I very much enjoy the diverse conservation land and town forest that exists in Concord. I walk frequently in these areas. I also enjoy the Beede Center, especially in cold weather when I prefer not to walk outside. I enjoy going to the playgrounds with my grandchildren, especially Rideout. I have enjoyed riding my bike on the Bruce Freeman Trail where it has been completed and am looking forward to its completion in Concord. Although I am in my eighties I still like both walking and riding my bike. I do not need to see a lot of expansion of what exists for recreational areas. I just want reassurance that they will remain available and will be maintained, leaving in place as much of the natural ecosystems as possible.

Lori Pazaris
As we look at questions of whether or not additional facilities are need for recreation, we must first consider how to expand use of existing facilities and especially the schools which the Concord community has supported through our tax dollars.

Lori Pazaris
We should preserve open space by not adding new physical 'facilities'. Facilities should only be constructed if they are a must have. Currently Concord has enough.

Joan Kennedy
As global warming and associated weather patterns change, the Town should review how best to protect its still water ponds, wetlands and vernal pools. Practices that were sufficient in the past will most likely be insufficient going forward and thus ecosystems associated with these areas will most likely be adversely impacted.

Lori Pazaris
Mobility by means other than cars is a prime need for our community. The new Bruce Freeman trail, though meant for bikes, provides shortcuts for walkers as well. Construction of more pathways to connect town centers, neighborhoods, and activities would be useful, especially if these are made of permeable or semi-permeable surfaces and shaded by deciduous trees for cooling in summer and more light in winter.

Chris Hart
The new Bruce Freeman Rail Trail (under construction) runs right past Sanborn Middle School, but has no official path to the school. It would be great if kids who rode or walked the trail to school had easier access to the school.

I think that bike trails and sidewalks that can take us from one business area to another and to all of our wonderful conservation lands and wildlife preserves are much be desired. We want these areas to be accessible; but we also want to reduce automobile traffic.

I strongly support what Lori is saying here. Our third sustainability principle alludes to the need to avoid encroachments upon nature. Climate change is a short term, huge threat to all of us; and reduction of carbon emissions by itself will not turn the tide. Preserving nature and protecting natural habitats for diverse species can actually take carbon out of the air and hold it deep within the ground. The Town needs to study this as they have studied alternative energy sources and ways to conserve on energy use.

Lori Pazaris
Increase the amount of land preserved for nature and wildlife. Land use needs to include protecting natural land and ecosystems, as well as developing it for resident use including walking paths and recreation. It's a little recognized fact that nature is a prime factor in mitigating climate change. A group of over 10 federal agencies released a draft report on climate change this summer that confirms that even if greenhouse gas emissions are eliminated now, extreme weather and climate events will be the norm by the end of the century. We are already seeing increased frequency and intensity. Concord can take pride in passing Article 51. It is time now to take strong measures to protect, maintain, and increase the vegetation and ecosystems that sequester carbon and build resilience to climate extremes. In short, it's time for some outdoor "weatherization".

I think Dorrie is on target here. When small, relatively affordable houses are replaced by huge, expensive ones, we are making Concord a less desirable and affordable place to live. This is a destructive trend that should not be allowed to continue if we mean what we say when we talk about meeting human needs in a fair and equitable way. A sustainable town is one that adequately houses old and young, rich and poor.

Dorrie Kehoe
I think that there need to be better and more "downsizing" opportunities for long time Concord residents who would like to continue to live in Town even after they are not able to maintain their own houses. And when I write "downsizing" I am not talking about million dollar plus housing, but moderate, e.g. condominiums, stand along condominiums, small houses in the $500,000-$600,000 range. The Town could "incentivize" developers to engage in this kind of development by making taxes and zoning more friendly.

Yes, there are some very good restaurants here, but they tend to be pretty pricey. Do healthy foods always need to cost so much? The for at Helen's is a good example of a restaurant that keep food both reasonably healthy and affordable.

Kristen Dahlmann
We are desperate for some good restaurants. For families, moderately priced and healthy. Ethnic restaurants. Take out. We are awash in pizza options!

Debra S.
As a retailer, I think vibrant town centers are important. Independent retailers should be cherished, because we are a dying breed that makes one want to walk main streets. We're the ones who support fundraising and school events, aren't we? As for economic development, anything that will protect our environment, our diversity, our humanity would be perfect for a town like Concord. Also anything that steps into a Star-Trek tech world!

Yes, we will be seeing the death of local retail businesses unless we recognize collectively the role these businesses can play when they are local owned and managed and really work to meet the needs of local people. Ideally, they can bring the community together since people who care about the kinds of products they carry will meet each other in the aisles and at community events sponsored by the businesses.. It feels really good to know and be known by the people behind the counter. Debra's Natural Gourmet and the 5 & !0 are excellent examples. The Town needs to find new ways to encourage and support these kinds of businesses and to limit the spread of large chains that are copies of others around the country. Putting limits on the growth business will reduce traffic and parking issues that create stress and alter the whole flavor of a business district. I agree with Lori that there needs to be attention paid to what products people really prefer to buy in person and what stores sell goods that are in themselves sustainable.

Lori Pazaris
We need to support businesses that provide for the health and well being of Concord residents and promote sustainability. Is the tax base the reason why senior town management seems to sometime favor business over residents? Mail ordering is impacting retail business everywhere. Yes creativity, ensuring that the town lives within its means, and willingness of town government to work with public and not just private interests is critical. Has town management considered sending a survey to local businesses and residents to assess, for example, which businesses are thriving, which businesses residents support the most, and to determine which business will thrive long-term, etc? Civic Moxie asks similar questions here, but not all residents are participating.

I think that one of the best ways for Concord to honor its history and culture is to follow in the steps of the transcendentalist writers and activists who were among its earliest community leaders. People like Thoreau and Emerson were students of the environment and nature; and they honored and respected it. They believed and preached that God was in nature. If they were alive today they would undoubtedly be advocates for applying the Town's four sustainability principles and in the APA sustainability standards which inspire this planning process to everything we do. Alongside of embracing technical sustainability measures such as solar energy, we need to put more emphasis on preserving nature. We need to put a halt to a relentless extinction of biological species that accompanies exploitation of nature. We need to return the soil beneath our feet to its natural state so that it will sequester carbon and grow good, nutritious food .We are doing some of this but sometimes preservation of nature calls for putting up something in a historical district that is not what is considered consistent with the historical monuments and houses. If we are to honor our past, we cannot just copy the past. We must act in the spirit of our forebears & do what they would do if they were alive today.

I think that Concord needs to view sustainability not just as having more solar panels and heat pumps but as a critical facet of almost everything we decide as a town. What we do about managing public water and waterways, supporting local and organic agriculture, introducing carbon sequestration practices into out use and care of land, what kind of housing we have. Just about anything we plan as a town either adds a lot of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere or does not. Our actions remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere or do not. Proper use of sustainability principles means that every decision is analyzed to pinpoint as closely as possible how it impacts climate change, which is our most critical threat as a community and a planet.

Peggy Briggs
This is one of my top priorities for years