Zoning Board of Appeals rules & variance application

Zoning Board meeting schedule

The Members of the Zoning Board of Appeals are:

Attorney Daniel Morrissey, Chairperson

Walter Gould

George Bruce

Ryan Hess

Norman Roldan

Ed Corbin

(Additional alternate to be named)

Michael Jachym, Zoning Administrator, also attends the meetings in an advisory capacity.

The powers of the Zoning Board of Appeals – permit granting authority. An appeal to the permit granting authority may be taken by any person aggrieved by reason of his inability to obtain a permit or enforcement action from any administrative officer under the provisions of the Building Code, by the regional planning agency in whose area the city is situated or by any order or decision by any person, including an officer or board of the city, or an abutting city or town aggrieved by an order or decision of the inspector of buildings, or other ordinance or by-law adopted under it.

The Springfield Zoning Board of Appeals is a five-member board. There are two alternate members who may participate if a member is absent, unable to act, or has a conflict of interest. A quorum of the Board is necessary to conduct a public hearing. This would be four members.

The open meeting law requires that hearings and meetings must be held in public. Neither petitioners nor their representatives should contact individual Board Members about any pending or future matter to be heard by the Board. The open meeting law does not apply to visits to a site, which are routinely made by the individual members prior to a hearing.

The Board meets once per month and considers up to three matters or up to the secretary’s discretion (excluding continuances) per hearing. Hearings are scheduled on the first come basis. Special requests for a hearing date may be granted, at the Boards discretion, only for extraordinary circumstances. Unless otherwise specified at the hearing, a hearing or vote that is continued will take place at the next regularly scheduled hearing.

Presently, the hearing schedule is the last Wednesday of every month at 6:00 p.m., room 220, Springfield City Hall, 36 Court Street. The Board may re-schedule this date due to holidays, weather conditions, etc.

Payment of local taxes, fees, and assessments, betterments, and other municipal charges are a prerequisite to a hearing and vote for requests of the Zoning & Building Code Variances.