Weston Water Tank Working Group clears land swap question, pushes MEPA filing forward

WESTON — July 2, 2025 — Weston's Water Tank Working Group cleared a key land-swap question and set a target of completing the state MEPA process before year's end. Select Board Chair Lisa Revers, members Tom Palmer and John McDonald, and engineers from Wright Pierce and Weston Sampson reviewed progress at the July 2 meeting, with designer Amy Coppers saying a 30 percent preliminary design set covering all three tank sites would be transmitted to the board by end of day and a 45 percent site-plan submission is targeted just before Labor Day. The group's main near-term hurdle is securing a Chinese-language translator to publish a required environmental justice advertisement in Waltham — a notice that must run 45 days before the Environmental Notification Form can be filed with MEPA. Rob Williamson said the team had hoped to post the ad "within the next couple of weeks." The board unanimously agreed to proceed with the existing five-acre Ash Street land swap rather than reduce the parcel to match the 4.51-acre tank footprint, with Palmer noting that reclaiming a half-acre on a roughly $40 million project was not worth the delay. The Catrock water main survey contract came in under $200,000, below the $250,000 budget estimate.