Weston UPC closes in on final vision statement draft, sets February 26 meeting

WESTON -- February 12, 2025, Weston's Unified Planning Committee reached near-consensus on a draft vision statement for the town's comprehensive plan at its February 12 meeting. The committee worked through the multipage draft paragraph by paragraph, agreeing to add a reference to excellent schools in the opening paragraph, change "essential services" to "valued services" in the financial stewardship section, and remove a specific mention of climate change from the first paragraph in favor of the broader phrase "local and regional challenges." Finance Committee representative Jon Harris argued the opening was "getting too detailed," while Robert Scott pushed to ensure schools appeared prominently because "if you ask people why they live here, many people say schools." Planning consultant Jill, working with the Barrett team, said she had never seen a vision statement accepted on the first try. The committee scheduled its next meeting for February 26, 4 to 5 p.m., to review the agenda for an upcoming public community meeting on the vision, with the full plan expected to be completed within one year.