Under New York State law, the Village of Great Neck Estates has extensive regulatory powers over use of land within the Village.  The Village's first Building Zone Ordinance was adopted in 1921, and those regulations have been updated from time to time, and are kept current in the Village Code.

The Board of Appeals consists of five members appointed by the Board of Trustees who serve staggered five-year terms. The Chairman and three alternate members are appointed for a one-year term.

The Board has authority to review various determinations by the Building Inspector.  In addition, applying standards established by State law, the Board has the power in appropriate cases to grant variances from the Village zoning regulations, and in some cases to grant conditional use permits. 

All meetings of the Board are public and are held at the Village Hall.