Board of Adjustment

The Board of Adjustment was created as a quasi-judicial board by the City of Portland City Charter. The City Council appoints a five member Board with two additional members who serve as alternates. All members serve two year staggered terms. A quorum consists of three members, however four members must be present in order to hear a case and four concurring votes are necessary to reverse an order, requirement or decision of a city official, or to authorize a variance from the requirements of the city’s zoning regulations. The Board meets at the call of the Chairperson.

The City Manager appoints a City Staff member to serve as secretary for this Board. Currently, the City Engineer is the appointed secretary.

The Board of Adjustment was created to hear and decide appeals where it is alleged there is error of law in any order, requirement, decision or determination made by a City Official in the enforcement of the City’s zoning regulations; to consider hardship cases that arise from time to time; and to authorize in specific cases a variance from the terms of the city'’s zoning regulations if the variance meets the criteria set in Section 309 of the City's Unified Development Ordinance. The Board has no authority to change the zoning regulations, nor does the Board grant variances to the use provisions of the Unified Development Ordinance.

For more information about the Zoning Board of Adjustment, contact Annette Hall, 361-777-4513.