Whitman Conservation Commission Backs Regional Rail Trail Concept, Eyes Enforcement Actions

WHITMAN -- December 16, 2025, Whitman Conservation Commission advances regional rail trail concept and conservation land bid. Old Colony Planning Council multimodal planner Matt Fowler presented a preliminary proposal to build a multi-use trail connecting Whitman south to East Bridgewater and north through Bear Brook Meadow to Abington, eventually linking to the Abington-Rockland-Hanover Rail Trail, with funding potentially pursued through a MassTrails grant application in February 2026. A commission member separately reported meeting with the owner of a Bedford Street parcel across from Peaceful Meadows Ice Cream and with Community Preservation Committee member Ryan Trusson about acquiring the land for conservation and a potential dog park, noting the town holds a right of first refusal on the property, which is under a purchase and sale agreement. The commission also received a preliminary briefing on a deteriorating 450-foot dual corrugated metal pipe culvert running beneath the middle school athletic fields, with members pressing to be included in the building committee's decision before a cost-driven material choice is locked in.