South Britain Historic District Commission

Rules

The following is a description of the jurisdiction of the Historic District Commission.

Anyone wishing to make a change to property falling within the Commission’s jurisdiction must apply to the Commission for a Certificate of Appropriateness.

Connecticut’s enabling statute confers on Historic Districts jurisdiction over the erection or alteration of any building or structure or portion thereof visible from a public street, way, or place.

The term “structure” as used in the statute is defined as “any combination of materials, other than a building, which is affixed to the land.” Included are signs, fences, walls, streets, bridges, dams, driveways, monuments, parking lots, lampposts, flag poles, antennas, pools, and any other feature of the built environment as long as it is within the boundaries of the Historic District and visible from a public street, way, or place.

A “public way” may include a privately owned right of way to which the public has access by customary usage.

There is no specific exemption in the enabling statute for property owned by either municipalities or churches.

Commissions have no jurisdiction over the color a building is painted. A Commission may, however, give consideration to colors that are intrinsic to the materials used on a building’s exterior.

Commissions have no control over interior arrangements or use.