It's hard to foster a sense of community in a place with no real town center. Perhaps that's why planning commissioners in Bolton are so determined to develop a unifying vision for their town. Since last fall, planners in Bolton have held events ranging from a community-wide pizza party to small neighborhood meet-ups, all in an attempt to gather feedback for updating the town plan.
They've held a "Spirit of Bolton" art contest and they've brought municipal planning lessons into the elementary school. And now the town that's known as "The Land of Bounders and Bears," as the town slogan states, wants a shared vision for its people.
The draft vision highlights three topics:
People
Our vision is to foster community connections, vibrant neighborhoods, and gathering places where residents and visitors can meet, socialize, and celebrate.
Place
Our vision is to responsibly steward our natural resources and working farms and forests, and to preserve the health and beauty of our mountains, waterways and wildlife, and access to the outdoors.
Prosperity
Our vision is to cultivate a fiscally sustainable community that promotes local businesses, encourages options for affordable housing, energy and transportation, and provides the necessary infrastructure and services needed for the safety, health and well-being of our residents.
The planning commission is actively seeking resident feedback on the proposed vision statement above, which it unveiled at Town Meeting last week. The vision statement and a feedback form are also printed in the March edition of the Bolton Gazette. Feedback will be accepted through March 17.
