As dirt was piled on top of frozen ground, destined to be “broken” for a project that had been declared done before any consultation with the public, and as distraction-upon-distraction was thrown at residents on anĀ evening utterly overloaded with City meetings, a group of young(ish) professionals were told they do not belong here.

Without an inspection being conducted, residents of 68 Scarborough Street received a cease-and-desist order last year because their definition of family does not mesh with that of those living around them.

Last night, while many were indulging in the excesses of Mardi Gras, the Zoning Board of Appeals unanimously decided to not grant a variance to those living as a family unit in the West End mansion that had sat vacant for years before they moved in.

If you want to allow your gardener to live on your property, that is perfectly acceptable, Hartford. But if you want to eat together as a family and run a household with a chore chart, you must remain within the limits created in another era.

The family’s lawyer will file an appeal.

CORRECTION: The ZBA was not meeting to decide a variance, but on appeal.