HDC Application Procedures

WARNING: FRAUD ALERT REGARDING FAKE APPLICATION FEE REQUESTS

The Town of Concord is aware of fraudulent emails and texts targeting applicants that have current applications with the Planning Board, Board of Appeals and Historic Districts Commission requesting additional application fee payments. The Town of Concord Planning Division does not send invoices for application fees. All legitimate application fees are received in person at the time the application is submitted. Town staff does not correspond with applicants via text. Any correspondence from town staff will be sent from an email address ending with @concordma.gov.

If you have received a suspicious email or text or have any questions about application fees, please contact the Town of Concord Planning Division directly at (978) 318-3290 or planningdivision@concordma.gov.


EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1ST 2026

New application fees for Planning Board, Board of Appeals, Historic Districts Commission and Historical Commission. Click HERE to review fee changes.

For proposed projects within Concord's Historic Districts, Applicants should review the Concord HDC Design Guidelines.

Applications can be dropped off in person to the Planning Division at 141 Keyes Road during regular business hours. We also have an outside drop box available during other times. If you utilize the drop box, please contact us to let us know.

You will need to submit 1 hard copy of the Application (below) and supporting documentation, the Legal Ad Form (below), the fee of $25.00, and a flash drive containing all materials and plans.

If you have any questions regarding the current application process, please email HDC staff. 

Application Materials

  1. HDC Application
  2. Legal Ad Form
  3. HDC Continue Public Hearing and Review Extension Request
  4. HDC Withdrawal Request
  5. HDC COA Extension Request Form
  6. New Construction Policy Apr2015
  7. CHC-HDC Application Fees - effective 1-1-26

Preparing for Historic Districts Commission Hearings

The Historic Districts Commission (HDC) is a volunteer board of Concord residents appointed by the Board of Selectmen to implement the Concord Historic Districts Act. (The HDC recommends that applicants read the Act and the Concord HDC Design Guidelines.) The HDC members expertise may include architecture, design, law, and the experience of having lived in a historic home or a historic district.

The HDC is allowed to rule only on whether an exterior change is appropriate for a historic district. The Act does not allow the HDC to consider factors such as privacy, safety, or convenience in its hearing and decisions; to do otherwise is a violation of the authority of the HDC as set forth in the Act. Rather, the HDC must consider architectural significance, historical significance, general design, material, size, massing, shape in relation to its site, its surroundings, and to existing buildings and their arrangement, and how the changes affect landscaping. Decisions are made on a case-by-case basis. (e.g. A structure that was approved by the 1973 or 1984 HDC may not be approved by today’s HDC.)

The HDC is directed by Section 9 of the Act to consider the following in hearings:

  • The historical and literary value and significance of the site or building.
  • The design, arrangement, texture, material and color of the features involved, and the relation of these factors to similar factors in the immediate surroundings
  • The size and shape of the building or structure in relation to the land on which the building is sited, the landscaping and plantings proposed, and neighboring sites or building in the district.
  • The applicable zoning and other by-laws of the Town.

The applicant should consider the following when preparing for a hearing:

  • How does the proposed design harmonize with other structures in the district?
  • Does the propose structure, fence, or sign reflect what was available and typically found in and around the areas of Concord’s historic districts during the 18th and 19th century?
  • For a historic building, are original materials and designs to be preserved?
  • For additions, is the original building still the dominant design element and dominant mass of the structure as a whole?
  • Will the proposed alterations make future restoration to a more appropriate style more difficult?
  • How prominent is the structure in the streetscape or the historic district?