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Historic barn at 253 Adamsville Road endangered after partial demolition; commission faults building department permit process
Summary
Commissioners reported that the building department issued a permit that allowed removal of the rear (modern) portion of a barn at 253 Adamsville Road without WHC sign-off; an application to demolish the historic front portion is now filed and the commission said its authority outside the historic district is limited to a one-year demolition delay.
The Westport Historical Commission told residents it had learned that the building department issued a demolition permit allowing the rear, more modern portion of the barn at 253 Adamsville Road to be taken down without the commission’s review. The commission said the historic portion of the barn remains but a demolition application for that portion has now been filed with the building department.
"The building department should not have issued that permit without contacting us," the chair said, noting the commission had expected an application and that staff had already annotated the permit record to mark the commission’s non-approval and request a hearing. Commissioners who visited the property in February described an older historic bay at the front of the barn that they said is worth saving and a later rear addition that the owners had already demolished.
Members emphasized the commission’s limited legal tools outside the designated historic district: they may delay demolition for up to one year but cannot prevent an owner from demolishing after that period. Commissioners also discussed that most of the property’s land appears subject to an agricultural preservation restriction (APR), which protects open-land uses; they said removing APR protections would require action beyond the commission’s authority.
The commission asked the building department to notify property owners to submit a demolition application directly to the WHC and said it would coordinate with building-department staff to tighten permit workflows and ensure the commission is alerted on similar proposals. Commissioners also discussed whether community preservation funds or other local grants could help preserve the structure, and were told by a member that the community preservation committee generally cannot fund preservation of privately owned structures in a way that creates public benefit unless a conservation restriction or similar instrument is proposed.
The commission did not vote to block demolition at the meeting; rather, it recorded the matter, requested a formal application and flagged the case for a hearing if one is filed. The commission said it will follow up with the building department and provide guidance on procedure changes so future demolition-permit requests route through the commission when required.
