By Kim Siebert MacPhail
At the Special Town Meeting on Monday, November 4, Planning Board Chair Jeff Cohen will present a status update about Bedford’s latest 10-year Comprehensive Plan, now nearing completion. The Plan’s working title—“The Bedford We Want: Shaping Our Future” –is the latest in a series of periodic community self-evaluations that provide a way to explore community issues or “elements” including land use, natural and cultural resources, economic development, transportation, housing, and services and facilities. The Comprehensive Plan is a “data base documenting conditions in the town”; it inventories and evaluates both “man-made and natural assets and systems.”
The Planning Board began the Comprehensive Plan process in the spring of 2011 when it held discussions with town boards, committees and departments. The following spring, two public workshops were convened so that residents could provide input and direction. Later in 2012, an ad hoc committee totaling 18 members was formed to take the process to the next level and the plan was drafted and reviewed in open Planning Board meetings. Between July and October 2013, the six elements were fully redrafted; action plans were added and reviewed as well.
As the Plan enters the final stages prior to adoption, it will be posted on the Town website and a link will published on the Planning Board’s Facebook page [https://www.facebook.com/BedfordMAPlan]. Dates for the written comment period will be provided at that time. Public comment will also be welcome at two Planning Board meetings, dates to be determined, during which the Plan will be finalized.
Members of the ad hoc Comprehensive Plan Committee include Stephen Carluccio from the Finance Committee; David Cormier and Suzanne Koller from the Chamber of Commerce; Jaci Edwards from the Arbor Resource Committee; Suzy Enos from the Energy Task Force; Terry Gleason from the Bicycle Advisory Committee; Tom Kinzer from the Board of Health; Brian O’Donnell from Transportation Advisory; Mike Oleksinski and Sam Petrecca, Citizens-at-Large; Carla Olsen from Healthy Bedford; Mark Siegenthaler from the Selectmen; and the five members of the Planning Board: Jeff Cohen, Sandra Hackman, Shawn Hanegan, Amy Lloyd and Lisa Mustapich.
Former Planning Board members Margot Fleischman, Janet Powers and Jon Silver participated during the initial stages and the comprehensive plan process has been facilitated by Planning Office staff, Director Glenn Garber; Assistant Planner Catherine Perry; and Administrative Assistant Cathy Silvestrone.
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