Zoning Board of Appeal
We inspect and review buildings for zoning compliance. The board regulates the rules behind what you can build and where you can build in Boston.
COVID-19 UPDATE: On March 30, 2020, the Supreme Judicial Court issued an order (OE-144) concerning service of papers under Rule 5(b) of the Mass. Rules of Civil Procedure to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. In the spirit of the order, the Board of Appeal will accept service of Complaints under Rule 4 of the Mass. Rules of Civil Procedure via email. If you wish to serve a Complaint appealing a decision of the Board of Appeal, please do so by emailing a copy of the summons and filing to kevin.oconnor@boston.gov.
City officials created the Boston Zoning Code in 1964. There are now 14 neighborhood codes and 18 codes for downtown Boston and the waterfront. You can also find the zoning for addresses in the City.
Have questions? Contact:
Zoning Board of AppealBoston, MA 02118
Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.
To find information on upcoming Board of Appeal hearings, please visit the public notices section of Boston.gov. You can also review Zoning Board of Appeal decisions.
Have a public records request for the Board of Appeal? Please file a request through the City's Public Records Center:
Zoning Board of Appeal tracker
Through the Zoning Board of Appeal tracker, you can:
- search for a specific appeal that has been submitted, or
- search for appeals based on criteria, such as location or applicant.
Board of Appeal decisions
DecisionsMeeting minutes
Meeting minutes- Hearing minutes for December 17, 2019
- Hearing minutes for December 3, 2019
- Hearing minutes for November 19, 2019
- Hearing minutes for November 12, 2019
- Hearing minutes for October 29, 2019
- Hearing minutes for October 8, 2019
- Hearing minutes for September 17, 2019
- Hearing minutes for September 10, 2019
- Hearing minutes for August 27, 2019
- Hearing minutes for August 13, 2019
- Hearing minutes for July 30, 2019
- Hearing minutes for July 9, 2019
- Hearing minutes for June 25, 2019
- Hearing minutes for June 11, 2019
- Hearing minutes for May 7, 2019
- Hearing minutes for April 30, 2019
- Hearing minutes for April 9, 2019
- Revised hearing minutes for March 26, 2019
- Hearing minutes for March 26, 2019
- Hearing minutes for March 12, 2019
- Hearing minutes February 26, 2019 (revised)
- Hearing minutes for February 26, 2019
- Hearing minutes for February 5, 2019
- Hearing minutes for January 29, 2019
- Hearing minutes for January 15, 2019
- Hearing minutes for December 18, 2018
- Hearing minutes for December 11, 2018
- Hearing minutes for November 27, 2018
- Hearing minutes for November 13, 2018
- Hearing minutes for October 30, 2018
- Hearing minutes for October 16, 2018
- Hearing minutes for September 25, 2018
- Hearing minutes for September 11, 2018
- Hearing minutes for August 28, 2018
- Hearing minutes for August 14, 2018
- Hearing minutes for July 31, 2018
- Hearing minutes for July 10, 2018
- Hearing minutes for June 26, 2018
- Hearing minutes for June 12, 2018
- Hearing minutes for May 22, 2018
- Hearing minutes for May 8, 2018
- Hearing minutes for April 24, 2018
- Hearing minutes for April 10, 2018
- Hearing minutes for March 27, 2018
- Hearing minutes for March 6, 2018
- Hearing minutes for February 27, 2018
- Hearing minutes for February 13, 2018
- Hearing minutes for January 30, 2018
- Hearing minutes for January 9, 2018 (3)
- Hearing minutes for October 17, 2017
- Hearing minutes for September 19, 2017
- Hearing minutes for September 12, 2017
- Hearing minutes for August 29, 2017
- Hearing minutes for July 25, 2017
- Hearing minutes for July 11, 2017
- Hearing minutes for June 27, 2017
- Hearing minutes for June 13, 2017
- Hearing Minutes for May 23, 2017
- Hearing Minutes for May 9, 2017
- Hearing minutes for April 25, 2017 part 1
- Hearing minutes for April 25, 2017
- Hearing minutes for April 11, 2017
- Hearing minutes for March 28, 2017
- Hearing minutes for February 28, 2017
- Hearing minutes for February 7, 2017
- Hearing minutes for January 24, 2017
- Hearing minutes for January 10, 2017
Board of Appeal reviews
The board reviews exceptions to the City’s zoning code.
The mayor appoints seven people to the board every three years. They meet every other Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. The meetings take place at:
1 City Hall Square, Room 801
Boston, MA 02201
You can ask for an exception if your project gets rejected because it doesn’t meet a City zoning code. You have go to a public hearing to explain why you think you should get an exception to the zoning code.
2021 hearing dates
2021 hearing dates- Tuesday, January 12, 2021
- Tuesday, January 26, 2021
- Tuesday, February 2, 2021
- Tuesday, February 23, 2021
- Tuesday, March 9, 2021
- Tuesday, March 23, 2021
- Tuesday, March 30, 2021
- Tuesday, April 6, 2021
- Tuesday, April 27, 2021
- Tuesday, May 4, 2021
- Tuesday, May 18, 2021
- Tuesday, June 8, 2021
- Tuesday, June 22, 2021
- Tuesday, June 29, 2021
- Tuesday, July 13, 2021
- Tuesday, July 27, 2021
- Tuesday, August 10, 2021
- Tuesday, August 24, 2021
- Tuesday, August 31, 2021
- Tuesday, September 14, 2021 (may be subject to change due to elections)
- Tuesday, September 28, 2021
- Tuesday, October 5, 2021
- Tuesday, October 19, 2021
- Tuesday, November 9, 2021
- Tuesday November 16, 2021
- Tuesday, December 7, 2021
- Tuesday, December 14, 2021
- Thursday, January 21, 2021
- Thursday, February 11, 2021
- Thursday, March 18, 2021
- Thursday, April 15, 2021
- Thursday, May 13, 2021
- Thursday, June 17, 2021
- Thursday, July 22, 2021
- Thursday, August 19, 2021
- Thursday, September 23, 2021
- Thursday, October 14, 2021
- Thursday, November 4, 2021
- Thursday, December 9, 2021
Boston Planning & Development Agency
The Boston Planning & Development Agency reviews appeal applications. They help builders plan projects and stay within zoning codes.
When reviewing an appeal application, they'll make recommendations to the Zoning Board on what to do.
They work with community groups and neighboring property owners. They also attend public hearings and help builders through the approval process.
Commission Info
Members and alternate members of the Zoning Board of Appeal receive a stipend of $200 per day of service, up to a maximum of $24,000 per year.
Current members
| Member | Appointed | Expires | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Fortune | 8/21/2019 | 7/1/2021 | Active |
| Christine Araujo | 8/21/2019 | 7/1/2021 | Active |
| Mark Erlich | 3/24/2017 | 9/1/2019 | Holdover |
| Kerry Walsh Logue | 9/16/2020 | 11/1/2022 | Active |
| Tyrone Kindell Jr. | 3/24/2017 | 10/1/2019 | Holdover |
| Edward Deveau | 8/21/2019 | 7/1/2021 | Active |
| Joseph Ruggiero | 8/21/2019 | 7/1/2021 | Active |
| Konstantinos Ligris | 9/16/2020 | 3/1/2022 | Active |
| Jeanne Pinado | 9/16/2020 | 7/1/2021 | Active |
| Eric Robinson | 11/18/2020 | 7/1/2021 | Active |
| Hansy Better Barraza | 11/18/2020 | 7/1/2021 | Active |
| Bethany Patten | 2/3/2021 | 7/1/2021 | Active |
| Sherry Dong | 2/3/2021 | 7/1/2021 | Active |
Meet the members
