If a cross section of Bedford citizens, property owners and business operators were asked what they felt were the two or three most critical issues facing the town in the coming years, what viewpoints do you think might be expressed? More business growth to stabilize taxes? Maintaining first rate town services and schools? Better managed traffic and more pedestrian & bike options? Preserving natural resources? Enhancing the character of the town center and village areas? Promoting better retail development?...and much more. A Comprehensive Plan aspires to identify such issues and figure out goals, strategies and actions that address the resulting needs.

Ideally updated every ten years, a comprehensive or master plan is both a broad vision and a more detailed blueprint to guide growth and development, capital investment and other public policy needs in the local community. Bedford is in the midst of doing a complete update of its 2002 Plan (CP).

 
Structured around a public participation process, the Planning Board held a well-attended first workshop at town hall on Saturday, March 3, covering the topics of land use, economic development, transportation and housing. The second workshop is scheduled for Saturday, May 12 and will cover natural resources and open space; cultural and historic resources; services, facilities and recreation; and will introduce aspects of energy as well. A third workshop is targeted for September. In 2011, this participation was preceded by a series of one-on-one discussions between the Planning Board and nine key boards and committees to understand their take on the issues and needs for the next 10 years and beyond. The Planning Board is also considering the appointment of an advisory committee this spring to assist in the process.

The CP in Bedford is being done mostly in-house, using professional planning staff. To supplement this effort, there is a small consulting appropriation of $24,900 included, passed by annual town meeting 2012. A planning services contractor will be hired to help write some of the CP chapters in the latter stages of the project. The Request for Proposals was issued on April 6 and proposals are due April 27; a contract will be signed no later than June 30.

The staff work on the CP, under the supervision of the Planning Board, is producing the following: written sets of goals and strategies from the public participation process; extensive statistical and graphic data on all aspects of Bedford: demographic characteristics; income and housing; land use, growth and development; governmental operations and facilities, geographic information systems mapping and other customary comprehensive plan information. A good deal of this work has been done already or is underway or being refined.