Selectmen Consider Petition to Rezone a Portion of Bedford Marketplace

By Meredith McCulloch

SelectmenA new petitioner’s article for the Special Town Meeting warrant came to the Selectmen Monday night just before final action on the November 2 warrant. The article would change the zoning of part of the Bedford Marketplace property from Limited Business to General Business, putting the whole property under General Business zoning.  Limited Business requires a 2000 square foot limit on floor size.  The rezoning request came from the owner, though neither the owner nor his attorney was available to answer questions.

Currently the parcel is divided, with a General Business zone to the rear and Limited Business adjacent to the Great Road.  In a Bedford Citizen article last June, editor Julie Turner described the Marketplace zoning:

Imagine an arbitrary line that runs parallel to The Great Road and bisects the parking lot at the Marketplace Shopping Center. Behind the line? The Town’s General Business zone, where there are no size limits on retail stores, and multiple uses are allowed. In front of the line, Bedford’s Limited Business zone caps retail store size at 2,000 square feet with fewer allowable uses.

During the discussion, the Selectmen were concerned about the last minute nature of the request and the limited time available for the Planning Department to evaluate the request and for the Planning Board to hold the required public hearing prior to a recommendation.

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The conclusion was to place the article on the warrant in order to give the petitioner the opportunity for a vote should the necessary steps be accomplished. The Selectman took no vote on the article, but will make their recommendation at Special Town Meeting.

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