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
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