TL;DR: Not a hearing, but usually a form. Foxborough's one local historic district, the Baker Street District, runs under Chapter 145 of the town's bylaw, and section 145-10A(4) takes "the color of paint" out of the Historic District Commission's review. The commission's own guidance still lists a paint color change as a Certificate of Non-Applicability item, and asks owners to apply before work starts. The commission decides within 14 days of the filing date whether an application falls under its review. A same-color repaint is ordinary maintenance and needs no certificate.
Repainting a house on or near Baker Street? Call or text Dave at (774) 217-9567. We will help you sort out what needs a certificate before the scaffolding goes up.
Here is the call we get. An owner in the Baker Street District has read that paint color is exempt in Foxborough and wants to go from white to a deep red this fall. Both halves of what they heard are true: the color is not reviewed, and there is still a piece of paper. This page explains why, how the certificate works, and where the line sits between a paint job and an alteration that does need a hearing.
What does Foxborough's bylaw say about paint color?
The bylaw excludes paint color from the commission's purview in plain words. Section 145-10A lists seven exclusions, and two of them are about color: "(4) The color of paint." and "(5) The color of materials used on roofs."
Foxborough adopted the district under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 40C, the state's local historic district law. The bylaw is Chapter 145 of the town code, and the town's bylaw names a single district area: the Baker Street District, with boundaries set by a map titled "Baker Street Local Historic District Map dated May 2021." The appendix that names it was last amended at the May 8, 2023 Annual Town Meeting.
Two more lines in the same section matter for painting:
- Section 145-10B says that "upon request, the Commission shall issue a certificate of nonapplicability" for work in any excluded category, which includes a color change.
- Section 145-10C says nothing in the bylaw prevents "the ordinary maintenance, repair or replacement" of an exterior feature that "does not involve a change in design, material or the outward appearance thereof." A repaint in the existing color fits that description.
Excluding color is common in Massachusetts. The Massachusetts Historical Commission's guide to establishing local historic districts lists paint color among the "typical exemptions from review."
If color is exempt, why is there still a certificate?
Because the commission, not the owner, confirms that work falls outside its review, and the certificate of non-applicability is how it says so in writing. The bylaw issues one on request; the commission's guidance treats a color change as a standard certificate item.
The Foxborough Historic District Commission page says it is "the owner's responsibility to submit a completed application to the Commission to start the review process prior to commencing any work." Under "Typical items that are issued a Certificate of Non-Applicability," the first line is "Color of paint or color of roofing materials." The same page says a certificate of non-applicability is issued "without the public hearing."
So the practical answer for a new color is: file the application, describe the work as a color change only, and expect a certificate of non-applicability rather than a hearing. For a repaint in the color the house already has, the bylaw's maintenance language covers you. If you are unsure which side your job falls on, the application settles it.
How long does a certificate of non-applicability take?
Up to 14 days from the filing date for the commission to decide whether your application involves anything it reviews. When it does not, the bylaw says the certificate of non-applicability issues "forthwith."
The detail that catches people is when the clock starts. The commission's guidance says "the filing date is the date of the next regularly scheduled Commission meeting when the Commission determines your application is acceptable." Dropping the form at the Town Clerk's office on a Monday does not start the clock that Monday. It starts at the next meeting where the application is accepted.
That matters in October. Exterior paint needs the right temperature and dew point to cure, and the workable season in our area usually ends in mid to late fall, as covered in the fall exterior painting cutoff. If you want a new color on a Baker Street house before winter, file as early as you can. For a spring job, filing in winter takes the paperwork off the critical path.
What parts of a paint job do need a Certificate of Appropriateness?
Anything that changes design, material or outward appearance beyond color. The commission page lists "installing new siding, trim or shutters" and "replacing or installing outside lighting, doors, windows, stairs, gutters or railings" as typical Certificate of Appropriateness items.
A paint job turns into one of those more often than owners expect:
- Replacing rotted trim with a different profile or a different material, such as a synthetic board in place of wood.
- Adding or removing shutters as part of a new color scheme.
- Replacing a front door while the painters are there. Storm doors and screen doors are a separate case; section 145-10A(3) excludes them.
- Removing trim or porch details rather than repairing them.
Those go through a public hearing, which the bylaw requires within 45 days of filing, with notice posted at least 14 days before it. The commission then has 60 days from filing to issue a certificate or a disapproval, unless the applicant agrees in writing to more time. If any of that is in your scope, split it out on the application so the color part can move on its own.
How does Foxborough compare with Medfield and Hopkinton?
Foxborough sits in the middle. Color is exempt, as in Medfield, but the commission still issues paperwork for it, and it is nowhere near as strict as Hopkinton Center.
- Medfield exempts "color or type of paint or roofing" in section 150-7A(4) and asks to be consulted in an advisory capacity. See Medfield's historic district paint rule.
- Hopkinton exempts color in the Center and 76 Main Street districts only when a house is repainted "the then color or white." Any other new color goes before the commission. See Hopkinton's historic district color rules.
- Foxborough excludes color from review in section 145-10A(4) but routes a color change through a certificate of non-applicability.
One more distinction. A local district under Chapter 40C is different from a National Register listing, which places no restrictions on a private owner's paint unless federal funding or permits are involved. The statewide picture is in our guide to historic district paint approval in Massachusetts.
Most Foxborough homes are outside the Baker Street lines altogether. The town's median year built is 1976, and 54.7 percent of homes were built before 1980, 42.8 percent before 1970, per American Community Survey 2020 to 2024 estimates. On a house that old, inside the district or not, prep under the 1978 lead paint line matters more to the job than the certificate does. The rules are in our Massachusetts lead paint guide.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need approval to change my house color in Foxborough's historic district?
No review of the color itself is required, because section 145-10A(4) of the town's bylaw excludes the color of paint, but the commission's guidance lists a color change as a Certificate of Non-Applicability item to apply for before work starts.
Can I repaint my Baker Street house the same color without a certificate?
Yes, section 145-10C of the town's bylaw protects ordinary maintenance that does not change design, material or outward appearance, and repainting in the existing color does not change outward appearance.
How long does Foxborough's Historic District Commission take on a paint color application?
The commission must decide within 14 days of the filing date whether an application involves features it reviews, and the filing date is the next regular meeting at which the application is accepted.
Is there a public hearing for a paint color change in Foxborough?
No, the commission's guidance says a Certificate of Non-Applicability is issued without the public hearing, and paint color is on its list of typical non-applicability items.
What exterior work in the Baker Street District needs a Certificate of Appropriateness?
New siding, trim or shutters, and replacing doors, windows, stairs, gutters, railings or outside lighting are typical Certificate of Appropriateness items, which go to a public hearing within 45 days of filing.
The bottom line
In Foxborough's Baker Street District, the color is your decision and the certificate is a formality, but it is a formality the commission expects before the first coat. Same color is maintenance. A new color is a certificate of non-applicability. New trim, shutters, doors or windows are a Certificate of Appropriateness and a hearing. File early enough that the 14-day determination does not collide with the fall cutoff. For everything else about painting in town, start at our Foxborough painters page.
Paint Pro New England has painted homes across Foxborough, Walpole, Norfolk, Franklin and the rest of our 18 towns since 2011, with Benjamin Moore and Sherwin-Williams, fully insured, with a 2-year warranty on our work. See exterior painting in Foxborough and power washing in Foxborough, or call (774) 217-9567 and we will help you put the color scheme and the application together.
Dave Griffiths
Dave Griffiths is the owner of Paint Pro New England, a professional painting company serving MetroWest Boston since 2011. With 15+ years of interior and exterior painting experience across the region, he leads every project with thorough prep, premium Benjamin Moore and Sherwin-Williams paints, and a 2-year warranty.
