The Scarborough Street family is a group of friends made up of three couples (two of them with children) and two individuals, who pooled their money and bought a home this past summer in the wealthy West End section of Hartford, Connecticut. They consider themselves one big happy family. They share a bank account, share expenses, and take turns doing the things one does in a home. Unfortunately, the other residents of the West End do not like this non-traditional family. First you let in a non-traditional family and the next thing you know … you know.
But West End residents have argued that the nontraditional household violates the neighborhood's highly restrictive zoning code for single-family homes. The household is made up of two couples with children, a couple with no children and two individuals, and the city's decades-old code for single family-homes for that neighborhood allows for no more than two individuals to live together if they are not related by blood, marriage, civil union or adoption.
Fair enough. Except, not really. It turns out it does not really matter how many people live in a home in the West End. Frankly, they do not need to be family either. Part of the “zoning” law is that an unlimited number of live-in domestic servants are allowed to live in an given household. Surprise!
"Our position is that the definition in the regulations is unconstitutional," said the residents' attorney, Peter Goselin. "If the 11 people who reside at 68 Scarborough was a couple with two kids and a passel of servants we wouldn't be having this discussion. My clients have less of a right to live there than a maid, gardener or butler."
Unfortunately for now the city of Hartford’s Zoning Board of Appeals voted unanimously to uphold the cease and desist order that could dissolve this family, yesterday.
All of the adult members of the Scarborough Street household, who have known each other for many years, told the board about their desire to live together, buying the house after considering other options such as purchasing a multifamily home or houses on the same street and how the group functions as a real family and is committed to Hartford.
The group includes two Hartford public school teachers, a professor at Capital Community College, employees for Charter Oak Cultural Center and the Wheeler Clinic, and a stay-at-home dad.
City council members David MacDonald and Larry Deutsch spoke up for the family at the meeting to no avail. The family has avowed to appeal this decision in court. I’m going to guess the next step for this community is to begin building a bigger wall, right?