Zoning board denies Ingalls Terrace enforcement appeal

Zoning Board of Appeals · Meeting of July 21, 2026

SWAMPSCOTT — The Swampscott Zoning Board of Appeals voted 3-0 to deny an abutter's appeal challenging construction at 24-28 Ingalls Terrace. Board member Marc Kornitsky moved to deny Petition 26-07, filed by abutter Thomas Bogacz, finding no evidence the as-built townhouses deviate from the Planning Board's January 12, 2026 approval. An attorney for the developer, identified only as Johnson, told the board the structure's measured height of 33.3 feet came in under the approved relief, arguing "the burden is on him.

It's not on us." A resident asked during public comment, "What's the point of us having these parameters to guide us, to keep what makes Swampscott special?" The board ruled scenic-view concerns under bylaw Section 5.4.8.3 fall outside its jurisdiction on this appeal, leaving that issue with the Planning Board, whose approval period had already expired.

In the full story:

• Jurisdictional scope: what the board could and could not decide
• Background and stakes: the Forty Steps sightline and a legacy teardown
• The petitioner's case: minimizing obstruction under bylaw 5.4.8.3
• Technical disputes: setbacks, lot coverage and the third-story question
• Public comment: notice problems and neighborhood concerns
• The developer's response: timeline, standing and the limits of this appeal
• Deliberation and the motion to deny
• Implications and what is next
• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report: 1,913 words

Source: the Zoning Board of Appeals meeting of July 21, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

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