Boston Council Panel Advances ZBA and Back Bay Architectural Commission Nominees

BOSTON — June 10, 2025 — Boston City Council committee advances nominations to two key land-use boards. The Council's Committee on Planning, Development, and Transportation, chaired by District 8 Councilor Sharon Durkan, held confirmation hearings Tuesday for J. Andres Bernal, nominated as an alternate member of the Zoning Board of Appeal, and Lisa Tharp, nominated as a primary member of the Back Bay Architectural District Commission, forwarding both to the full council. Bernal, a Roslindale architect and urban designer originally from Colombia, said community-backed master plans such as Plan East Boston should carry "heavy weight" in ZBA variance decisions — a point pressed hard by Councilor Gabriela Coletta Zapata, who said the ZBA has already undermined five years of East Boston rezoning work. Tharp, a Back Bay resident and interior designer, will fill the seat left by the late John Christensen, who served the commission for more than 40 years; Joseph Cornish, director of design review for the Boston Landmarks Commission, appeared in public comment to endorse her. Tharp's term, if confirmed, runs through December 31, 2028.