Village at Taylor Pond - Bedford, MA

BSC Group has provided integrated site planning, design and permitting services for the construction of the Village at Taylor Pond, a 5.6-acre, mixed-use development located in Bedford, MA. When complete the site will be home to 188 apartment homes, 64,000 sf of office space, and 32,000 sf of retail space. The site design incorporates many sustainable elements and serves as a pilot project for the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED for Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND) program.

The new LEED-ND rating system integrates the principles of smart growth, urbanism, and green building into the first national standard for neighborhood design. The program criteria include four major categories: smart location and linkages, neighborhood pattern and development, green construction and technology, and innovation and design processes. The Village at Taylor Pond meets key criteria for LEED-ND certification, including:

• Community Connections - The project includes a number of pedestrian linkages, both within the site and to the larger community. A boardwalk and other pedestrian walkways have been accomplished through site design.

• Energy Conservation - The site and its buildings incorporate energy saving measures, including energy efficient construction materials that exceed the current energy code by seven percent. Additionally, solar panels will be used to heat the site’s swimming pool and whirlpool. During Phase II of construction, an office building will be constructed to seek traditional LEED Core and Shell certification. The site also designates a parking space for a Zip Car when the program comes to Bedford.

• Low Impact Development - In addition to standard stormwater management techniques, the Village at Taylor Pond incorporates Low Impact Development Measures to naturally treat stormwater. These include rain gardens and water quality swales. Importantly, the redevelopment plan for the site eliminates nearly an acre of impervious pavement, in part by implementing a shared parking program that reduces the necessary number of parking spaces.

• Wetlands Restoration - As part of the redevelopment process, BSC's site plan restores key wetland areas to mitigate for a boardwalk that crosses through a wetland area. The site design also restores the 100-foot wetlands buffer zone, as well as the 25-foot "no touch" zone to bring the site into compliance with the Town of Bedford's wetland bylaws.