If you think West Roxbury's zoning rules are outdated, this is the moment to say so.

Boston Planning is currently rewriting residential zoning for the neighborhood. Here's the core issue: most homes in West Roxbury technically don't comply with today's rules (lot sizes, setbacks, side yards, etc.) because those rules were written long after most of these houses were built. That means even modest projects, like finishing a basement or adding space for an aging parent, often require a costly, months-long variance process for something the neighborhood already looks like.

Mattapan recently went through the same process. Afterward, the share of small residential projects allowed automatically, no variance needed, jumped from 46% to 90%. That's the kind of change on the table for West Roxbury now.

If that sounds like a good thing to you, if you'd like to see aging parents downsize nearby instead of leaving the neighborhood, or basements finished without a fight, you're not alone, but the planning team won't know that unless you tell them directly.

The first public meeting last November drew light attendance. There are two more chances: a virtual meeting on August 3, and an in-person meeting on August 6, 5:30–7:30 p.m., at the District E-5 station.

If you agree, please join us on 8/3 or come on 8/6 and say so.

Jason Brown

West Roxbury

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