Boston Zoning and Development

The Cloutier Law Firm limits its Zoning and Development practice to the City of Boston. Boston zoning is governed by the Enabling Act, Chapter 665 of the Acts of 1956 and the City of Boston’s Zoning Code.

The Zoning Code exist in order to preserve the public interest in certain neighborhoods against uses which are believed to violate the public interest of such neighborhoods. In other words, the laws exist so that Boston can exert control over what can be built within their neghborhood boundaries. This enables local governing bodies to dictate the “look” and “feel” of their neighborhood within permissible, constitutional bounds.
This delegation of authority resulted in a regulatory framework that can often be cumbersome to developers, contractors, engineers, landowners, landlords, and homeowners. In fact, in order to conduct nearly any type of construction project in Boston, whether it be new construction or renovation of existing structures, you must obtain permission from the Zoning Board of Appeals and/or from the Boston Planning and Development Agency.

As an experienced Boston zoning attorney, attorney Cloutier operates as an essential member of the development team that will guide you through this complex regulatory and legal process from the point of idea creation to idea execution.
Attorney Cloutier has represented large developers in the permitting of mixed-use, multi-family dwellings; individual homeowners with permitting for both large and small renovations and entrepreneurs with permitting necessary to open a new business.