Historic District Commission weighs shutter, siding details on Cottage Street homes

WELLESLEY -- April 8, 2026, Wellesley Historic District Commission reviews Cottage Street applications, clarifies limits on paint authority. The commission took up certificate of appropriateness applications HDC-26-02 for 58 Cottage Street and HDC-26-03 for 28 Cottage Street at its April 8 Zoom meeting, with discussion focused on shutter color, siding and an accessory dwelling unit. A commissioner cautioned that a dark-shuttered secondary structure paired with a yellowish main house should "try to not call attention to itself." Asked whether the panel could regulate paint, a member responded, "We don't have jurisdiction over paint colors, but we would over windows and window styles." The applicant described vertical tongue-and-groove skirting below exterior stairs and a separate utility service routed from Cottage Street or Wildwood.