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.

Page Sections

LAtest Updates:

The Legislature has updated the Open Meeting Law to allow the Zoning Board of Appeal to hold virtual hearings until the end of March 2025. All scheduled Zoning Board of Appeal hearings will be held virtually until that date.
Please see the City's public notices page for details on how to access the virtual hearings.
The Board of Appeal accepts service of complaints under Rule 4 of the Massachusetts Rules of Civil Procedure. Please serve all complaints that name the Board or its Members at the Administrative Office of the Board of Appeal located at 1010 Massachusetts Avenue, Fourth Floor, Boston, MA 02118. You may submit a courtesy copy of any documents to edward.coburn@boston.gov
To ensure timely review and filing Zoning Board of Appeal decisions, attorneys should direct all draft zoning decisions to ISDBoardofAppeal@Boston.gov.

Notice of Accommodation

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.

Zoning codes in Boston

Have questions? Contact:

Zoning Board of Appeal
617-635-4775
Fax: 617-635-2918
1010 Mass. Ave, 4th Floor

Boston, MA 02118
Office hours

Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Public hearings

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.
Public Records requests

Have a public records request for the Board of Appeal? Please file a request through the City's Public Records Center.
- Ground Water Conservation Overlay District (GCOD) Trigger information

Upcoming events

Events

Search public notices

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.

Search our tracker

Board of Appeal decisions

Decisions

View recent Zoning Board of Appeal decisions

Guidance videos

Zoning workshop (March 2021)

Learn about how the Zoning Code dictates the use, density, and development in Boston.

Multilingual Zoning Board of Appeal guides

We recently published a guide explaining how a project moves through the zoning process. The guide also answers some frequently asked questions about the zoning process.

English

Zoning Board of Appeal guide

Kriolu, Cabo Verdean Creole

Konselhu di Zoniamentu di Prusesu di Apelason

Komite Zonaj Pwosesis Apèl

Français

Procédure de la Chambre de recours de zonage

中文 (Simplified)

区划上诉委员会流程

中文 (Traditional)

區劃上訴委員會流程

Español

Proceso de la Junta de apelaciones de zonificación

Русский

Апелляционный совет по зонированию

Tiếng Việt

Quy Trình Phân Vùng Của Hội Đồng Kháng Nghị

Af-Soomali

Nidaamka Racfaanka ee Guddiga Deegaameynta

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.

how to apply for an appeal

2025 Hearing Dates

Zoning Board Of Appeal Hearings

Tuesday, January 14, 2025
Tuesday, January 28, 2025
Tuesday, February 4, 2025
Tuesday, February 25, 2025
Tuesday, March 4, 2025
Tuesday, March 25, 2025
Tuesday, April 8, 2025
Tuesday, April 29, 2025
Tuesday, May 6, 2025
Tuesday, May 20, 2025
Tuesday, June 3, 2025
Tuesday, June 24, 2025
Tuesday, July 8, 2025
Tuesday, July 29, 2025
Tuesday, August 12, 2025
Tuesday, August 26, 2025
Tuesday, September 9, 2025
Tuesday, September 23, 2025
Tuesday, October 7, 2025
Tuesday, October 28, 2025
Tuesday, November 18, 2025
Tuesday, November 25, 2025
Tuesday, December 9, 2025
Tuesday, December 16, 2025

Zoning Advisory Subcommittee Hearings

Thursday, January 23, 2025
Thursday, February 13, 2025
Thursday, March 20, 2025
Thursday, April 17, 2025
Thursday, May 15, 2025
Thursday, June 12, 2025
Thursday, July 24, 2025
Thursday, August 21, 2025
Thursday, September 18, 2025
Thursday, October 23, 2025
Thursday, November 6, 2025
Thursday, December 4, 2025

2026 HEARING DATES

Zoning Board Of Appeal Hearings

Tuesday, January 13, 2026

Tuesday, January 27, 2026

Tuesday, February 3, 2026

Tuesday, February 24, 2026

Tuesday, March 10, 2026

Tuesday, March 24, 2026

Tuesday, April 7, 2026

Tuesday, April 28, 2026

Tuesday, May 5, 2026

Tuesday, May 19, 2026

Tuesday, June 2, 2026

Tuesday, June 16, 2026

Tuesday, July 14, 2026

Tuesday, July 28, 2026

Tuesday, August 11, 2026

Tuesday, August 25, 2026

Tuesday, September 8, 2026

Tuesday, September 22, 2026

Tuesday, October 6, 2026

Tuesday, October 27, 2026

Tuesday, November 10, 2026

Tuesday, November 17, 2026

Tuesday, December 8, 2026

Tuesday, December 15, 2026

Zoning Advisory Subcommittee Hearings

Thursday, January 22, 2026

Thursday, February 12, 2026

Thursday, March 19, 2026

Thursday, April 16, 2026

Thursday, May 14, 2026

Thursday, June 11, 2026

Thursday, July 23, 2026

Thursday, August 20, 2026

Thursday, September 17, 2026

Thursday, October 22, 2026

Thursday, November 5, 2026

Thursday, December 3, 2026

Subcommittee Meeting Videos

Subcommittee Videos

2025

2024

2023

2022

2021

Full Board Meeting Videos

Full Board Videos

2025

2024

2023

2022

Boston Planning & Development Agency

The Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA) 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.

Contact the Zoning Planner

Commission Info

Department:

Inspectional Services
Authority:;

City
Term:;

3 years
Stipend:;

Yes
Total Seats:;

7

Resources:

Enabling legislation

Boards and commissions information

Members and alternate members of the Zoning Board of Appeal receive a stipend of $460 per day of service, up to a maximum of $34,000 per year.

Current members

Member	Appointed	Expires	Status
Jeanne Pinado	1/25/2023	5/1/2024	Active
Hansy Better Barraza	12/11/2024	5/1/2027	Active
Sherry Dong	5/6/2024	5/1/2026	Active
David Aiken	12/14/2022	5/1/2023	Active
Katie Whewell	10/3/2022	5/1/2024	Active
Norm Stembridge	10/29/2025	5/1/2028	Active
Giovanny Valencia	12/14/2022	5/1/2024	Active
Alan E. Langham	12/14/2022	5/1/2025	Active
David Collins	12/14/2022	5/1/2025	Active
Shamaiah Turner	4/1/2024	5/1/2026	Active
Andres Bernal	3/11/2025	7/1/2027	Active
Celina Barrios-Millner	10/29/2025	5/1/2028	Active

Meet the members

Sherry Dong

Zoning Board of Appeal Chair

Hansy Better Barraza

Zoning Board of Appeal member

Jeanne Pinado

Zoning Board of Appeal member

Giovanny Valencia

Zoning Board of Appeal member

Norm Stembridge

Zoning Board of Appeal member

Katie Whewell

Zoning Board of Appeal member

Alan E. Langham

Zoning Board of Appeal Member

David Collins

Zoning Board of Appeal member

Shamaiah Turner

Zoning Board of Appeal Member

Have questions? Contact:

Zoning Board of Appeal
617-635-4775
Fax: 617-635-2918
1010 Mass. Ave, 4th Floor

Boston, MA 02118
Office hours

Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Public hearings

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.
Public Records requests

Have a public records request for the Board of Appeal? Please file a request through the City's Public Records Center.
- Ground Water Conservation Overlay District (GCOD) Trigger information

Zoning Board of Appeal

Upcoming events

Zoning Board of Appeal tracker

Board of Appeal decisions

Guidance videos

Multilingual Zoning Board of Appeal guides

We recently published a guide explaining how a project moves through the zoning process. The guide also answers some frequently asked questions about the zoning process.

Board of Appeal reviews

2025 Hearing Dates

2026 HEARING DATES

Meeting minutes

Subcommittee Meeting Videos

Full Board Meeting Videos

Boston Planning & Development Agency

Commission Info

Current members

Meet the members