Filing Fees & Deadline Dates

 $200  for Residential Petitions for Special Permit, Variance and Appeals.  

$250  for Non-residential Petitions. (commercial/business)  

Petitions requiring more than one approval or finding are not subject to an additional fee.  

For up-to-date time, date and meeting location, please refer to the Town of Ipswich website for Agendas posted with the Town Clerk Town-Clerk

Meeting Dates & Filing Deadlines

Note: Dates are subject to change.

The meetings are conducted on the 3rd Thursday of the month, unless otherwise noted below. Applications are due in the Town Clerk office one hour before closing.

Please make sure to plan your projects with enough time for waiting out any subsequent appeal periods once a variance or special permit is granted.

Board Decision

The Zoning Board usually makes their decision the night of the hearing. There is nothing that prevents the board from continuing the hearing and voting at a later time. Once the decision is made by vote of the board, the written decision is filed in the Town Clerks’ Office. There is then a 20 day appeal period after the decision is filed.

Appeal

If no one appeals the decision (in court) it must be filed with the property deed at the Salem Registry of Deeds. It does not become a legal instrument until it is filed and must be filed within 1 year.

Any person aggrieved by the Board’s final decision, including the Petitioner, the owner, or any owner of land abutting the land subject to this decision, may file an appeal in the Superior Court or the Land Court within 20 days of the date stamped in by the Town Clerk. See Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 40A, Section 17.

Before the Project Starts

No building permit or use/occupancy certificate can be issued (if required) until the special permit or variance is recorded at the registry.

The Ipswich Zoning Bylaw (PDF) is available on this website and may be purchased with the zoning map at the Town Clerks’ office.