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Off with their heads: Councilors demand zoning board explain itself to them

City councilors said today they're not going to stand for being disrespected by the Zoning Board of Appeals. So they're calling a hearing.

Councilors Steve Murphy (at large) and Councilor Josh Zakim (Fenway, Mission Hill, Back Bay, Beacon Hill) say they were infuriated and aghast at a Sept. 23 zoning hearing on a project on Hereford Street. The two councilors and Mayor Walsh asked the board to defer any action on the proposal, in part because not all nearby residents had been notified of the hearing. Murphy said the board acknowledged the requests and yet still voted 5-2 to approve the work.

"They completely disrespected Councilor Zakim and embarrassed me and my office and that can't stand in 2014," especially given that most of the zoning board's members are "holdovers from the previous administration," Murphy said.

At-large Councilor Michael Flaherty agreed with the need for a tete-a-tete, but said he had the flip problem with deferrals: Developers show up for a hearing, see a lot of people waiting to testify against them, then ask for and get a vote deferral knowing the board doesn't send out notices of rescheduled hearings. Then the developers show up a few months later and win approval without much dissent from opponents, he said.

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Comments

Isn't the point of having separate entities like thre zoning board rather than the city council doing everything so that the board can make its own decisions, even if the city council disagrees?

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Why the Mayor hasn't shitcanned ALL the holdovers from the previous Administration is beyond me.
He should go through each department, identify who's Mumble's leftover coatholders and give them their walking papers. Obviously they've been on the Municipal Nipple way too long.

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Read the most recent Minutes from the most recent Public Meeting of a) the ZBA Zoning Board of Appeals and b) the Zoning Commission

a) ZBA Zoning Board of Appeals public records, b) Zoning Commission public records and c) City Council public records can also be requested/reviewed at
http://muckrock.com

http://www.cityofboston.gov/BOA/
Board of Appeals
Principal Administrative Assistant - Derric Small
Zoning regulates the use and dimensional boundaries of privately owned buildings and land. The Zoning code is in place to protect the neighborhoods from the construction of buildings or structures that do not fit into the context of a neighborhood. The Zoning Board of Appeals hears appeals for varying the application of the Zoning Code and determines when it is appropriate to grant deviations from code restrictions.
Contact Information:
Zoning Board of Appeals
1010 Massachusetts Avenue, 4th floor
Boston MA 02118
Tel 617-635-4775
Fax 617-635-2918

http://www.cityofboston.gov/boardsandcommissions/default.aspx?boardid=180
Boards and Commissions
Select a Board or Commission from the drop down list provided.
Zoning Board of Appeals
Department: Zoning Board
Contact: Derric Small
Email:
zba at cityofboston.gov
Authority: City
Term: 3
Stipend: $0.00
Seats: 7
Appointee...... Appointed...... Expires...... Status
Christine Araujo 7/23/2012 7/1/2015 Active
Bruce Bickerstaff 7/23/2012 7/1/2015 Active
Peter Chin 7/23/2012 7/1/2015 Active
Mark Erlich 9/6/2013 9/1/2016 Active
Mark Fortune 4/23/2012 6/1/2015 Active
Anthony Pisani 7/23/2012 7/1/2015 Active
Robert Shortsleeve 7/23/2012 7/1/2015 Active

http://www.cityofboston.gov/boardsandcommissions/default.aspx?boardid=21
Boards and Commissions
Select a Board or Commission from the drop down list provided.
Zoning Commission
Department: Workers' Compensation
Contact: Jeff Hampton
Email:
ZC at cityofboston.gov
Authority: City
Term: 3 years
Stipend: $0.00
Seats: 11
Appointee...... Appointed...... Expires...... Status
Nelson Arroyo 12/3/2001 5/1/2004 Holdover
Jane Brayton 12/3/2001 4/23/2005 Holdover
James Clark ...... ...... Active
Robert Fondren ...... ...... Active
Jill Hatton ...... ...... Active
Jay Hurley 5/21/2001 5/1/2004 Holdover
David Marr 5/5/2008 5/1/2011 Holdover
John McDonnell 10/5/2010 11/1/2012 Holdover
Michael Miles 10/5/2010 10/1/2012 Holdover
Olivia Waishek 10/5/2010 10/1/2012 Holdover
Jared Wollaston 5/22/2012 11/1/2014 member

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"They completely disrespected Councilor Zakim and embarrassed me and my office and that can't stand in 2014"

Murphy does not abide.

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security at City Hall. Just last week a janitor armed with a mop attempted to take a selfie with President Murphy while riding in an elevator. Had that mop been a broom President Murphy could have lost an eye.

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Not being kept in the loop about zoning meetings is a bit different than losing an eye.

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up.

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