WHITMAN – Old Colony Regional Planning Council kept things in perspective July 15 as Whitman resident and Senior Planner for Housing and Public Engagement with the OCPC Jason Desrosier presented results of a 2024 Whitman survey at a public meeting at the Whitman Public Library Community Room on Tuesday, July 15.
“It’s been nice to work on a project that’s sort of in my own backyard,” he said, of the Council’s work on Whitman’s Open Space and Recreation Plan noting that he and his wife bought a house in Whitman in 2019 and his daughter attends WHRHS.
The session reviewed recent survey findings briefly, before discussing the 10-year action plan – essentially the OCPC recommends overall to preserve and conserve present open spaces acquiring more and mapping those areas.
The survey, held last fall to gauge residents’ attitudes toward land use proposals provided some expected results and a few surprises.
“There’s this idea that Whitman has limited open space,” he said, noting the survey bore out that notion’s hold on the community, but reality was something else. “Myself and members of the Open Space and Recreation Plan Steering Committee walked a number of the open spaces,” he said. “In some of these spaces, you forget that you’re even in Whitman,” he said. “However, is it marketed, is it communicated that these spaces are open – that they’re even there?”
Going over survey replies, Desrosier said 91 percent said they use the town’s open spaces at least once per month. They also point to common barriers to accessing those spaces – sidewalk conditions and/or lighting, inadequate signs or maps, limited awareness of existing spaces, minimal bike infrastructure and inadequate amenities such as parking, seating, water and bathrooms.
Community priorities include: recreation for teens and youth; trail connectivity and signs; beautification and maintenance; nature-based community events and safer infrastructure for biking and walking. Residents also named a skate park and a fenced-in dedicated dog park as their two top wants, followed by walking trails and nature walks; farmers’ markets and related events, community gardens, shaded seating and gathering spots, bike paths and bike racks – and clean bathrooms.
The most popular outdoor activities? Well, for 62 percent of respondents it was walking or hiking with a dog, while 57 percent said they would rather walk or hike after leaving the dog at home. There were 56 percent requesting playgrounds and 47 percent prefer field sports.
And the big question – does Whitman have enough open space for recreation? The vast majority say no – with only 31 percent of those ages 13 to 18 saying it’s adequate; 41 percent between ages 19 and 59 and 38 percent aged 60 and older. Only among replies from residents under age 13 felt there is enough – 57 percent of them.
The steering committee boiled all that input into 10 overarching goals [see graphic] – each divided into specific strategies while identifying the responsible group, department, commission, etc., and assigning timelines for those groups to achieve those strategies and finding funding sources such as grants. The entire discussion of the 10 goals and supporting strategies can be viewed on the WHCA-TV YouTube channel. Town Of Whitman Open Space & Recreation Plan – July 15, 2025 Public Meeting.
Part of the plan is to highlight and lift up the open spaces that already exist in town, but it’s also a prerequisite for the Mass. Division of Conservation Service Grants.
The Open Space and Recreation Steering Committee members are: Conservation Committee representatives Ed Winnett and LeAnne MacKenzie, DPW representative Bruce Martin, Planning Board representative Brandon Griffin and Recreation Department representative Ryan Tully.
The Open Space and Recreation Plan process has included public meetings, focus groups with high school students, meeting with seniors at the Council on Aging Senior Center and through impromptu discussions with random people enjoying Whitman Park. He also staffed a table at Whitman Day in the park.
“There’s been a lot of engagement,” Desrosier said of the plan which inventories the public lands, addresses public need and includes public comment. Open space includes Conservation land, forested and agricultural land, athletic fields, playgrounds, small parks, green buffers along roadways and/or undeveloped land of interest as conservation of recreational land.
The OCPC was established in 1967 as an agency focusing on comprehensive development in 17 member municipalities. Both Whitman and Hanson are member communities. “Old Colony Elder Services also comes under the OCPC umbrella.
“Whitman lacks the ability to create new open space, because of development and land use patterns … however, there’s opportunities to extend trails and connect trails in other parts of Whitman as well as other communities that surround Whitman,” Desrosier said.