On the whole, the proposed Bristol town plan is one town residents should pass. We congratulate the Planning Commission and the Bristol selectboard for working through a litany of issues and, after eight years and a rejection of the previous town plan, proposing a plan the public can finally support.
Kudos also go to the opponents of the previous town plan and of a proposed gravel pit that would have compromised the quality of life for many who live in the village while benefitting few other than the owners. Nor was the battle over the rights of the property owner, but rather over loosely written language in the prior plan that only the most biased could reasonably argue was meant to work against the vast majority of town residents.
The key issue was prohibiting gravel extraction within zones that would have compromised the village center. This plan addresses that issue and clearly establishes more appropriate policies for such land use.
But the plan is much more than setting intelligent boundaries for gravel extraction. It also encompasses how the town of Bristol wants to grow, balanced by policies that help define what the community wants to hold dear. In that regard, it protects town traditions while encouraging economic growth and is a well-considered and thorough document that is a significant improvement.
In sum, Bristol residents can consider this multi-year effort well worth the hard-fought struggle.
— Angelo S. Lyn