BRISTOL — Bristol is a village on the edge of change. According to the community’s 2050 land use plan, the population could grow by 25% in the next two decades, with much of the new development expected along the I-94 corridor.
Village leaders say business parks and retail destinations will diversify the tax base, provide jobs and preserve farmland and open space further west.
Watch: Bristol residents raise concerns as village considers development plans
But some residents worry it will come at the expense of the community’s rural character.
Clare Young and her family moved to Bristol for its quiet, open space and the school system. She says large-scale projects, including a proposed 300-unit apartment complex near her home, could reshape the neighborhood.
“We have two boys that love their school, and we like going on our nature walks and teaching them about the environment,” Young said. “Then you’re at a crossroads here… we may have to possibly move.”
Young says she and her neighbors want their concerns heard.
“What I thought as a community in Bristol is that they always say they advocate for the community and the environment and nature in a nice, rural area,” Young said. “It’s not what it seems anymore.”
The village has held three public meetings on the apartment proposal. The next chance for residents to weigh in will be at the Planning Commission meeting later this month.
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