Whitman Conservation Commission Approves Franklin Street Home, Dam Grant Push Begins

WHITMAN -- December 2, 2025, Whitman Conservation Commission unanimously approves Franklin Street home plan and wetland delineation, advances dam grant discussion. The commission voted at its December 2 meeting to approve a Notice of Intent for a single-family home on Franklin Street Lot 2, a 3.95-acre estate lot owned by Steve Negan and under agreement with prospective buyer John Cotter, with engineer Carl Garvey presenting stormwater controls including a sediment basin and berm for a 700-foot, 12-foot-wide driveway running largely through the 100-foot wetland buffer zone. The board also approved a wetland delineation for 35 Bedford Street under Mass DEP number 340-0493, submitted by PMP Consulting on behalf of Eastern Ventures LLC, locking the wetland line for three years. A commission member reported on a state dam grant program opening December 8, offering up to $200,000 for design and $1 million for construction, with the commission eyeing either the Hobart or Harding Pond structures and directing a member to confer with DPW Director Bruce before the December 16 meeting. The commission also approved a fiscal year 2027 operating budget reflecting a 2.5 percent increase.