Zoning Board Grants Seven Variances Under New Law

Zoning Board · Meeting of August 11, 2026

BROCKTON — The Brockton Zoning Board of Appeals approved seven of nine petitions Tuesday in its first meeting applying a new state law that lowers the bar for granting variances. Acting Building Commissioner William Forte told the board the old "substantial hardship" standard has been replaced by a looser "practical difficulty" test that now considers financial hardship and housing production. The board granted new or expanded housing at six addresses, including a six-unit conversion at 703 North Main Street, and approved a special permit letting Evans Machine Company, a 70-employee manufacturer, expand into a flood zone on North Manchester Street.

The board denied, 4-1, a request to extend hours at a Warren Avenue gas station to 11 p.m., with abutter Deborah Nordean calling the late hours "a breeding ground" for loitering. It also denied, 5-0, a variance for an illegally built garage addition on Warren Avenue after a member called the structure "a tangled web of unsafe environments."

In the full story:

• New State Law Briefing
• Case 26-18: 21 Henry Street
• Case 26-19: 33 Custer Street
• Case 26-20: 75 Auburn Street
• Case 26-21: 20 Windsor Avenue
• Case 26-22: 436 Warren Avenue
• Case 26-23: 761 Warren Avenue
• Case 26-24: 10 Battle Street
• Case 26-25: 32 North Manchester Street
• Case 26-26: 703 North Main Street
• Officer Elections
• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report: 2,344 words

Source: the Zoning Board meeting of August 11, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript.