[Adopted 3-1-1971 ATM; amended 10-28-1997 STM, Art. 8]
A.
There is hereby established a Boxford Historic District
Commission under the provisions of the Historic Districts Act, MGL
c. 40C, consisting of five members and three alternate members, appointed
by the Select Board Members, including one member, where possible,
from two nominees submitted by the Boxford Historical Society, one
member, where possible, from two nominees, one of whom shall be submitted
by the Massachusetts State Chapter of the American Institute of Architects,
and one of whom shall be submitted by the Boston Society of Landscape
Architects, and one member, where possible, from two nominees of the
Board of Realtors covering Boxford. One or more of the foregoing shall
be a resident of the Historic Districts established in Boxford pursuant
to the Historic Districts Act. When the Commission is first established,
one member shall be appointed for a term of one year; two shall be
appointed for terms of two years, and two shall be appointed in like
manner for three years, and their successors shall be appointed in
like manner for terms of three years.
[Amended 9-12-2020 ATM by Art. 19]
B.
When the Commission is first established, one alternate
member shall be appointed in like manner for a term of one year; one
alternate member shall be appointed for a term of two years; one alternate
member shall be appointed for a term of three years, and their successors
shall be appointed in like manner for terms of three years.
There are hereby established two Historic Districts
under the provisions of the Historic Districts Act, MGL c. 46C, bounded
and described as follows:
A.
Boxford Village District: Beginning at a point on
the centerline of Topsfield Road, at its intersection with the eastern
boundary of the Maddock property lying north of Topsfield Road; thence
following the Maddock boundary northerly to a point lying 400 feet
from the centerline of Topsfield Road as measured perpendicular to
that centerline; thence following westerly a line parallel to and
400 feet back from the road centerline until it intersects the Coolidge
property; thence northeasterly along a line perpendicular to Topsfield
Road until it reaches a distance of 750 feet from the road centerline;
thence northwesterly along a line parallel, to and 750 feet from the
road centerline until it intersects the Meeker property; thence continuing
parallel to and 750 feet from the road centerline until it intersects
the Fort property; thence following the eastern Fort boundary until
it reaches a point 400 feet from the road centerline; thence following
a straight line until it intersects the northeast corner of the Lausten
property; thence following the northern Lausten boundary until it
intersects the centerline of Cross Road; thence following the road
centerline until it intersects the northern boundary of the Gould
property; thence following, as necessary for a continuous uninterrupted
boundary, the back lot lines of the Gould property, the Boxford Historical
Society property, the Smith property, the Public Library property,
and the Falk property until it intersects the centerline of Depot
Road; thence following the centerline of Depot Road until it intersects
the east boundary of the East Parish Parsonage property; thence following
the east boundary of the Parsonage property until it meets the boundary
of the Gale Section of the cemetery; thence following the boundary
of the Gale Section until it meets the northern boundary of the Village
Cemetery; thence following the northern boundary of the Village Cemetery
until it intersects the centerline of Georgetown Road; thence following
the road centerline until it meets the intersection of the northern
boundary of the Sawyer property; thence following the boundary of
the Sawyer property until it reaches a bend in the stone wall marking
the most westerly point on the Sawyer property as it adjoins the Nelson
property; thence following southwesterly along a line parallel to
Middleton Road until it intersects the Haynes property, thence following
a straight line until it intersects the watercourse that empties Butman
Pond into Fish Brook, at a point, where that watercourse intersects
a stone wall approximately 600 feet back along the watercourse from
the centerline of Main Street; thence following a line parallel to
the road centerline until it intersects the western boundary of the
Lord property; thence following the western boundary of the Lord property,
across Main Street to intersect the western boundary of the Lane property;
thence following the Lane boundary until it reaches a point the same
distance from the road centerline as the distance from the road centerline
of the intersection of Fish Brook and the tributary watercourse which
separates the Lane and Haynes properties at Fish Brook; thence following
parallel to the road centerline, until it meets Fish Brook at the
intersection of the above mentioned tributary watercourse, thence
following along the centerline of Fish Brook until it intersects with
the centerline of Middleton Road; thence following the centerline
of Middleton Road until it intersects the southern boundary of the
Hunter property; thence following the Hunter boundary until it meets
the Fenton property; thence following, as necessary for a continuous
uninterrupted boundary, the backlot lines of the Fenton property,
the Parsons property, the Cutler property, and the Walsh property,
until it intersects the centerline of Main Street; thence following
the centerline of Main Street until it intersects the western boundary
of the Heeremans property; thence following, as necessary for a continuous
uninterrupted boundary, the backlot lines of the Heeremans property,
the Marsh property, the Throensen property, and the Loebel property,
until it intersects the western boundary of the Cahoon property; thence
following a line parallel to the centerline of Topsfield Road across
the Cahoon property until it intersects the Maddock property; thence
continuing parallel to the centerline of Topsfield Road until it intersects
the eastern boundary of the Haddock property; thence following the
Haddock boundary until it intersects the centerline of Topsfield Road;
thence following the centerline of Topsfield Road to the point of
beginning.
B.
Howe Village District: Beginning at the intersection
of the Boxford Town line, the centerline of Salem Road (Route 97),
and the southern boundary of the Dougher property; thence following
the Dougher boundary until it meets the eastern boundary of the Shelly
property; thence following, as necessary for a continuous uninterrupted
boundary, the backlot lines of the Shelly property, the Barr property,
the Perkins property, and the Murray property, so as to include the
Murray property, until it intersects the centerline of Salem Road;
thence following southwesterly the centerline of Salem Road until
it intersects an easterly extension of the northern boundary of the
Perry property, at approximately where Ipswich Road joins Salem Road;
thence running westerly across Ipswich Road and along the northern
Perry boundary; thence following, as necessary for a continuous uninterrupted
boundary, the backlot lines of the Perry property, the LeBlanc property,
the Carbone property, the Mueller property, and the Cole property,
until it intersects the centerline of Pye Brook Lane; thence following
this centerline until it intersects the western boundary of the Dawes
property; thence following the Dawes boundary until it intersects
the Boxford Town line; thence following the Town line across the Dawes
property, and then across the Scott Thompson property to the point
of beginning.
Wherever only part of any building or structure
is within a historic district according to the boundary lines as heretofore
defined in this bylaw, there shall be included within the Historic
District the entire land area occupied, or to be occupied, by all
of said building or structure so that the whole building or structure
shall be considered to be within the Historic Districts for the purposes
of this bylaw.
The Historic District Commission shall have
all the powers and duties of historic district commissions as provided
by the Historic Districts Act, MGL c. 40C, and of subsequent amendments
thereto.
The Historic District Commission shall adopt
rules and regulations for the conduct of its business not inconsistent
with the provisions of the Historic Districts Act, MGL c. 40C, and
may, subject to appropriation, employ clerical and technical assistants
or consultants and may accept money gifts and expend same for such
purposes.
[Amended 10-26-1999 STM, Art. 17]
When taking action under the provisions of the
second paragraph of Section 7 of the Historic Districts Act, MGL c.
40C, the Historic District Commission shall make a determination within
60 days after the filing of the application for a certificate of appropriateness,
or such further time as the applicant may in writing allow.
In case any section, paragraph or part of this
bylaw be for any reason declared invalid or unconstitutional by any
court of last resort, every other section, paragraph or part shall
continue in full force and effect.
