By Dot Bergin
At a second public hearing on January 31, the Planning Board worked for more than three hours on recrafting the text of the Great Road Rezoning Bylaw (Section 22, Great Road District) The Board again took comments from residents who wished to speak, although the number who turned out was less than at the first public hearing. Members of RKG, the consultants involved in reviewing and writing the proposed bylaw, were also there to work with the Board.
Because many residents have expressed concern about building height in the four subdistricts that make up the Great Road corridor, the Board spent much of the evening reviewing “the numbers” for each subdistrict, to arrive at a workable plan that would allay fears about towering structures along Bedford’s main thoroughfare. The Board was sensitive to oft-expressed fears that the proposed zoning would change the small-town character of Bedford.
A revised version of the proposed bylaw is now posted on the Planning Board’s web pages. Click https://www.bedfordma.gov/sites/bedfordma/files/news/great_road_4th_draft.pdf to read it.
The Board hopes to wrap up this bylaw at a final public hearing on February 6, beginning about 7:35 pm, and to decide if the final article should be included in the Warrant for the March 26 Annual Town Meeting. As Board member Amy Lloyd has said at the public hearings, the proposed changes will not immediately impact property owners. No one will need to “conform” at the present time but when buildings age and come up for redevelopment, the zoning will take effect. This proposed rezoning looks five, 10, 20 years down the road.
Board member Cindy Barbehenn mentioned that the graphic presentation delineating the four subdistricts – Shawsheen, Marketplace, Center, and North Road – has now been viewed many times. Click this link for this informative presentation: https://sway.com/KgHt4V3HIpB6EXXz?ref=email&loc=play
Pine Hill Crossing Overlay District
At one point during the lengthy meeting, the Board closed the public hearing and temporarily tabled the Great Road discussion in order to take a final vote on the proposed Section 21 of the Bylaws, now termed Pine Hill Crossing Overlay District. The vote was unanimous in favor of recommending the Bylaw to the Selectmen for inclusion in the Warrant for the March 26 Annual Town meeting.
As readers of The Citizen know, this issue has received a full review by various boards, with many residents making their voices heard and their suggested changes incorporated in the article.
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