Special town meeting added to civic calendar for May 19

Robert Barboza Correspondent 

Published Apr 26, 2021

LAKEVILLE — With the Annual Town Meeting already scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday, May 19, selectmen recently voted to authorize an early assembly of voters at the high school for a 6:30 p.m. Special Town Meeting on the same night.

The payment of unpaid bills from the previous fiscal year, funding for some capital improvement projects, and transfers of funds to make adjustments to various municipal budgets are among the handful of items voted for the Special Town Meeting warrant.

The first article seeks approval to use $6,231 in available funds to pay outstanding bills from last year; the second asks voters to use $80,000 in available funds to supplement budget accounts for a variety of town departments.

The following article seeks appropriations from various sources to fund a small list of capital expenditures in the present fiscal year. The last proposes to take $45,000 from the Parks Retained Earnings account and use it to replace anticipated parks revenues lost this summer due to the continuing coronavirus pandemic restrictions.

In other business, selectmen formally voted to approve a Taunton Water Line connection for Lakeville Owner LLC, a company formed by Rhino Capital LLC to handle the redevelopment of the Lakeville Hospital site at 43 Main Street. The company is authorized to use up to 6,045 gallons of water per day from the city’s water line running by the site.  

The redevelopment plans for the 50-acre property being purchased by Rhino Capital LLC were recently approved by the Planning Board, calling for a 402,500 square foot building sited just over 400 feet from Main Street, and outfitted with 128 loading docks for tractor trailers.

Looking just across the street from that site, selectmen had no official comment for the Planning Board on its review of site plans for a Domino’s Pizza restaurant at 56 Main Street, in the Dollar Tree plaza.

The only informal comment was Chair Lia Fabian’s suggestion that the parking lot seemed a little “tight” to accommodate a drive-through lane behind the building, but it was noted that the site plans for the Dollar Tree store had included space for a small restaurant with a drive-through window to be located in the structure.

Selectmen also voted to sign an Affordable Housing Restriction amendment for the nearby Residences at Nemasket River, allowing owners to change the constructed housing units from rental apartments to for-sale units. The Planning Board has already endorsed the modification of plans for the affordable housing development along several roads off Main Street near the Lakeville MBTA station.

All the new development in the neighborhood has sparked resident concerns about traffic congestion in the near future along that section of Main Street between Vaughn Street and the Middleborough town line.

Selectmen were glad to hear State Senator Michael Rodrigues recently report that the nearly-finalized state budget plans contain $2.5 million for traffic lights and intersection improvements at the Bridge Street intersection.

Another $1 million in unspent funds from a 2018 transportation bond could also be used for Mass Highway improvements to Route 105 in the area if needed to mitigate the traffic increases from projected development in the near future, the legislator indicated.

With group gathering restrictions being eased in Massachusetts, the board saw fit to approve a request from the Sunken Island Bike Race organizers to use town roads on July 10 for the event. Selectmen said the 14-mile route would be partially obstructed between the hours of 8:30 and 10:30 p.m.; in return for the approval, the organizers will donate a portion of the race profits to a local charity designated by the board.