Six zoning amendments slated for ballot in March

Friday, January 27, 2012

Bedford voters will see six zoning amendments on their 2012 ballot when they go to the town polls in March.

The Planning Board approved that these amendments be added to the ballot following a public hearing at the BCTV meeting room on Monday.

Bedford residents and local business owners made up the 11 attendees speaking for or against the changes proposed.

The approved amendments are:

• Amendment 1 would rename the U.S. Route 3 Corridor Performance Zoning District to the Performance Zoning District to make it possible to use its criteria in other parts of town (approved for the ballot by a 6-0 board vote).

• Amendment 2 would create a new Commercial-2 zone for three lots that make up the commercial zone where a Market Basket is proposed at the intersection of Route 114 and Donald Street Extension. The district would have all of the standards and requirements as the commercial district, except the 40,000-square-foot building footprint limitation (approved 4-2).

• Amendment 3 would create a new River Corridor Smart Growth Overlay District as proposed in the Master Plan (approved 6-0).

• Amendment 4 would create a projecting sign category and allow most businesses to have up to an 8 square-foot projecting sign.

The amendment was developed as a result of the proposed architects building on Bedford Center Road which had proposed a projecting sign preferred by the Historic District Commission and Planning Board over a standard building sign, but was not permitted (approved 6-0).

• Amendment 5 would eliminate the need for below-grade tanks to meet the structure setback requirements. They still wouldn’t be allowed within the 50-foot wetland setback (approved 6-0).

• Amendment 6 would remove the Commercial District along Route 101 from the Historic District (approved 6-0).

Per state law, the final form of all proposed zoning amendments must be placed on file in the town clerk’s office by Feb. 7.

Bedford voters will face the amendments, along with candidates for town offices, when they go to the Town Meeting polls March 13.

– MARYALICE GILL