I do NOT in support a traffic circle but the West Concord Task Force had wonderful plans linking the pocket park to the path behind Nashoba Bakery and the (then just planned) BFRT. Their idea was to change the Y junction to a modified T junction shifting Kenny Dunn Square to the west a bit and thus allowing for a walkway to the pocket park.

Peter Baty
Safe Access to Warner's Pond Pocket Park - The sidewalk on Laws Brook Rd. ends before the triangle intersection, so no connection to the park around the corner or to K. Dunn Square. Also, crosswalk across Commonwealth Ave. at the park needs to be repainted (or painted) as this is a busy roadway. Understood that improvements may be made during upgrades of K. Dunn Square / conversion to a traffic circle?

Peter Baty
Utility Box in Middle of Main Street Sidewalk, In Front of TD Bank - Concerns (particularly from Concord Greene residents) about the placement of a utility pole/utility box combination that causes the sidewalk to become very narrow, making access with a wheelchair or walker difficult. In addition, during the winter, the sidewalk plow cannot access this area; therefore ice and snow accumulation drive pedestrians into the road, creating a serious safety hazard.

Tanya Gailus
Also: the NRC, CSEC, and the Agricultural Committee are official town committees, and as such offered a requested report, along with other boards and committees, including the Planning Board, Housing Authority, and the CHDC. Nobody assumed the last three speak for development interests. Lastly, when replying to comments as "Town of Concord", I ask that the Planning Division or Consultant do not implicitly meld their unique functions with that of the committee's (CLRPC) by using a "we" (as in "we hope.."), with regards to specifics that are under the committee's jurisdiction. It is the CLRPC which is ultimately responsible for non discriminatory treatment of all parties, by making *all* services equally available to *all*. If some conservation interests were alerted to inherent biases going on, much of it was due to the time, effort, and footwork - and willingness to be vulnerable - of a handful of citizens. That in itself has been an unfair burden to bear - especially when for profit interests get cushy treatment from publicly funded consultant because "otherwise they will not talk."

Debra S.
I think Concord should start with human "sustainability." How about having a town wide lunch walk, a morning yoga stretch in each town center, thinking about the drinks and refreshments we serve at functions? How about getting into the habit of always bringing our own eating and drinking implements instead of expecting a disposable plate?

Jon Stephenson
I was waiting for the train in West Concord the other day and noticed that when the express train runs through and you are sitting by second crossing you can barely hear the bells at the intersection... There is no blockage for the second track crossing and no bell... This is a massive safety hazard

Nick Pappas
Please quantify "infrequently". I use this piece of roadway almost ever time I drive into Concord center. If you are driving from Lexington Road and want to go to the Milldam, West Concord, or Sudbury Road, this is the way to go.

Aimee Christian
More fully adaptive and accessible playground (like the one in Sudbury) would enable all of our children to play together, regardless of need and ability.

Tip, carry small lint sticky rollers and use regularly to remove ticks from clothing and skin buy at wc 5&10

Aimee Christian
More opportunities for recycling and reducing use of plastic. Encourage businesses to use recyclable materials in takeout packaging and reduce use of napkins/utensils/straws/bags unless requested.

Valeria Petracchi
Add a sidewalk to Harrington Ave and build a bridge over Assabet river connecting Harrington Park to Cousins Park so kids can walk safely to school, and neighbors can walk to West Concord, reduce traffic and reduce accident risks.

Absolutely, w c task force also recommended this bridge as well as widening with cantilevered walk tge rt 62 bridge for pedestrians. Winter plowing makes it alist impassable.

Mark Hanson
Water gardens used as a way to take runoff from impervious pavement can be turned into effective pollinator habitat and forage areas. Audubon's Broad Meadow Brook conservation area in Worcester has done this for the runoff from their parking areas and buildings.

Gary Kleiman
and revising zoning to keep development out of current and FUTURE flood plains.

OARS Sudbury-Assabet-Concord Rivers
This is very important--we need to invest in building resilience in the long term. This includes recharging storm water, incentivizing water reuse and conservation, reducing impervious cover. These things will pay off in the long run in terms of healthy aquatic systems, less flooding, and sustainable drinking water supplies.

Junction village is a prime example of what CONCIRD SHOULD NEVER DO AGAIN. This is a totally innappropriate way to A) fufill Walden Woods Project promuse to repkace low income housing for tge trailer homes they displaced 20 years ago, B) is out of place in that small neighborhoood and C) putting it in a private dev. Group to circumvent open meeting laws. DISGRACEFUL!

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".

Lori Pazaris
Very happy with the facilities we have in Concord like the Beede Center, Harvey Wheeler, playgrounds, community gardens, and our libraries that offer free public meeting space. In light of climate change, we need to simplify and not develop more non-critical structures.

Lori Pazaris
In 2011 the town adopted a set of sustainability principles that include 1) reducing dependence upon fossil fuels, underground metals, and minerals; 2) reducing dependence upon synthetic chemicals and other manufactured substances; 3) reducing encroachment upon nature; and 4) meeting human needs fairly and efficiently. The town has made good progress particularly as it pertains to the built environment. Complex issues have made progress on others more difficult. Upgrading sustainability practices will require changing zoning and other regulations, considering adopting sustainable practices like grey water, that are currently not supported by appropriate state codes and regs, and recognition and willingness to prioritize and find funding for outdated systems, e.g. wastewater and storm management, that will not serve us well as extreme climate events intensify and occur more frequently.

Lori Pazaris
If we want to have a healthy community in the future, we must pay more attention to use of chemicals across all areas of our lives. Use of synthetic chemicals, pesticides, and herbicides etc. in particular, need to be reduced and eventually eliminated from our food and from the soil. Long term ingestion of these chemicals can lead to disease and illness. Their use eliminates the soil organisms that help the plant, and thus us, to receive the full nutrition we need.

Lori Pazaris
Farming has played a major role in Concord's history and culture. The town needs to identify incentives and support for farms to transition to sustainable practices that require fewer synthetic inputs and toxic chemicals, provide more nutrition, and keep CO2 in soil. We should be mindful that increasing temperature mean that places that provide food today will be unable to continue to do so as temperatures increase.

Lori Pazaris
Concord has a treasure trove of outside walking and recreational areas. In the interest of minimizing our carbon footprint, we should better utilize our already existing indoor facilities like our school gyms.

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.

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.

Must stop practice of approving special permits which allow teardowns & building beyond new footage bylaws. People who need larger homes must do what we used to do, sell the smaller house and buy up!

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.

Cheryl Baggen
What recreational facilities do you enjoy, and what would help your family stay active? 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.

Gary Kleiman
I think we should build a track over the capped land-fill at the High School so the team doesn't have to split up for meets and to increase track/field opportunities for other schools (Concord Academy, middle schools, Fenn etc ) at the Emerson Track.

Brian Foulds
The Harvey Wheeler Center is a shelter for the elderly when a heat emergency or storm hits Concord. Utility scale batteries should be installed there to ensure the building has power when a during one of these unfortunate events. These batteries can also be used to lower the cost of electricity when operated by Concord Light.

All large businesses should have to provide set % of renewable too, like solar, and there should be higher ratrs for high volune water usage by homes and businesses to reduce wasteful use of precious water supplies.

Brian Foulds
Concord Light should work with commercial customers on the installation of energy storage systems to manage building demand and Concord Lights peak expenses. Additional this will allow companies like Crosby's market to remain open during blackouts and keep food from spoiling.

Brian Foulds
Concord Light should work with Emerson Hospital to install utility scale energy storage. This system can be used to lower CL rates and ensure the hospital continues to operate during a natural disaster. State incentives are available.
https://www.mass.gov/energy-storage-initiative

It is hard to ocercome people taking the Easy way of ordering online vs going shopping. In addition to creating more community events/traditions as W C businesses have, locals need to add better websites, online ordering and delivery via local p.o. to compete, sad but true.

ABSOLUTELY agree with all of the above. Sick of town supporting groups to bypass open meeting laws.

Tanya Gailus
Hello Susan. However, the tensions you offer to solve are not to that extent. There aren't many "silos" in this town. The elders and the young may have slightly different "first" priorities per town's earlier survey, but they usually support each others' needs and an overall majority supports treesy neighborhoods, climate related sustainability, and schools. There may be disagreements at town meeting when a development proposal has evaded correct process, but discussions are rigorous and many-sided. Silos may be some development interests who, you mentioned at 9/8 CLRPC meeting, do not want to speak in public. It is wrong for CivicMoxie to hold closed door meetings with selected interest groups, - two with business partnerships who also invite CivicMoxie consultant to private function. Ideas you presented on September 22 are based on feedback from these for profit groups. (Where else was data from?) Also, you will not hold any conservation gatherings; after May 31 event, on June 9, you stated that views which supported conservation would be given lesser consideration. Now you suggest less environmental protection. Environmental protection benefits all ages. Alleged young/old tensions often are excuse for development interests. Town Management Team preferences from "planapalooza" meeting should not influence plan. Their function is implementation. "[T]he whole purpose of this comprehensive long range planning process" is for Concord's people to define, led by CLRPC, a public entity. CivicMoxie is hired with public money, to assist, not to "lead." Survey Q22 misleads. Survey's closed doors preparation and pre-full-review release violated OML.

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.

Dorrie Kehoe
My earlier comment addresses this: smaller houses/condominiums to make it possible for older residents who want to stay in Town. I favor affordable housing, but think that it should be geared especially toward the above group or toward public employees of the Town and not toward bringing in people from out of Town. We need to take care of those who help to make Concord a good place to live.

Groceries-We have 2- Debra's Natural Goumet and the White Hen Pantry. A 3rd is not viabke and 1 reason the WC supermarket closed

Groceries-We have 2- Debra's Natural Goumet and the White Hen Pantry. A 3rd is not viabke and 1 reason the WC supermarket closed. Commuter Traffic shuttles from schools to trains? Parents/students may already be making the trip to the schools and could drop off commuters so onky 1 vehicle takes them to trains vs dozens.

Regine Ryder
A sidewalk from Heaths Bridge Road to #117 is missing. It makes walking and biking quite dangerous.

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.

Which road are you talking about?

Elissa Brown
Self guided walking tours and apps connecting historic areas and open space, like AcrossLexington.

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.

Elissa Brown
The libraries! They are beautiful, peaceful, warm in winter and cool in summer, and full of interesting reading and listening material and programs.

Bob Andrews
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.

Nate Kemp
Need continuity of Reformatory Branch trail into Concord Center, West Concord, and points west... the Minuteman Path to Bedford and continuation on the Reformatory Branch toward Concord is nice.. but connect it to the Freeman Trail and you've got progress.

Bob Andrews
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.