Zoning districts · Article 42C
Waterfront Service Districts zoning
Waterfront Service Districts is governed by Article 42C of the Boston Zoning Code. It has 2 subdistrict types. Below are the dimensional limits from the Article 42C tables.
Last verified Oct 2026. All 16 values shown were checked against Section 42C-5 in the official Boston Zoning Code text published on Municode and the BPDA Article 42C PDF (bostonplans.org/getattachment/41091dfa-3b01-49a4-a970-b89db443eaf6). These limits apply to buildings and uses other than residential; a residential use follows the dimensional rules of the nearest residential district. Where a Harborpark article (42A or 42B) maps a named Waterfront Service subdistrict with its own height or FAR, that article controls. Heights are in feet. Source: Boston Zoning Code, Article 42C.
Subdistricts
| Map code | Subdistrict type |
|---|---|
| WS-1 | Waterfront Service (WS-1) |
| WS-2 | Waterfront Service (WS-2) |
Section 42C-5 — Dimensional Regulations
| Requirement | WS-1 | WS-2 |
|---|---|---|
| Max. building height (ft) | 35 ft | 35 ft |
| Max. floor area ratio (FAR) | 1.0 | 2.0 |
| Min. lot size | none | none |
| Min. lot width | none | none |
| Min. front yard (ft) | none | none |
| Min. side yard (ft) | none | none |
| Min. rear yard (ft) | 12 | 12 |
| Max. rear yard occupancy by accessory buildings (%) | none | none |
Where the Code gives a height without a unit, we show it in feet.
Numbers in parentheses, like (1), are footnotes in the Code table. They often add conditions or exceptions, so read them in Article 42C.
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Try Stratum freeStratum is not affiliated with the City of Boston or the Boston Planning Department (formerly the BPDA). This summary is for early design and is not a legal determination. Zoning is amended over time, and overlay districts, map amendments and the table footnotes can change what applies to a parcel. Always verify with the Boston Zoning Code and the city before relying on these numbers.