Conn. Gen. Stat. » Title 07 — MUNICIPALITIES · Chapter 97a — Historic Districts and Historic Properties
Connecticut General Statutes

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 7-147e (2026)

Application for certificate. Hearing. Approval

✓ current as of May 2026
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(a) The historic district commission shall hold a public hearing upon each application for a certificate of appropriateness unless the commission determines that such application involves items not subject to approval by the commission. The commission shall fix a reasonable time and place for such hearing. Notice of the time and place of such hearing shall be given by publication in the form of a legal advertisement appearing in a newspaper having a substantial circulation in the municipality not more than fifteen days nor less than five days before such hearing.

(b) Unless otherwise provided by ordinance, a majority of the members of the commission shall constitute a quorum and the concurring vote of a majority of the members of the commission shall be necessary to issue a certificate of appropriateness. Within not more than sixty-five days after the filing of an application as required by section 7-147d, the commission shall pass upon such application and shall give written notice of its decision to the applicant. When a certificate of appropriateness is denied, the commission shall place upon its records and in the notice to the applicant the reasons for its determination, which shall include the bases for its conclusion that the proposed activity would not be appropriate. In the notice to the applicant the commission may make recommendations relative to design, arrangement, texture, material and similar features. The commission may issue a certificate of appropriateness with stipulations. Evidence of approval, as referred to in section 7-147d, shall be by certificate of appropriateness issued by the commission. Failure of the commission to act within said sixty-five days shall constitute approval and no other evidence of approval shall be needed.

(1961, P.A. 430, S. 5, 7; 1969, P.A. 37; P.A. 73-473, S. 2; P.A. 80-314, S. 5; P.A. 86-105, S. 3.)

History: 1969 act changed deadline for commission action in Subsec. (a) from 60 to 120 days; P.A. 73-473 specified parking as well as exterior architectural features as concern of certificate of appropriateness; P.A. 80-314 deleted reference specifying parking or exterior architectural features, changed number of times notice to appear in newspaper from seven to two and add specific time requirements, deleted requirement that commission record applications and activities and deleted former Subsec. (b) and placed in new Subsec. (b) procedure for action on application, changing deadline for action to 65 days, adding provisions re quorum, voting and denial of application or issuance with stipulations; P.A. 86-105 reduced newspaper notice requirements to one publication and provided that the bases for commission's determination shall be included in any notice of denial of certificate of appropriateness.

Cited. 153 C. 160; 171 C. 199; 189 C. 727; 196 C. 596.

Subsec. (a):

Failure to republish notice of continuance of a hearing in newspaper did not violate Subsec. 49 CS 498.

Subsec. (b):

In appeal from a decision by historic district commission, reviewing courts are limited to determining whether reason or reasons stated by commission are supported by substantial evidence in the record. 285 C. 755.

Although commission mailed notice of denial of the application to applicant 68 days after filing of the application, applicant was not entitled to automatic approval of the application on that basis since commission had acted within 65 days after filing of the application and applicant had actual notice of the commission's decision. 108 CA 682.

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Notes of Decisions
Cited in 7 cases (1 in the last 5 years), 1983–2026 · leading case: Felician Sisters of St. Francis of Connecticut, Inc. v. Historic Dist. Comm'n, 937 A.2d 39 (Conn. 2008).
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Felician Sisters of St. Francis of Connecticut, Inc. v. Historic Dist. Comm'n, 937 A.2d 39 (Conn. 2008). · cites it 4× “Following a public hearing held pursuant to General Statutes § 7-147e 9 on July 28,2004, the defendant’s five members *844 voted unanimously to deny the plaintiffs’ application on the ground that it did not qualify for a certificate of appropriateness under General Statutes §…”
Barry v. Historic Dist. Comm'n, 950 A.2d 1 (Conn. App. Ct. 2008). · cites it 7× “The plaintiff filed a cross appeal, claiming that the court *684 improperly determined (1) that her application was not automatically approved when the commission failed to comply with the time requirements set forth in General Statutes § 7-147e (b) and (2) that the recused…”
Gibbons v. Historic Dist. Comm'n, 941 A.2d 917 (Conn. 2008). · cites it 2× “” General Statutes § 7-147e (b). Prior to this decision, we had not expressly held that the law governing the scope of review in appeals from decisions of zoning commissions applies to appeals from decisions of historic district commissions.”
Chabad Lubavitch of Litchfield Cnty., Inc. v. Borough of Litchfield, 213 F. Supp. 3d 329 (D. Conn. 2016). · cites it 6× “See C.G.S.A. § 7-147e(a). These public hearings must, by law, “be recorded by a sound recording device or other appropriate means.”
Farmington Sav. Bank v. Zoning Bd. of Appeals, 458 A.2d 1151 (Conn. 1983). ““(h) The historic district commission established under section 7-147e may from time to time, by following the procedure set out in subsections (b) to (f), inclusive, of this section, suggest proposed amendments to any ordinance adopted hereunder or suggest additional ordinances…”
Barry v. Historic Dist. Comm'n, 894 A.2d 1080 (Conn. Super. Ct. 2006). · cites it 5× “” General Statutes § 7-147e (a). There is no dispute that the notice for the commencement of the hearing on January 22, 2004, was in conformity with the statute.”
Vessel RE Holdings, LLC v. Town Plan & Zoning Comm'n (Conn. App. Ct. 2026). · cites it 2× “The plaintiff filed a cross appeal, claiming that the court improperly determined that her application was not automatically approved when the commission failed to comply with the time requirements set forth in General Statutes § 7-147e (b) and that the recused commission member…”
— Conn. Gen. Stat. § 7-147e(a) — 1 case
Chabad Lubavitch of Litchfield Cnty., Inc. v. Borough of Litchfield, 213 F. Supp. 3d 329 (D. Conn. 2016). “See C.G.S.A. § 7-147e(a). These public hearings must, by law, “be recorded by a sound recording device or other appropriate means.”
— Conn. Gen. Stat. § 7-147e(b) — 1 case
Chabad Lubavitch of Litchfield Cnty., Inc. v. Borough of Litchfield, 213 F. Supp. 3d 329 (D. Conn. 2016). “See C.G.S.A. § 7-147e(a). These public hearings must, by law, “be recorded by a sound recording device or other appropriate means.”
— Conn. Gen. Stat. § 7-147e(e) — 1 case
Chabad Lubavitch of Litchfield Cnty., Inc. v. Borough of Litchfield, 213 F. Supp. 3d 329 (D. Conn. 2016). “See C.G.S.A. § 7-147e(a). These public hearings must, by law, “be recorded by a sound recording device or other appropriate means.”
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