Sturbridge Panel Delays Vote on Plimpton Trail Plan
Conservation · Meeting of October 1, 2026
Sturbridge conservation panel delays vote on contested Plimpton forest trail plan. The Conservation Commission voted unanimously to schedule a special joint meeting for October 15 with the Trails Committee, Opacum Land Trust and the state's Natural Heritage program after Trails Committee chair Brandon Goodwin said "there's not much in what's being presented that we're supportive of right now." Mountain bikers including Christine Makris of the local New England Mountain Bike Association chapter argued commissioners hadn't walked the disputed single-track network before weighing in, saying "I find it hard to believe that you're going to vote on a master plan without actually even viewing the property." The consultant's contract for the plan, funded by a 2024 town meeting vote, expires within a month. The same meeting denied a certificate of compliance at 68 Shepherd Road over undone mitigation plantings and tabled an unauthorized-tree-removal investigation at 87 Main Street.
In the full story:
- Who Was There
- Organizations And Documents Referenced
- The complete report — 2,967 words
Source: the Conservation meeting of October 1, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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