At its meeting on January 5, the Bedford Planning Board continued to review a range of competing ideas for the geographic extent of an MBTA Communities zoning district to recommend to Town Meeting. After extensive discussion, as well as receipt of tax revenue analysis and further input from members of the public, the Board selected the following areas with majority support:
Depot/Loomis/Great Road area:
A 10.6 acre area comprising properties on Railroad Ave. and Commercial Ave. (in the Commercial district)
135 South Road (Cranberry Hill office building)
122 and 124 South Road (small business properties across the road)
110 South Road, 80 Loomis Street and former VFW building parcel (small parcels at Depot Park to achieve contiguity)
A 10 acre strip along south side of Loomis Street connecting across to commercial properties on south side of Great Road (between Loomis and Webber)
200 Great Road ("Auto parts plaza")
Shawsheen West area:
281 Great Road (funeral home) and adjacent house at 277 Great Road
Alfred Circle - all seven properties with Alfred Circle addresses (excludes ones on corners of Wiggins Ave.)
Shawsheen East area:
Mead property at 30-32 Shawsheen Ave. and smaller properties between it and corner of Shawsheen Road (within Great Road/Shawsheen business district)
Plaza hotel at 340 Great Road
Next steps will be to create new maps and enter these areas in the Compliance Model, testing them with potential zoning parameters such as minimum setbacks, maximum height and parking requirements.
We hope to have maps available early next week. Consultants RKG Associates will assist with compliance testing, development of parameters and bylaw language.