Whitman Conservation Commission flags unpermitted pool at recently sold property

WHITMAN -- November 18, 2025, Whitman Conservation Commission confronts unpermitted pool, wetlands complaints, and a state dam grant at November meeting. The commission, meeting Tuesday, November 18, found itself unable to act against an unpermitted in-ground pool at 8 Wild Turkey Lane after the property sold, closing the same day the commission conducted its site inspection, before any compliance determination was reached. Members agreed to take field measurements of the pool's distance from the wetland line and plan to contact the new owners through their real estate agent with operational restrictions, including limits on pool backwashing near the resource area. A resident from Whitman Avenue raised concerns about possible tree cutting in the conservation buffer zone near a Columbia facility on the 600 block, prompting a forthcoming inspection under file numbers 0418 and 0463. On a more promising note, a commission member reported that state grant officials responded positively to a concept for replacing the aging Hobart Dam at Little Comfort Park, with an application window opening in January and a June deadline, the first concrete step toward a project that would require a funded engineering feasibility study.