Editor’s Note: This article was updated at the request of the author.
Last November 21, 2019, at a BARC/Town Tree Meeting, the Facilities Department and DPW requested permission from the Tree Warden to remove trees in the wooded lot in front of the John Glenn Middle School. The project was primarily to improve the safety of Rail Road Ave., where the lot enters and exists, and also to upgrade the parking lot and existing paths for ADA-compliance. The plan was a modification of one originally proposed at a meeting on July 9, 2019 that required substantial tree removal..
The revised November proposal was an improvement over the original. Still, many residents, who attended the meeting on short notice, felt the revision still intruded on the small wooded lot enough to substantially degrade the existing healthy, biodiverse environment. They and the members of BARC requested changes that would accomplish the goals of the project without causing as much damage to the environment. After much give and take, most left feeling the outline of a compromise had been achieved.
Recently, as construction started on the revised parking lot, it was determined that some trees that were originally going to be impacted would not be, but that others would be. Therefore, the proponent felt it was appropriate to present the revision to a continuation of the Town Tree Meeting.
The remote BARC meeting will be conducted as a town Zoom Webinar Wednesday, June 10, 2020, beginning at 12 p.m. noon. The Public can request an invitation at some point on Monday, when the meeting will be posted on the Town of Bedford website, on the home page under “agenda” and/or “calendar” and possibly on the Arbor Resource page, as well. Director of DPW David Manugian will be the Facilitator. BARC members, the Panelists, can speak at will. BARC committee chair, Jacqueline Edwards, will run the meeting. Members of the Public will be able to request approval to speak from the Facilitator. The Town Tree meeting will begin shortly after noon. All Bedford residents are welcome.