Timothy Burke

The chairman of the Boston Planning & Development Agency’s board of directors since 2014 is retiring immediately and Priscilla Rojas has been named acting chair effective this afternoon’s monthly board meeting.

Timothy Burke notified agency Director Brian Golden in a Dec. 6 letter that he’s leaving the board this month, five months after retiring from his full-time job.

“Over the past few months I’ve been thinking about retirement from my position on the BPDA board so that I may travel more and avoid the snowy winters (Nor’easters) in Boston. In light of this,  I wanted to share with you that two months ago I notified the governor’s office that my position on the board will become available. It’s time for me to step away from my responsibilities at the BPDA,” Burke wrote.

Burke had been employed as CEO of a drug treatment agency, according to his BPDA bio. Previously he was an employee of the Boston Housing Authority.

Priscilla Rojas, a board member since 2015, will serve as interim chair of the five-member board until Gov. Charlie Baker’s replacement nominee is confirmed.

BPDA Director Brian Golden notified agency employees of Burke’s departure on Wednesday.

Burke’s leadership of the board coincided with a building boom on a scale that’s unprecedented in Boston history, Golden noted, with more than 60 million square feet of development approved or under construction.

The BPDA’s role in that building boom and its transformation of neighborhoods has come under criticism from neighborhood activists and some elected officials, who say the agency caters to developers while discounting residents’ objections.

In October, City Councilor Michelle Wu called for abolition of the BPDA, saying it has failed to plan effectively to ensure housing affordability and address the city’s congestion crisis.