Boston Zoning Decisions: April 2026

In April 2026, Boston held 23 public meetings covering zoning matters. 32 zoning decisions had a recorded outcome this month: 28 approved (90% approval rate), 3 denied, 1 deferred. Activity was down 6% compared to March (481 activity items across 25 meetings).

Zoning Decisions This Month

Five roof decks at 142 P Street

Denied.

Denied addition of five individual roof decks to existing five-unit residential building in South Boston City Point. Planning department recommended approval. City Point Neighborhood Association opposed. 46 letters of opposition from abutters, 35 letters of support. Councillor Flynn and Senator Collins opposed.

See the vote tally and conditions for this decision →

Advertising Signage at 100 Huntington Ave.

Denied.

Denied proposal for two advertisement decal windowscapes on pedestrian footbridge connecting Copley Mall to Prudential Center. Signs would cover seven glass panels (60 ft wide by 8 ft high) on north and south sides. Back Bay Association supported but Neighborhood Association of Back Bay opposed citing precedent concerns. Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Services and Councillor Flynn opposed citing pedestrian safety and distracted driving concerns.

See the vote tally and conditions for this decision →

Five Roof Decks at 142 P St.

Deferred.

Deferred proposal for five individual roof decks on recently constructed townhomes in South Boston. Community opposition cited original 2021 approval included neighborhood agreement for no roof decks. City Point Neighborhood Association requested additional community meetings. Applicants removed pergola in response to earlier feedback.

See the vote tally and conditions for this decision →

Six-unit residential building at 744 East 4th Street

Approved.

Approved new four-story, six-unit residential building with nine parking spaces on 6,416 square foot lot in South Boston. FAR violation of 2.03 where 2.0 permitted, and lot insufficiency (6,416 sf vs 7,000 sf required). Developer: Andrew Shenna, John Collins, Darren Swain.

See the vote tally and conditions for this decision →

Six-unit residential building at 34 Athawall Street

Approved.

Approved new six-family dwelling with three off-street parking spaces on 4,665 square foot lot in Dorchester 3F6000 zone. Multiple variances for use, lot area, setbacks, height, and parking. Developer: Alex Edwards. West of Washington Civic Association voted in support.

See the vote tally and conditions for this decision →

Two-family dwellings at 100-102 Beachview Road

Approved.

Approved subdivision of 5,000 square foot lot into two 2,500 square foot parcels for construction of two semi-attached two-family dwellings in East Boston EBR 2.5 district. Height variance required due to site topography. Orient Heights Neighborhood Association voted-2 (non-opposition).

See the vote tally and conditions for this decision →

26-unit condominium at 1954 Commonwealth Avenue

Approved.

Approved 26-unit residential condominium with preservation of historic mission-style structure in Brighton. Four IDP affordable units, nine parking spaces. Height of 53-56 feet where 55 feet permitted. Brighton-Alston Improvement Association in support.

See the vote tally and conditions for this decision →

Six-unit building at 744 East 4th Street with Article 85 demolition review

Approved.

Approved demolition of existing four-unit building and construction of new four-story six-unit building with six parking spaces in South Boston. Board rejected planning department recommendation to defer pending Article 85 Landmarks review, finding zoning and landmarks processes operate independently.

See the vote tally and conditions for this decision →

Showing the 8 most significant of 32 recorded zoning decisions. See all Boston meetings →

Zoning Changes

• MFR (Article 68) → MFR with variances, 6,416 square feet acres at 744 East 4th Street, South Boston (Andrew Shenna, John Collins, Darren Swain)
• 3F6000 → 3F6000 with variances for 6-family use, 4,665 square feet acres at 34 Athawall Street, Dorchester (Alex Edwards)
• EBR 2.5 → EBR 2.5 with height variance, 5,000 square feet (subdivided to two 2,500 sf lots) acres at 100-102 Beachview Road, East Boston (Not specified)
• 2F5000 → 2F5000 with variances for 6-family use, FAR 1.5, 4,215 square feet acres at 1 Bayside Street, Savin Hill (Dennis and Gavin Edscorn)
• Various zones with parking minimums → Elimination of off-street parking requirements for residential development at Citywide - all residential development (Councillors Durkan, Santana, and Braden)
• Not specified → Landmark designation at 1203-1205 Adams St., Dorchester, Mass. 02124 (Boston Landmarks Commission (Petition 228.7))
• EDA (Economic Development Area) → Residential/mixed-use conditional use at 52 Plimpton St., South End (Josh Brandt)
• Residential (two-family) → Six-unit residential, 16,374 sq ft acres at 5 Ashland St., Dorchester (Sean George/Bogost Properties LLC)

Top Keywords This Month

• zoning: 98 instances
• residential: 46 instances
• commercial: 44 instances
• setback: 38 instances
• variance: 31 instances

What to Watch

• Variance mentions were up 158% from March.

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