Brockton Conservation Commission issues enforcement order for unauthorized riverside clearing

BROCKTON -- December 17, 2025, Brockton Conservation Commission issues enforcement order after homeowner clears trees to within five feet of a brook. The commission voted unanimously 6-0 Wednesday to require Enrique Ramos, owner of 67 Thatcher Street, to submit a 25-foot riverfront area enhancement and restoration plan and install conservation markers within three months, after Conservation Agent Kyle Holden reported Ramos had grubbed out stumps and root systems along the rear of his lot based on advice from an unidentified city representative who told him he could clear the area as long as he did not touch the water. Ramos told the commission he bought the property in July and cleared it so his grandchildren could play there. Commissioners expressed that Ramos acted in good faith on incorrect advice; Commissioner Justin Talbot said the commission should guide him toward compliance rather than penalize him. The commission also issued orders of conditions for a septic upgrade at 325 Thatcher Street and a buffer zone enhancement at 0 Franklin Avenue, granted a three-year extension for 37 Frost Street, and issued a certificate of compliance for 125 Liberty Street after required no-salt zone signs were installed, though Holden noted the masonry fasteners needed to be more secure.