Zoning Board of Appeals

The Washington Zoning Board of Appeals is responsible for:

• Hearing and ruling on petitioners’ appeals to special permits denied by the Planning Board
• Hearing and ruling on administrative appeals regarding zoning decisions made by the building inspector
• Hearing and ruling petitioners’ requests for variances to Washington’s Zoning Bylaws

Variances are typically petitioned for issues related to soil conditions, or the shape or topography of land, or substantial hardship (financial or otherwise) of a landowner caused by a zoning bylaw.

If you have a zoning issue and you’re not sure of the right way to address it, you can reach out to a Planning Board member or ZBA member for help.

Information about how appeals are conducted can be found in Massachusetts General Law Ch. 40A, Section 15.

The Zoning Board of Appeals consists of three members and two alternates appointed by the Select Board.