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Historical commission fines property owner after ignored violation notice; status hearing set for Aug. 6
Summary
Following repeated unsuccessful outreach, the commission voted to impose a $200‑per‑day fine for seven days on 6 Ashland Street under Massachusetts General Laws with a status hearing scheduled for August 6; staff reported two other properties are cooperating and pursuing retroactive approval.
Staff reported three outstanding violation notices and said the owner of 6 Ashland Street has stopped responding to repeated requests for retroactive approval for unpermitted work, including the construction of a side staircase and an apparent new egress. "We reached out to them repeatedly... they stopped communicating with us," staff said.
Commissioners discussed enforcement options, citing the local demo‑delay fine of $300 per day and the alternative under Mass. Gen. Laws Chapter 40, which allows a range between $10 and $500 per day. After weighing precedent concerns and the owner's nonprofit status (the property is held by Pleasant Street Baptist Church), the commission voted to issue a fine of $200 per day for seven days under Mass. Gen. Laws Chapter 40, with a status hearing scheduled for the commission’s meeting on August 6 to reassess compliance.
Staff said the other two violation notices (1 Irving Street and 244 Pleasant Street) are being addressed: both owners have submitted or are preparing retroactive applications and staff reported responsive engagement from those property owners.
Why it matters: The action signals the commission’s use of administrative fines to enforce local preservation rules when owners ignore notice and provides a near-term deadline for compliance while preserving the option to escalate fines if noncompliance continues.
