Globe Editorial - Boston zoning code should be revamped

A recent Boston Globe editorial agrees with Mayor Wu's assessment that the city's zoning code is “long, dense, and internally inconsistent in ways that make planning confusing, unpredictable, and costly.’’The consultant from Cornell who analyzed Boston's arcane code (and who is being hired to spearhead the revamping) gives the following example:“A homeowner who wishes to put a gabled dormer on a roof or a small business owner who wants to add a takeout component to their restaurant may pay $10,000 and undergo a six-month review process to achieve what in other places might have a one-day approval turnaround time and cost less than $100. The costs of zoning compliance make Boston less affordable, because those costs get internalized or passed on, including to tenants and customers.’’The Globe editorial writers agree that the code is a problem but also wonder if there is the political will in the legislature to change it. The editorial notes that "every line in that 3,791-page code is there because someone had the political muscle to put it there or today benefits from it."