At a recent meeting in Bar Mills regarding listing the village in the National Register of Historic Places, it was claimed by a consultant for the local historical society that individual rights will not be limited by such a listing. Contrary to this emphatic statement, it appears that many homeowners in the Bar Mills village may already be in violation of the Buxton Zoning Ordinance.

Section 10.15 of the ordinance restricts soil disturbance or structural development within or adjacent to the Bar Mills village.

Any proposed development involving structural development or soil disturbance on or adjacent to sites listed on, or eligible to be listed by, the National Registry of Historic Places or the Buxton/Hollis Historical Society, or listed in the Comprehensive Plan shall be submitted by the applicant to the Maine Historic Preservation Commission and the Buxton/Hollis Historic Society for review and comment at least 20 days prior to action being taken by the Planning Board. The Planning Board shall consider comments received from the Commission and Society prior to rendering a decision on the application.

Article 10 is the "General Requirements" article and applies to all modifications of property. This section, 10.15, extends influence over private property to the Maine Historic Preservation Commission and the Buxton/Hollis Historic Society. Bar Mills Village on both the Hollis and Buxton Sides of the Saco River have already been determined to qualify for listing.

It remains to be seen if recent renovations of homes in the village will lead to fines or demands for property to be returned to its previous state.