Letter: The Zoning Board wants you!

Here is an opportunity for civic engagement that has a positive impact on our community—apply to join the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA).

You may ask, what does the ZBA do? Ever since 1928, the ZBA has been responsible for considering relief from some of the town’s Zoning By-law provisions, such as granting special permits or variances for building projects, and deciding appeals from the town’s Building Inspector’s decisions. The ZBA also reviews projects governed by the state’s affordable housing law.

The ZBA board consists of three full members and three associate members, all volunteers, each appointed by the Select Board for a three-year term. ZBA meetings, consisting of a rotating three-member panel, along with our Zoning Board administrator, are typically held over Zoom, averaging one or two meetings per month.

The ZBA has had an open seat for three years, an unusual length of time given our history and the Town’s history of citizen participation. It is this vacant seat that we seek to fill. We value the cooperative and collaborative nature of our team and have found that serving as a member is a satisfying way to contribute to the Town. It’s helpful for an applicant to have a background in areas such as town/environmental planning, civil engineering, construction, law, or architecture.

For particulars, please visit the ZBA webpage at westonma.gov/617/Zoning-Board-of-Appeals.

Interested applicants are encouraged to submit a volunteer application to the Select Board at westonma.gov/FormCenter/Applications-7/volunteer-Application-46, or email a letter of interest to [email protected].

Consider joining us on the ZBA!

Stephen J. Larocque, ZBA Chair, Conant Road