Panel approves trail certificate on 6-1 vote
The Reading Conservation Commission approved a disputed trail certificate and warned its budget has nearly run dry.
Conservation · Meeting of September 23, 2026
READING — The Reading Conservation Commission approved a disputed trail certificate and warned its budget has nearly run dry. The commission voted 6-1 to issue a certificate of compliance for the Millette Psalms Morgan trail project despite warped boardwalk planks and dying black locust trees; Horsley Witten Group's Jen Ralstead said sediment depth was measured in inches, not feet, correcting the record. At 695 Pearl Street, applicant Adam DeSanctis challenged a $6,000 peer-review requirement, asking "why aren't we taking the professional opinion" of his own hired wetland scientist.
Conservation Administrator Charles Tirone reported the commission's operating budget has dropped to about $339 for the year, leaving no money to replace a stolen Bare Meadow sign. The commission also approved a $9,900 tree-removal bill from a separate $64,000 Tree Fund and continued hearings on 695 Pearl Street, 81 Causeway Road, Parker Middle School and 18 Knollwood Road to October 14.
In the full story:
- Who Was There
- Organizations And Documents Referenced
- The complete report — 2,786 words
Source: the Conservation meeting of September 23, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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