Berlin Conservation Commission Advances Wheeler Pond Dam Removal Toward March Permit Deadline

BERLIN -- December 3, 2025, Berlin Conservation Commission advances Wheeler Pond Dam removal hearing toward a March 2026 permit deadline. The commission voted unanimously at its December 3 meeting to continue the Notice of Intent hearing, originally filed in May 2025, to February 4, 2026, with consultant Sarah Whiting of Interfluve and project manager Heather Conton presenting an updated stamped plan set that addressed erosion controls, turbidity curtains, and invasive species management. Peer reviewer Patrick Garner recommended special conditions requiring contractor SWPPP submission before mobilization and commission review of contractor qualifications, citing a construction removal window he described as potentially "a couple of days." The commission settled on no chemical herbicide use within 25 feet of the active water channel and adopted a five-year post-construction monitoring framework, with the option for the project proponent to petition for early termination at the three-year mark. The dam, owned by the Bonazolei Family Trust, has been flagged by the state DCR Office of Dam Safety as urgently needing removal.