Weston Conservation Commission Defers E-Bike Trail Vote to September

WESTON — August 8, 2023 — Weston Conservation Commission delays e-bike trail decision, approves pond herbicide treatment. Chair Rees Tulloss said no vote on allowing Class 1 pedal-assist e-mountain bikes on Weston trails will occur before September 22, pending proper public notice and a formal noticed hearing to amend commission regulations. Trustee John Connelly of the Weston Forest and Trail Association argued the bikes, reclassified as non-motorized under a Massachusetts law enacted in November 2022, cause no more trail damage than conventional mountain bikes and provide an "inclusion and equity" benefit for riders who could not otherwise keep pace. Abutters raised safety and enforcement concerns; the WFTA said it has no official position yet. Separately, the commission unanimously issued an order of conditions allowing Judy Niche of 17 Blake Road to apply Sonar herbicide to her private kettle-hole pond, which has gone from sparse aquatic vegetation in 2016 to nearly 100 percent duckweed coverage as of July 2023; the permit runs through August 8, 2026.