Submitted by the Town of Bedford
At their meeting on September 18, 2017, the Bedford Selectmen approved the charge for a new ad hoc Community Gardens Study Taskforce. The Task Force is charged with determining the feasibility of improving and/or expanding community gardens at the Jordan Conservation area and/or evaluating other Town-owned properties, such as 350A Concord Road, as possible locations to develop new community gardens appropriate for growing food.
An environmental engineering consultant will be hired by the Town and funded with a Community Preservation appropriation to support this work. As needed, the consultant will conduct field survey, wetland delineation, soil testing and any environmental permitting required to either expand the existing site or develop a new site.
In collaboration with Town staff and consultants, the Taskforce will gather broad public input from residents, staff, and members of the local workforce/business community, through surveys and public workshops, in order to determine the level of interest in participation in community gardens, assess the needs and desires of both users and non-users of the current community gardens, and document any other ideas for complementary uses on Town-owned agricultural land such as Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), a tree nursery for Town use, etc.
The Taskforce will:
- compile the results of the public input process and provide a summary report to the Selectmen and Community Preservation Committee
- review, analyze and recommend options and actions to the Conservation Commission and the Selectmen
- evaluate a list of potential sites provided by staff (not limited to Conservation land), determining the advantages and disadvantages of each, including accessibility, cost, abutter impacts, etc.
Further, if a new community garden site is recommended, the Taskforce will:
- determine the funding needs and potential funding sources for the construction and ongoing maintenance of a community garden at the recommended location
- assist with the development of any applications for public or private funding grants necessary to support the project
- make recommendations for an administrative structure for management of the community garden, and develop regulations as needed
The Taskforce will be comprised of 7 members, appointed by the Selectmen and including representation from various relevant committees, groups, and residents, as follows:
- 1 Conservation Commission representative
- 1 Selectmen representative
- 1 Planning Board representative
- 4 At-Large members, including current users of the Jordan Conservation Area Community Gardens, Conservation Land Stewards, members of the Garden Club, other local gardeners, etc.
The Taskforce will continue in existence until such time that any required funding for improvements to the existing Community Garden or the establishment and construction of a new Community Garden is approved, or shall cease to exist in the event that the Selectmen determine that the objectives of the Taskforce have been met. Applications can be found on the VCC page of the Bedford Town Website.
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