The Back Bay Architectural Commission will hold a virtual public hearing on Oct. 14, 2026, at 5 p.m.. The meeting will only be held virtually and not in person. Written comments or questions can be submitted to [email protected].
The meeting will include the ratification of the September 9, 2026, public hearing minutes, followed by Design Review Applications and Administrative Review/Approval items. The projected adjournment is 6:15 p.m..
Design Review Applications
The commission will review the following proposed projects:
• APP # 27.0059 BB 115 Commonwealth Avenue: Applicant Ellen Abdow proposes to extend the border garden area at the front facade and install granite pavers at the walkway.
•APP # 27.0286 BB 216 Beacon Street: Applicant Vanessa Correa proposes to replace a skylight with a dormer at the rear Mansard roof.
• APP # 27.0222 BB 414 Beacon Street: Applicant Jason Post proposes to install a roof deck with an access hatch at the rear garage, replace six windows, and replace the garage door.
Administrative Review/Approval
In order to expedite the review process, the commission has delegated the approval of certain work items—such as ordinary maintenance and repair, restoration or replacement, or work with minimal impact on a building’s appearance—to commission staff pending ratification at this hearing. The following applications meet eligibility criteria and will be approved:
Applicants whose projects are listed under this heading NEED NOT APPEAR at the hearing. Following the hearing, you will be issued a Determination Sheet to present at the Inspectional Services Department (1010 Massachusetts Avenue) as proof of project approval when applying for permits. ISD personnel will send an electronic copy of your building-permit application to the commission staff for review. (To avoid potential confusion, the text of your building-permit application should be consistent with the project description given below.) Commission staff will accordingly authorize the execution of the work, attaching any applicable provisos, refl ecting the relevant guidelines and precedents.
Please note that following issuance of the determination sheet no further correspondence will be issued for the applications listed below:
The electronic building-permit application as annotated by commission staff will constitute your Certificate of Appropriateness; this will be valid for one year from the date of the hearing. The applicant is required to notify the commission of any project changes; failure to do so may affect the status of the approval. If you have any questions not addressed by the above information, please contact staff at 617.635.1935 or [email protected]
• APP # 27.0166 BB 157 Beacon Street: At roof replace rubber membrane roof in-kind.
• APP # 27.0249 BB 226 Beacon Street: At rear elevation replace deteriorated garage door with wood door.
• APP # 27.0219 BB 227 Beacon Street: At roof replace rubber membrane roof in-kind.
• APP # 27.0265 BB 259 Beacon Street: Replace eleven windows with historically appropriate wood windows.
• APP # 27.0211 BB 274 Beacon Street: At front facade replace four, eighth-story eight-over-eight wood windows in-kind.
• APP # 27.0190 BB 293 Beacon Street: At front facade replace three, third-story curved wood windows with one-over-one curved wood windows.
• APP # 27.0225 BB 456 Beacon Street: At rear patio install brick pavers and rebuild deteriorated section of retaining wall.
• APP # 27.0156 BB 520 Beacon Street: At rear elevation replace wood window trim in-kind.
• APP # 27.0257 BB 565 Boylston Street: At front facade replace five, fifth-story wood windows in-kind.
• APP # 27.0290 BB 126 Commonwealth Avenue: At roof replace rubber membrane roofing in-kind.
• APP # 27.0193 BB 220 Commonwealth Avenue: Replace twelve windows with historically appropriate wood windows.
• APP # 27.0258 BB 333 Commonwealth Avenue: At front facade remove and rebuild section of sidewalk to waterproof underground vault.
• APP # 27.0267 BB 312-314 Dartmouth Street: At rear elevation repair and repaint window trim and repoint masonry.
• APP # 27.0196 BB 314 Dartmouth Street: At rear elevation restore window and bricked-in opening.
• APP # 27.0197 BB 21 Fairfield Street: At pitched roof replace slate, copper gutter and copper flashing in-kind, at flat roof area replace rubber membrane roof in-kind.
• APP # 27.0275 BB 11 Hereford Street: Replace forty-one non-historic windows with historically appropriate wood windows.
• APP # 27.0203 BB 15 Hereford Street: At roof install exhaust vent.
• APP # 27.0230 BB 28 Marlborough Street: At rear elevation repair existing fire escape.
• APP # 27.0255 BB 182 Marlborough Street: Repoint and repair masonry, and repair front entry steps.
• APP # 27.0217 BB 182 Marlborough Street: At roof replace rubber membrane roof in-kind.
• APP # 27.0218 BB 193 Marlborough Street: At rear elevation repair existing fire escape.
• APP # 27.0260 BB 228 Marlborough Street: At rear elevation repair existing fire escape.
• APP # 27.0288 BB 347 Marlborough Street: At roof replace rubber membrane roof and existing deck in-kind.
• APP # 27.0202 BB 365 Marlborough Street: At rear elevation replace four non-historic one-over-one aluminum windows with wood one-over-one windows.
• APP # 27.0268 BB 370 Marlborough Street: Replace three lower-level windows in-kind.
• APP # 27.0272 BB 81 Newbury Street: At front facade replace deteriorated entry steps in-kind.
• APP # 27.0209 BB 171 Newbury Street: At front facade install window sign and flag at existing flag pole.
• APP # 27.0259 BB 209 Newbury Street: At front facade replace existing awning.
• APP # 27.0266 BB 220 Newbury Street: At front facade rebuild steps to lower level retail space.
• APP # 27.0214 BB 235 Newbury Street: Replace roof slate and copper gutter in-kind.
• APP # 27.0269 BB 268 Newbury Street: At front facade replace existing wall sign.
III Staff Updates
IV Projected Adjournment: 6:15 PM