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Residents urge city to hold in-person sessions for Bedford Commons reuse; botanical garden suggested
Summary
Public commenters asked the council to host multiple in-person meetings to gather resident input on the Bedford Commons site after rejecting a prior developer; one resident suggested converting wooded area into a botanical garden and staging community events.
Several residents at the Jan. 13 Bedford City Council meeting urged the city to hold robust, in-person engagement about the future of Bedford Commons after the council rejected a prior Midway proposal.
Sal Caruso said surveys and emailed comments are insufficient and proposed at least four in-person meetings—an afternoon session, a seniors session and multiple evening sessions—to give residents time and opportunity to shape the site’s reuse. "I believe it's time for the residents to have a voice," Caruso said, recommending the YMCA as a possible venue and suggesting uses including a new city hall, up to roughly 80 homes, a park and a food-court-style pavilion.
Vicky McCleary, a longtime resident, urged that any development include green space or a botanic garden like the Grapevine Botanical Gardens so health-care workers and other residents have a place to walk and gather. She recommended volunteer and youth involvement such as scout or school projects to sustain any garden.
The mayor reiterated upcoming engagement opportunities—an informal 'Coffee, Tea and Books' session on Jan. 22 and a 'Mornings with the Mayor' event Feb. 7 at the YMCA—where residents can discuss Bedford Commons and other priorities. No formal directive or vote on engagement format was taken that night.
