City council committee questions ZBA nominee on density, neighborhood plans

Juan Andres Bernal, an architect and urban designer, appeared before the Boston City Council Committee on Planning, Development, and Transportation on June 10 to answer questions about his nomination as an alternate member of the Zoning Board of Appeal (ZBA).

The committee, chaired by Councilor Durkin, heard Bernal describe his background and zoning philosophy and asked how he would weigh competing priorities including housing density, the weight of Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA) approvals, and neighborhood master plans such as Plan East Boston and Plan Charlestown.

Bernal said he supports adding housing through density where appropriate and described a case-by-case approach to zoning: "I believe in density and the need for more housing to ensure Boston remains accessible and vibrant," he said. He also told the committee he would give "heavy weight" to a BPDA approval because, in his view, that typically reflects a robust community process and design review.

Councilors pressed Bernal on specific trade-offs. Councilor John Fitzgerald raised concerns about replacing single- and two-family homes with larger developments and asked Bernal to consider how changes affect family-friendliness. Councilor Gigi Coletta Zapata — who represents East Boston and Charlestown and said those neighborhoods recently completed master planning — asked whether Bernal would “hold the line” on zoning that had been put in place after five years of community planning; Bernal responded that prior planning should carry "heavy weight" but that individual projects should still be reviewed on their merits.

Council President Lu Zheng asked Bernal to identify the ZBA's biggest challenge; Bernal said the board must balance predictability for development with the need to make case-by-case decisions where appropriate. Councilor Braden and others asked about historic-preservation processes and demolition delay timelines; Bernal said timelines for review make sense as a way to avoid premature demolition but did not propose a change to the 90-day timeframe discussed by councilors.

No vote was taken at the committee hearing. Chair Durkin said the committee would move Bernal’s docket forward to the full City Council for confirmation at a future meeting. Public testimony was invited at the end of the hearing, and the committee accepted written comments to the committee email.

Why it matters: The ZBA hears requests for zoning relief that shape how and where housing is built across Boston. An alternate member can fill in as a full member and influence decisions about density, preservation and the application of neighborhood plans.

The committee hearing ran as a virtual meeting recorded and streamed by the City; procedures for public testimony and written comments were announced at the start of the session.