Connecticut HB 5508: AN ACT CONCERNING HISTORIC DISTRICTS AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION.

Bill Text

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General Assembly  
Substitute Bill No. 5508  
February Session, 2026 
 
 
 
 
 
AN ACT CONCERNING HISTORIC DISTRICTS AND HISTORIC 
PRESERVATION.  
Be  it  enacted  by  the  Senate  and  House  of Representatives  in  General 
Assembly convened: 
 
Section  1.  Subsection  (a)  of  section  7-147e  of  the  general  statutes  is 1 
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 2 
1, 2026): 3 
(a) [The] A historic  district  commission  shall  hold  a  public  hearing 4 
upon  each  application  for  a  certificate  of  appropriateness  unless [the] 5 
such commission  determines  that  such  application  involves  items  not 6 
subject  to  approval  by  the  commission. [The] Any  such commission 7 
shall fix a reasonable time and place for such hearing. Notice of the time 8 
and place of such hearing shall be given by publication in the form of a 9 
legal  advertisement  appearing  in  a  newspaper  having  a  substantial 10 
circulation in the municipality not more than fifteen days nor less than 11 
five  days  before  such  hearing. Any  public  hearing  held  by  any  such 12 
commission shall be broadcast contemporaneously and continuously on 13 
an Internet web site identified in such notice. 14 
Sec.  2.  Section  7-147i  of  the  general  statutes  is  repealed  and  the 15 
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2026): 16 
Any person or persons severally or jointly aggrieved by any decision 17 

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of the historic district commission or of any officer thereof may, within 18 
fifteen  days  from  the  date  when  such  decision  was  rendered,  take  an 19 
appeal  to  the [superior  court  for  the  judicial  district  in  which  such 20 
municipality is located, which appeal shall be made returnable to such 21 
court  in  the  same  manner  as  that  prescribed  for  other  civil  actions 22 
brought to such court. Notice of such appeal shall be given by leaving a 23 
true  and  attested  copy  thereof  in  the  hands  of  or  at  the  usual  place  of 24 
abode  of  the  chairman  or  clerk  of  the  commission  within  twelve  days 25 
before the return day to which such appeal has been taken. Procedure 26 
upon such appeal shall be the same as that defined in section 8-8] zoning 27 
board of appeals in accordance with the provisions of section 8-7. 28 
Sec.  3.  Section  7-147k  of  the  general  statutes  is  repealed  and  the 29 
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2026): 30 
(a) The provisions of this part shall in no way impair the validity of 31 
any historic district previously established under any special act or the 32 
general statutes. Any and all historic districts created under the general 33 
statutes,  prior  to  October  1,  1980,  otherwise  valid  except  that  such 34 
districts,   district   study   committees,   municipalities   or   officers   or 35 
employees  thereof,  failed  to  comply  with  the  requirements  of  any 36 
general or special law, and any and all actions of such districts or historic 37 
district commission, are validated. 38 
(b) The provisions of this part shall not apply to any property owned 39 
by a nonprofit institution of higher education or state agency, as defined 40 
in subsection (g) of section 4-67g, for as long as a nonprofit institution of 41 
higher education or state agency owns such property. 42 
(c) The provisions of this part shall not apply to any property owned 43 
by a municipality, for as long as such municipality owns such property. 44 
In lieu of the requirements of this part, any municipality that intends to 45 
erect  or  alter  a  building  or  structure  within  an  historic  district  shall 46 
submit  to  the  historic  district  commission  (1)  any  plans,  elevations, 47 
specifications  and  materials  pertaining  to  such  erection  or  alteration, 48 
and  (2)  if  such  plan  involves  demolition  or  removal  of  a  building  or 49 

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structure, a statement of the proposed condition and appearance of such 50 
property after such demolition or removal. Not later than sixty-five days 51 
after such submission, the commission shall issue a nonbinding opinion 52 
of the appropriateness of such erection or alteration, which may include 53 
recommendations    concerning    the    design,    arrangement,    texture, 54 
material  and  similar  features  of  such  erection  or  alteration.  If  the 55 
commission  determines  such  erection  or  alteration  is  not  appropriate, 56 
such opinion shall include the bases for such determination. 57 
Sec.  4.  Section  10-416c  of  the  general  statutes  is  repealed  and  the 58 
following  is  substituted  in  lieu  thereof  (Effective  July  1,  2026,  and 59 
applicable to taxable years commencing on or after January 1, 2027): 60 
(a) As  used  in  this  section,  the  followi