Freetown Conservation Commission issues first-ever enforcement order with daily fine threat

FREETOWN — July 31, 2023 — Freetown Conservation Commission moves toward daily fines in twin wetlands-buffer enforcement actions. The commission voted unanimously at its July 31 meeting to issue a formal enforcement order against the owner of Zero Washburn Road, who cleared a corridor up to 48 feet wide near a pond after receiving a permit for a three- to four-foot-wide canoe path; if the correct four-foot boundary is not staked out within 10 days, a $100-per-day fine will begin to accrue — the commission's first-ever use of its fine authority under Massachusetts General Law, which allows penalties up to $25,000 per violation. A second property at 112 South Main Street, owned by Spencer Weaver and Joanna Wilson and involving an agent identified as Bob Weaver, faces a steeper potential escalation: the owner ignored both a cease-and-desist order and a letter from town counsel after clearing brush and trees without a notice of intent, prompting Chair Steve Tripp to seek a slot on the Select Board's August 7 agenda to secure backing for civil fines and potential court action. The commission also unanimously agreed to route most stormwater permitting applications through the Planning Board, authorized the chair to sign commission documents, and approved purchasing reflective safety vests for the volunteer gatekeepers who monitor town conservation land.