Legislative Board
(Town Board, Village Board
of Trustees, City Council)

• Prepare, adopt, approve, and amend comprehensive plans
  
  
• Enact and amend zoning ordinance, zoning map, subdivision regulations 
  
  
• Appoint members of other boards 
  
  
• Approve budgets for other boards
  
  
• Create advisory boards (e.g. architectural review, conservation advisory council)
  
  
• Review/approval authority (or delegation thereof) for subdivisions
  
  
• Review/approval authority (or delegation thereof) for site plans
  
  
• Review/approval authority (or delegation thereof) for special use permits

 

 

 

 

Planning Board
(administrative only)

 

 

• Review/approval authority for subdivisions (typical)
  
  
• Review/approval authority for site plans (typical)
  
  
• Review/approval authority for special use permits (optional)
  
  
• Participate in the preparation/review of a comprehensive plan (optional)

 

 

Zoning Board of Appeals
(administrative and quasi-judicial)

• Review/approval authority for area variances (relief from dimensional standards)
  
  
• Review/approval authority for use variances (relief from use standards)
  
  
• Interpretations of the zoning ordinance
  
  
• Review/approval authority for special use permits (optional)
  
  
• Review/approval authority for site plans (optional)