Hanson Conservation Commission Approves East Washington Street Wetland Delineation, Flags Thomas Mill Safety Issues

HANSON -- June 15, 2026, Hanson Conservation Commission warns Thomas Mill stairs are dangerous and presses Select Board to act. The commission voted unanimously Monday to approve a wetland resource area delineation for 248 East Washington Street, a second routine action amended the June 1 minutes 3-0-1 after a member noted his absence had been recorded incorrectly, and much of the meeting was consumed by an urgent discussion about Thomas Mill. Property Management Coordinator Dave Mansfield told commissioners the second step from the parking lot has a fully rotted nosing, "somebody's going to step on that and go head first," he said, and planned a temporary plywood patch for the following day. An exterminator found carpenter ants and wasps throughout the building, with dried exterior trim cited as a primary attractant. The Thomas Mill Committee, appointed by the Select Board, has only one active member and no functioning quorum, leaving no body able to authorize the $4,900 stair repair quote on file. Commissioner Ben Heal, who also sits on the Select Board, agreed to raise the governance gap and building condition at that board's next meeting. The commission also received a letter from Peggy Kitchener, the mill's original 1976 building committee chair, requesting that the mill's historical poster be updated to credit women who led the bicentennial project, including project chair Susan Webster.