructed or installed in accordance with the plan,
regulations or orders of the commission pertaining to shelters shall be
deemed to comply with all provisions of law relating to the
construction, maintenance and use of buildings, structures, or other
real property and to the control of land uses, and the owner shall be
entitled to apply for and obtain, and the department shall issue, upon a
showing of compliance with such plan, regulations or orders of the
commission and upon payment of the appropriate fees, if any, any permit,
license, certificate, authorization or other document for such
construction, maintenance or use required by such provisions of law;
provided, however, that no such shelter constructed or installed or
proposed to be constructed or installed in accordance with the plan,
regulations or orders of the commission pertaining to shelters shall be
deemed to comply with such provisions of law nor shall any such permit,
license, certificate, authorization or other document be issued if the
department shall determine that such shelter will, because of its
structural arrangement, location design or other factor, substantially
deviate from the reasonable requirements of such provisions of law and
that such substantial deviation is unnecessary, at approximately the
same cost to the owner, to effectuate the purposes of this act with
respect to the provision of shelter protection.

3. Each county, city, town or village shall have power to adopt local
laws, and each department shall have power, in the manner provided by
law, to adopt rules and regulations, not inconsistent with this act and
the plan, regulations or orders of the commission promulgated
thereunder, necessary to execute and implement the powers granted and
the duties imposed by this section.

No provision of this subdivision shall be construed or interpreted as
affecting the validity of any ordinance enacted prior to July first,
nineteen hundred sixty-six, or actions taken thereunder by the
government of any county, city, town or village.

4. (a) The failure to grant an application for such permit, license,
certificate, authorization or document within sixty days after
submission thereof, may be reviewed by an owner in the manner provided
by law for appeals from determinations of the department made in
enforcing the multiple dwelling law, the multiple residence law, the
state building construction code or any other provision of law relating
to the construction, maintenance or use of buildings, structures or
other real property or to the control of land uses.

(b) On any such appeal wherein a party relies for ground of relief or
defense or raises issue or brings into question the construction or
validity of any of the provisions of this act or the plan, regulations
or orders of the commission promulgated thereunder relating to shelters,
the court or agency having jurisdiction of the appeal, action or
proceeding may at any stage certify such fact to the commission. The
commission may intervene in any such appeal, action or proceeding.

5. The construction, installation or maintenance of a shelter in
accordance with the plan, regulations or orders of the commission
pertaining to shelters shall not be deemed a breach of a restriction on
the use of land heretofore or hereafter created by a covenant, promise,
negative easement, special limitation or condition subsequent and no
reverter shall occur, no possessory estate shall result and no right of
entry shall accrue by reason of such construction. No action or
proceeding may be commenced in any court in the state where such action
or proceeding is based on a claim or allegation that such construction,
installation or maintenance (a) constitutes a breach of such
restriction, (b) causes such a reverter, or (c) results in the creation
of such a possessory estate or the accrual of such a right of entry.