A garbage bin at 18 Seminary St. (see photo) has caught the attention of the town’s Historic District Commission, a volunteer group that is charged with preserving and protecting the structures on and around God’s Acre.
“Someone who lives on Seminary there has put a box out for receiving garbage cans and they did not talk to us and it is a solid object that is in front [of the home],” Janet Lindstrom, acting chairman of the commission, said Thursday at the group’s meeting.
Reached by Patch, the owner of the house, Anurag Ahuja, declined to comment on the matter, saying this was the first he’d heard of it.
The district encompasses 21 buildings, including the home at 18 Seminary St. (see attached map—it's tiny on Patch, just download it if you want a look).
Before structures within the district undergo exterior changes, approval is required from the commission. The relevant section of the Town Code is Chapter 31-6, which includes this language:
“No 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 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.”
The house at 18 Seminary St. is 15 years old.
During the commission’s meeting, Lindstrom said the group must inform the homeowner about the rules and regulations that apply to structures that are located within the historic district.
“A neighbor definitely has asked about it,” Lindstrom said.
Commission members were encouraged to take a look at the bin and the matter was continued for a future meeting.
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