Get the Facts: Privacy

Claim: Wooded lots will be cleared, removing the privacy homeowners purchased.

The land that the Town needs to acquire for the project is land that everyone — property owners and the Town alike — believed already belonged to the Town. The reasons go back to when this path stopped being a railroad, but essentially, the Town only learned that they didn’t own these parcels along the path during due diligence for this project. The property owners in question have assumed all along that the land belonged to the Town, so any assumption that it would remain as-is or that the property owner would have a say over how it is used is unfounded. There will remain a wooded buffer along the trail during and after construction, as the project only clears what is needed. In addition, the town is not proposing to acquire the entirety of the width of the original railroad corridor in most cases, meaning abutters will actually have a larger buffer on their properties than they originally understood that they had.

Claim: Picnic tables will be positioned close to Bedford Children's Center, compromising the safety of the children.

No one wants to compromise children's safety in this project or any other. Final positioning of picnic tables, benches, and any other objects placed along the trail can be negotiated.