Concord's Historic Districts Commission approved a scaled-down design for Black Heritage Trail markers in Monument Square just over a week ago — but a Lexington Road resident says even the compromise version is still too large for the space.

Why the design keeps drawing pushback.

Luis D. Berrizbeitia wrote in a letter published Friday that the markers would end up bigger than every existing commemorative object in the square except the obelisk and its flanking stones. "Their printed aluminum-composite panels, wooden posts, and large portraiture belong to the visual vocabulary of contemporary trail signage and depart from the materials, scale, and conventions that have defined Monument Square's commemorative character for generations," he wrote. The commission had already voted 3-2 to approve the compromise size on July 8, following what The Concord Bridge described as pointed debate among commissioners — a close vote that suggests the scale question isn't fully settled even among the people who approved it. The markers are classified as temporary installations rather than permanent civic commemorations.

Not a rejection of the project itself.

Berrizbeitia was careful to separate his concerns about size from the project's purpose. He acknowledged that Monument Square currently has no recognition of Concord's historic Black residents and visitors, calling the educational value of the project "undeniable." His worry is that going too big could backfire, "undermining the very educational goal they seek to advance," and he urged the commission and organizers to find a design that honors both the history being told and the square's existing character.

What the project actually covers.

The Black Heritage Trail Markers Project proposes eight to ten markers at sites across Concord tied to figures including Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, and Civil War veteran George Dugan. Joe Palumbo of Concord's Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Commission told the School Committee in May that nearly every school building in town sits within walking distance of a planned marker location — meaning students could regularly encounter this history on their way to class.

What's next.

The Historic Districts Commission's next public hearing is Wednesday, July 29, though the trail markers aren't currently listed on that meeting's agenda. Updates and participation instructions are posted at on Concord's website.