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History
History
Creation of the BSA
The Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA, or Board) was first created in 1916 along with NYC's historic first Zoning Resolution.
Initially, the Board was comprised of 9 members, 6 of whom were appointed commissioners, 2 FDNY members, and 1 DOB superintendent. Separately, a Board of Appeals was created with 6 appointed members and 1 FDNY chief.
Photo credit: The New York Times, August 6, 1916.
Over the Years
In 1925, the BSA absorbed the Board of Appeals and was restructured to 4 appointed commissioners and 1 FDNY chief.
In subsequent years, the BSA would grow and shrink between 3 to 6 appointed commissioners. Since 1991, the Board has been comprised of 5 appointed commissioners.