LAKEVILLE, MA LAKEFRONT PARADISE WWW.LAKEVILLEMA.ORG
LAKEFRO PARADISE LAKEVILLE, MA AT A GLANCE LAKEVILLE, MA WHAT: A scenic community embracing growth and preserving character WHERE: Plymouth County, Massachusetts WEBSITE: www.lakevillema.org 1 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 07
ONT E A TOWN AT THE CROSSROADS OF PRESERVATION AND PROGRESS The town of Lakeville draws its name from the many beautiful ponds and lakes that span nearly 4,000 acres across its 36.16 square miles. With a population of approximately 12,000 residents, it is a community deeply connected to its natural environment and rich history. As it stands at the threshold of new residential and commercial 2 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 07
growth, Lakeville is working to strike the balance between welcoming development and preserving the rural character that residents cherish. Town Administrator Andrew Sukeforth shares. “The ponds are probably the most prominent feature of the community, as well as the friendliness and the closeness of the people. It’s a town at the crossroads in a lot of ways. A lot of decisions are going to be made in the next few years on what we want the community to look like.” Select Board member Lorraine Carboni describes Lakeville as a place “where new and historic collide.” She adds,“There’s an old feel here in Lakeville.There are a lot of people that move here because of that, and you can feel it when you’re here. They want to make sure that this particular environment remains the same but still moves forward with what they need for amenities.” RETHINKING THE CONCEPT OF DOWNTOWN Unlike many New England towns, Lakeville does not have a traditional downtown area with clustered storefronts and walkable blocks. “We have kind of a central point that revolves around Town Hall, the police station, a potential new fire station, and a central open space, which is Ted Williams Camp,” Sukeforth portrays. Instead, economic growth is centered on what the town refers to as North Lakeville. “There’s a big project I would call the anchor project, known as the Lakeville Hospital site,” he expands. “ That’s where we’ve seen a few business growth opportunities. There is an old bowling alley, I think it would be a great spot for a restaurant or any sort of entertainment type of place.” MEETING DIVERSE HOUSING NEEDS When it comes to housing, the former Lakeville Hospital site is one of the most significant developments, introducing about 500 units, including both senior living and apartments. “We do have a population of elderly who are looking to downsize their residence and would like to stay in Lakeville,” Carboni details. “The senior housing component frees up their homes, larger homes, to bring in new families.” At the same time, Lakeville is remaining cautious about high-density development. “We do have some pretty good bylaws in place where there’s a minimum lot size, which is almost two acres to put up a home,” Carboni conveys. “And then you have the different types of developments where it would be a higher density.” As enrollments decrease, Lakeville faces rising costs to operate its schools, making family housing 3 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 07 LAKEVILLE, MA
look at ways that we can identify additional revenue streams to offset the burden on the taxpayers.” BALANCING GROWTH AND IDENTITY Nathan Darling, Director of Inspectional Services and Permitting emphasizes the role of town meeting governance in shaping Lakeville’s future. “We work out of a town meeting to make decisions on what Lakeville will look like moving forward,” he portrays. “All zoning changes require a majority vote in order a priority for the town. “We’re trying to keep that projection looking forward, to try to align that so that we can sustain it,” Carboni says. While new housing can increase the tax base and bring in families, it also raises questions about longterm impacts on schools, roads, water, and emergency services. “That’s where the economic development piece is coming into play,” she continues. “We’ve resurrected that particular committee to take a 4 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 07
to make a zoning change to encourage this type of growth that we’re talking about.” This high level of resident engagement can be a challenge. “There is a strong sense of community, and with that comes differing opinions,” Darling acknowledges. “You have a majority of residents who are looking to keep Lakeville exactly the way it is. And then you have another component of the community saying, ‘we need to spur economic growth and figure out how to pay for the things that we want moving forward.’” Like other municipalities in Massachusetts, Lakeville must operate under Proposition 2½, which limits the annual increase in property tax revenue, making new development a necessary part of the strategy. “There is not a lot of opportunity to hire additional staff and do these enhancements that a lot of the residents want to see,” Darling remarks. “The only way to make those things happen is by creating new growth and better taxation.” INFRASTRUCTURE LIMITATIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES Lakeville’s signature ponds are not only scenic, but they are vital regional water sources, supplying water to cities of New Bedford and Taunton, as well as Lakeville, and the town of Freetown. “New Bedford and Taunton hold the water withdrawal permits through the state of Massachusetts to take water out of our pond complex and treat that water and 5 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 07 LAKEVILLE, MA
send it off to their customers,” Darling reports. This arrangement limits the town’s ability to expand its own water infrastructure. While Lakeville benefits from an extensive network of roads maintained by both the state and the local Department of Public Works, its water and sewer capabilities are significantly constrained. Identifying north Lakeville as the area most suitable for future development Darling says the town is also evaluating opportunities in its southern portions. Among those locations are the Howland Road corridor and the Rocky Woods site.These areas offer potential for commercial expansion, but extending water access is a challenge. “The cost of extending those water lines is quite expensive to get into our areas,” he says. Even with these promising development sites identified, the path forward is still complex. “I think generally the town is somewhat nervous about development,” Darling suggests. “So in order to get that two thirds vote at town meeting to allow additional economic development, it’s not going to 6 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 07
be easy.” To manage that reality, town officials are preparing to engage planning consultants and the broader community to explore the best options. “I guess that’s going to be the crossroads that we’re looking at, and probably quite a significant debate at town meeting at some point,” he relays. A PROGRESSIVE VISION Collaboration remains a priority and Lakeville maintains close ties with neighboring municipalities such as Taunton and New Bedford, as well as regional organizations.“We will be working with the Cranberry Country Chamber of Commerce,” Carboni relays.“They are a very active group bringing in the collaboration of business owners and representatives in the communities on a regular basis.” Carboni also credits the Southeastern Regional Economic Development District as a valuable resource. “I believe there’s 31 or 32 communities that are part of that in the south coast,” she explains. “We meet once a month, and we go over the big issues in the area, those that affect each and every one of us.” Looking ahead, Lakeville’s focus remains on building a sustainable path forward that protects the town’s character while responding to the need for growth. Carboni recounts, “The first priority that comes to mind is creating a budget that we can sustain each year with only the two and a half percent increase 7 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 07 LAKEVILLE, MA
that we’re allowed, while maintaining the services. That’s important to us, not burdening the taxpayers, with any additional priorities on their plate.” One strategy involves shifting some of that financial burden through targeted business development.“We want to try to share that wealth with a commercial base. So we are looking into that as a priority of ours,” she says.“At the same time, making sure that we have the right staff in place so that we can provide the right services for our residents is key.” Sukeforth agrees that economic development must align with the values of the community. “A big theme in the town, especially with the Select Board, is economic development without changing the character of the community,” he imparts. “What has happened over the years is projects just come in and people just develop how they want, and the town hasn’t had a collaborative effort with that.” He underscores that this is changing as Lakeville works toward more transparent relationships with developers, especially on larger projects like the Lakeville Hospital redevelopment, and the Howland Road property. As for future projects, a new fire station, and a regional vocational high school are on the horizon. Privately driven development is also expected to accelerate. “There’s three or four big housing developments that I would say are going to have some sort of either 8 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 07
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a solution or a proposal in the next two years,” he says. Many of these involve revitalizing underused properties which will further revitalize the town. “We have to be proactive,” Sukeforth concludes. “Lakeville has kind of been reactive over the years. With the Economic Development Committee back in play, and the internal team we have, we are going to see how projects can be better approached proactively.” PREFERRED VENDOR/PARTNER n Saccoccio & Associates Architects www.sa-architects.com Saccoccio & Associates Architects is excited to collaborate with the Town of Lakeville on the new fire station project. Founded in 1973, our award-winning architectural firm is committed to the principles of success, which include actively listening to our clients, maintaining open communication, and striving to exceed expectations. We specialize in civil and public safety projects, academic institutions, historic restoration, and commercial facilities. Our focus is on designing spaces that leave a lasting impact on our community. 10 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 07
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