Boston Council Committee Advances ZBA and Historic District Nominees to Full Council Vote

BOSTON — October 23, 2025 — Boston's City Council planning committee clears three land-use nominees, pushing affordability and transit questions to the fore. The Committee on Planning, Development, and Transportation, chaired by City Council President Liz Breadon, advanced nominations for Norman Stembridge's reappointment to the Zoning Board of Appeal, Celina Berrios-Milner's new appointment to the same board, and Robert Steinberg's appointment to the St. Botolph Architectural Conservation District Commission, covering dockets 1353, 1354, and 1412. Breadon pressed both ZBA nominees on whether they would defer to Boston Planning and Development Agency board decisions, specifically citing a past case in which a ZBA rejection on parking grounds reversed a BPDA-approved housing project. Berrios-Milner, a researcher at the Urban Institute and a current Landmarks Commission member, argued that parking minimums near frequent transit are "counterproductive" to affordability, while Stembridge cautioned against "rubber stamping" but said thorough vetting by multiple parties should generally hold. Steinberg, a civil engineer and MIT-trained construction project manager, won brief endorsement from St. Botolph neighborhood representative Joe Cornish. All three nominations are headed to a full council vote at the next meeting.