Historic District
Chapter 10 Article XVIII, Historic District and Historic District Commission
§ 10-41. Purpose.
It is the intent of this Article to promote the educational, cultural, economic and general welfare of the town through the preservation and protection of buildings, places and districts of historic interest within the town; and to preserve and protect the many architectural phases of a Connecticut River Community on continual growth from the year 1964.
§ 10-42. Impairment of other powers.
All powers of the Town Zoning Commission and the Town Zoning Board of Appeals having to do with the use of land within the historic district shall not be impaired by this Article.
§ 10-43. District created.
There is created a historic district within the town.
§ 10-44. Boundaries.
The boundaries of the historic district shall be as follows: Commencing at a point which is the intersection of the easterly line of the right-of-way of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad and the southerly line of the Wilbur Cross Highway; thence southerly along said easterly line of the right-of-way of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Company to the intersection of said line with a line parallel to and 150 feet west of the westerly line of Middletown Avenue; thence southerly along said parallel line to its intersection with the Wethersfield-Rocky Hill town line; thence easterly along the Wethersfield-Rocky Hill town line to the intersection of said line with a line parallel to and two hundred (200) feet east of the easterly line of Middletown Avenue; thence northerly along said parallel line to its intersection with the northerly line of the extension of Maple Street constituting the approach to the Putnam Memorial Bridge; thence easterly along said northerly line of the extension of Maple Street constituting the approach to the Putnam Memorial Bridge to the intersection of said line with the westerly line of Interstate 91; thence northerly along the westerly line of Interstate 91 to the Wethersfield-Hartford city line; thence westerly along the Wethersfield-Hartford city line to the intersection of said line with the easterly line of the Wilbur Cross Highway; thence southerly and westerly along the Wilbur Cross Highway to the point of beginning.
§ 10-45. Comprehensive plan.
The Commission shall prepare a plan of appropriateness and protection for the historic district as a standard by which to determine the appropriateness of historic architectural features of any new building or of any modification of existing buildings within the district. The plan shall comprehend construction materials and architectural arrangements considered appropriate for the district, to be illustrative but not necessarily comprehensive or extensive and to serve as a general guide for the information of persons contemplating work involving historic architectural features within the district.
§ 10-46. Commission created; membership; powers and duties.
There is created a Historic District Commission of five (5) members and three (3) alternates who shall be electors of the town holding no public office and who shall be empowered to perform all functions appointed to them by Sections 7-147a through 7-147h of the General Statutes. Members and alternate members of the Historic District Commission shall be appointed by the Council.
§ 10-47. Appointment; terms; officers.
The initial appointments of members of the Commission and alternate members shall be made in such manner that the term of at least one (1) member shall expire each year. Within the month of July each year, the Commission shall elect from its own number a Chairman, Vice Chairman and Clerk.
§ 10-48. Administration.
The Historic District Commission shall administer the provisions of Sections 7-147a through 7-147h of the General Statutes as implemented by this Article within the limits of the appropriation made by the Council and the budgetary allocation made by the Manager. The clerical, technical and consulting services necessary to the work of the Commission shall be provided by the Department of Public Works.
The Commission may adopt rules of procedure, regulations and orders which it deems necessary to carry out the intent of Sections 7-147a through 7-147h of the General Statutes and the intent expressed in § 10-41 above.
All work on any type of structure which would change the appearance of any property within the Historic District when viewed from the street line shall not be begun until the property owner has filed an application with the Building Inspector and has received a certificate of appropriateness from the Historic District Commission. For the purposes of this Article, the Building Inspector shall require the applicant to provide such information on those forms devised by the Historic District Commission as may be adopted or modified from time to time by the Commission. Prior to considering each application for a certificate of appropriateness, the Commission shall set a date for a public hearing to be held within forty-five (45) days of receipt of the application. Notice of the time and place of said hearing shall be given by publication in the form of a legal advertisement appearing in a newspaper having substantial circulation in the municipality at least seven (7) days before such hearing. Within sixty-five (65) days of the filing of an application, the Commission shall pass upon such application and shall give written notice of its decision to the applicant. Failure to act within the sixty-five (65) days shall constitute approval of the application. All hearings and all meetings of the Commission at which decisions are made shall be open to the public.