Advisory Committee, a group of residents and business owners
who work with town officials on development issues and ways to
improve the village. Hempel says all the activity will only add to
the existing vitality.
"Everyone is always walking to the village or riding bikes or
pushing a baby carriage,'' she says. "They are always bumping into each other, and it's
something you don't get when you have to pile into a car to get a cup of coffee.''
But, as growth continues, Hempel says
town officials and the advisory committee
will monitor projects to make sure they fit
the character of the village. "We keep a
very close eye on the density of develop-
ment because, of course, we are concerned
about too many developments coming
in and the impact on traffic and other
resources,'' she says. "It's no secret that the
traffic from Route 2 through the village and
down the other side is not ideal. It's already
straining the area.''
Andy Bonzahni, owner of Concord
Outfitters, moved into his new location on
Commonwealth Avenue last May. He pur-
chased the land, tore down the building
and put up a new structure. The building,
houses Concord Outfitters and the Three
Stones Gallery. "It gave a facelift to this
corner of the street because the building
was pretty tired, and it didn't add a lot of
value to the village,'' Bonzahni says. "I'd
been looking for years to find a space and
the timing was right. After I did that, all
these other things started to come into
place. It seems to be growing and growing.''
Bonzahni says traffic and parking will
likely always be an issue, but it's not
unique to West Concord. "West Concord is
going to have the same conflicts that every
small town has with parking,'' he says. "But
business
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north bridge magazine
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S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 0 1 5
"There is a strong and vibrant community in
West Concord. It's got this character, but it's also
going through a bit of a transformation.''
– BEN ELLIOT