West Concord Design Guidelines Aired

Members of the Planning Board were surprised that so few people turned out for the public hearing on design guidelines for developing the industrial and commercial sites in West Concord.

The thick document is on the website: www.concordma.gov, but the board expected more feedback than the four or five residents that showed up.

The board put off final adoption of design standards until its first meeting in September, and will send a letter to developers and property owners that the guidelines are largely finished.

The new guidelines are intended to augment the 2010 West Concord Village Center Master Plan that calls for preserving the unique character of the small town center, "encouraging high quality building design which improves the aesthetic character of the business and industrial districts to allow diversity of building design compatible with traditional development patterns and architectural styles, to minimize conflicts bwetween residential and commercial/industrial uses and to provide guidance in the development of infrastructure and open spaces."

Planning Board Chairman Elise Stone emphasized that the guidelines are just that, to be used in the site plan review process, and not regulations. The board added that along with the Planning Board, developers may want to talk with Sustainable Concord or other environmental group to incorporate elements of "green" design.

Board member Chris Sgarzi suggested boiling the draft down a bit, and redoing some of the photos, which he said do not complement the related text. For instance, a section on doorways has an accompanying photo of a building with no door.

Planning Director Marcia Rasmussen said she would try to replace some of the photos into the document, and delete some of the redundancies in the text.

The "eclectic" nature of West Concord businesses is an element the board wants to preserve in the business district. In the industrial section around Beharrell Street, the guidelines call for more inviting, customer-friendly design than the warehouses that are there now.

Board member Coleman Hoyt liked the detail of the guideline document.

"In this case, more is better," he said.

Sgarzi noted that he likes the way the guidelines are readable, although he said more bullet points may cut down on the narrative.

Resident Dorrie Kehoe praised the effort.

"You did a fabulous job of getting this together," said Kehoe. "I have no problem with the length." But she said she regretted not "being about to talk about what we don't like" within the context of the guidelines.

"Some of the photos show egregious things," said Kehoe, but the text is about what design elements should be used.

Kehoe also lamented the lack of residents and property owners at the hearing. She asked if the board sent out any notifications by mail.

"I am surprised too," said Sgarzi. "We did not send out notices."

Kehoe said before the final draft is approved, abutters should be notified along with property owners.

The board is allowing a period of response to the draft guidelines and will adopt them at the first meeting in September.

To read the guidelines, go to www.concordma.gov.