Town boards get more details on hospital redevelopment
LAKEVILLE — The Planning Board held its third public hearing on site plans for the proposed redevelopment of the Lakeville Hospital campus for a light manufacturing, warehouse or distribution center on Jan. 7. The joint meeting with Conservation Commission, Board of Health and Open Space Committee members lasted long into the night.
The Planning Board spent nearly four hours in a virtual meeting with developers, abutters, and town officials digging into the architectural details of the building, landscaping and lighting plans, and noise mitigation measures. More than an hour was spent on the findings of a study on projected noise from proposed operations, and discussing potential ways to minimize tractor trailer truck noise, back-up alarms, and the sounds of rooftop mechanical equipment at the site.
More time was devoted to speculating on who the prospective tenant of the new building might be, and how to develop noise control measures without knowing what kind of company will occupy the building.
Residents of the neighborhoods surrounding the site were especially concerned about truck noise and traffic issues, and have been talking to developers about those concerns in between the continuing public hearings, resulting in some slight modifications of earlier plans.
Tyler Murphy, representative of Rhino Capital LLC, a Boston-based investment and management firm which is buying the site, promised to keep that dialog with abutters and other neighbors open throughout the permitting and construction process. The corporation hopes to be “a good neighbor” that will cause as little disruption as possible, he repeatedly told residents and town officials during the hearing.
He said the final details of a noise mitigation plan would be worked out once a tenant is secured, and specific operations planned. The Planning Board, Board of Health, and Conservation Commission will all have input into those operating plans and noise control measures.
The corporation is proposing to tear down all nine existing buildings in the hospital complex and build a 402,500 square foot building to be leased to one or two tenants. Murphy said, “Given the size, given the use type, there’s not an endless supply of tenants that can use that space.”
A United Parcel Service delivery hub was mentioned as an example of the likely type of tenant; another company representative suggested that two tenants might rent parts of the space for different business operations.
Construction noise and a potential timeline were other concerns addressed at the session. Murphy indicated that asbestos removal, demolition and site remediation would take an estimated six to eight months, while construction would take another 10 to 12 months.
Among the site remediation measures needed is the clean-up of the old solid waste disposal site on the north part of the parcel, with all metals, tires, and other debris to be completely removed before the area is reclaimed. Inside the buildings, safe asbestos removal and disposal will be the greatest expense and most time-consuming process, he said; the demolition work is only a few days on the calendar.
The new building will be 45 feet high, much lower than the seven story building in the center of the 50-acre parcel. It would be sited just over 400 feet from Main Street, and fringed with 128 loading docks for tractor trailer truck deliveries and shipments.
An architectural consultant showed renderings of different color concrete panels to be used for the exterior walls, with clusters of glass windows marking the projected office suites around the main entrance. Views from Main Street would mostly be obscured by a belt of screening trees along the roadway; the first parking lot in front of the building is about 200 feet from the road.
The developers have planned for 564 parking spaces, and 130 spaces for truck and trailer storage. Nearly an acre of land would be dedicated to six snow storage sites scattered over the campus.
Planning Board Chair Mark Knox said his board reviewed about 150 pages of documents submitted since the December public hearing, including the peer review comments submitted by town consultants on the noise study and landscape plans, and Rhino Capital’s changes in those plans to address town concerns.
Among those changes was a more diverse planting plan, re-creating a “naturalized” New England landscape around the building and parking areas, ranging from sunny wildflower meadows to stands of mixed hardwood and evergreen trees. Many of the new species added were suggested by the Open Space Commission, and commission chair Adam Young also won a concession to plant some endangered species of trees on the property.
Landscape architect Bill Madden reviewed the plans, mixing canopy trees like maples and oaks with evergreens in masses along 10 to 15 foot earthen berms raised along residential boundaries to cut down on the noise reaching abutting properties. He said the developers were also sensitive to the views of abutters, and would work with them and the topography to do the best screening effort possible.
The trees and shrubs will enhance neighbors’ views, but do little to cut down on noise pollution, the corporation’s noise study consultant said. The earthen berms and parked trailer will help stop most sound from traveling to neighboring properties, he indicated.
Whatever noise control measures are taken, “there will be noise at times” heard by residential neighbors, said Rob O’Neal, the town’s reviewing consultant on the noise study.
One of the biggest concerns for residents of the neighborhood are increased traffic, with an estimated 680 vehicle trips per day projected in the study. Most of the day and early evening, an estimated eight to 30 tractor trailers per hour would use the site; when backing up, those trucks generate a 96 decibel warning beep.
Out of concern for neighbors along nearby Rush Pond Road, Planning Board member Peter Conroy suggested that noisy refrigeration units on the building be prohibited, along with businesses using refrigerated trucks that have to run all night.
Rush Pond Road resident John Ayers said that noise pollution, “especially at night, when you’re trying to sleep” is his biggest concern. Years ago, he was able to hear normal conversations on adjoining hospital property without problem, he noted; a loud conversation would be above 65 decibels, the experts said.
On the other side of Main Street, Lori Lane resident Mary Murphy she will have to deal with a tractor trailer accelerating from the stop sign at Main Street, spewing diesel fumes and revving through the gears, every 15 minutes or so, including during the night. “It will be unbearable,” she predicted.
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