New Town Manager Sarah Stanton Visits Carleton-Willard Village

By Helen Chipman and Meredith McCulloch

Town Manager Sarah Stanton – Courtesy image (c) all rights reserved

Sarah Stanton, Bedford’s new Town Manager, was warmly greeted at Carleton Willard Village where the Civics Issues group hosted her on February 5.  She talked about her new job and answered questions from a large gathering of residents. Stanton came to Bedford in October 2018.  Previously she served as the Budget Director for the City of Cambridge, MA. She has a Masters in Public Administration. She noted that she was used to the sometimes loud and chaotic atmosphere in Cambridge but has had to adjust to the quiet in Bedford.

A first question was about the intersection of Old Billerica Road and Route 62 which has been a problem with difficult turns and traffic backup. The intent of recent changes was to slow traffic and increase safety. Stanton said there had not been a public hearing before the changes and that it was done “in a bubble.” A consultant is studying the intersection and hopes to suggest alterations in April or May, after public review. The current situation is not considered dangerous by traffic safety professionals. She went on to say that the economy is good, generating more traffic. “Bedford is a perfect cut-through, particularly on Old Billerica Road.”

She reported on the abandoned hangar near Hanscom Field. The bids are closed now, but the name of the high bidder will not be disclosed for 30 days.   Bedford had rezoned the parcel date last summer to exert some control over the use of the property and to prevent a use that would further increase traffic. [Since Stanton spoke, the Attorney General has rejected the rezoning.  The Selectmen are discussing next steps if any.]

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Stanton noted that Bedford industry has a concentration of burgeoning medical and life sciences firms. There is no room for new large office parks, but even though there is a high occupancy rate, some parcels are available. She praised the work of Bedford’s Economic Development Director Alyssa Sandoval.

She went on to say that conservation is a high priority in the face of more development, calling Elizabeth Bagdonas, Bedford’s conservation administrator, a “stalwart enforcer” of the conservation laws.

Stanton encouraged residents to stay for all of the March 25 Annual Town Meeting articles and ticked through issues on the warrant including a by-law change for restaurants over 5,000 square feet, a revolving fund for an upcoming anniversary celebration, a deferred tax plan for the elderly, and establishment of a commission on disabilities.

She saw pressing issues for the town related to growth; for example, there is a need for a larger police force due to growth. She wants to support civic engagement, especially with regard to encouraging our increasingly ethnically diverse population to participate in meetings of boards and committees.

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