Thank You.
Several days have passed since the largest Town Meeting in the history of Lakeville and upon reflection, a few amazing things have happened here.
Over 1400 voters engaged in a process that, at its core, is the foundation of our democracy. Some of us take for granted the democratic process, and from time to time disconnect from it for a variety of reasons. On October 18th we had engagement. Although passage of the rezoning article required two-thirds approval, the vote (727 NO – 704 YES) was for all practical purposes split, the fact that such a number of residents were involved speaks volumes.
In the months leading up to this Town Meeting a small group of residents concerned about the detrimental effects to the town of this rezoning proposal, and the Sysco operation, started to meet and formed a group called "Lakeville Residents for Responsible Growth". They engaged with town officials and Sysco, were represented at every public meeting, asked lots of questions and did their homework.
Meeting one night a week in a garage, this group researched and provided information about this project to anyone and everyone who wanted to listen. They worked countless hours formulating strategy and executing that strategy in a constructive manner. They operated on a very small budget. With their talent, good old fashion Yankee ingenuity and diverse backgrounds they exemplify a cohesive group that was truly more than the sum of its parts. They had synergy. They were called scary, and they were.
Well, in the view of many, the town reacted properly to a proposed change that would have fundamentally weakened the fiber of our community and set us in a direction that most didn’t agree was a direction we wanted to go in. The town exhibited understanding, compassion and vision. The town understood and believed that we can do better.
So, now the challenge is to work to accomplish exactly that, something better.
The commitment this group has made is not to pack up and go home, because this is our home. The commitment is to engage. To engage in conversations and constructive involvement, with all parties, in an effort to guide the development of the hospital property and help produce something we will all be proud of. Our work is not over, just redirected.
Wish us luck!
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Friday, October 15, 2010
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Finance Committee member not buying Sysco bologna...and then some.
Of the thirteen elected town officials that make up the Selectmen, Planning Board and Finance Committee, who will be asked for their recommendation at Town meeting, only one individual had enough get up and go, to get up and go.
Norman Orrall paid an unannounced visit to the Sysco Norton site at 3:00AM recently and parked on the road in front of their facility for one hour and observed. As reported in the Middleboro Gazette (Oct 7) Mr. Orrall said, “I spent about an hour, from three to four, which is when I’ve been told they would be working to get trucks on the road. It’s not something I would want to live near. So, in good conscience, I can’t support it because of that.”
It would seem that the 400’ wide building doesn’t provide the sound buffer that Sysco’s Chuck Fraser has told us it would. The same argument he is using for the proposal in Lakeville. It’s safe to assume that Mr. Orrall heard more than, “nothing but crickets,” as Fred Casinelli told those in attendance at a recent Planning Board meeting.
Mr. Orrall observed what we have been saying for months, “you wouldn’t want to live near this.” At his 3:00AM visit he observed significant lighting concerns, noise, from trucks, truck air breaks, and back up alarm beeping. The reality is Sysco could wrap this entire property with a sound wall and it won’t be acceptable.
As a member of the Finance Committee, Mr. Orrall certainly has an understanding of the financial condition of the town and the real estimated contributions in new revenue from Sysco.Like many Mr. Orrall voted to approve the TIF, but unlike many he then did his due diligence. It’s truly unfortunate most of our town officials didn’t feel the need to do the same.
He studied the revenue side and determined that the Mixed Use proposal would have produced the same revenues as this project. The Mixed Use proposal was much less intrusive to the community and would have actually brought value to many residents.
However, we've been all through that. The time is upon us, we are at that fork in the road...take this town in the right direction.Vote NO on Monday.
On a personal note…
There have been many occasions in my thirty years here in town when the town has been faced with difficult decisions; we have usually made the right choice. The character of our town is much more than the trees on the side of the road, the open farmland, the beautiful waters and vistas.
Character starts from what’s within each of us. Character is measured by how compassionate we are to our family, our friends and our neighbors. Character is reflected in not what we say, but by what we do. Character can’t be bought and sold, either you have it or you don’t.
I moved here thirty years ago and raised a family, contributed to the community and have been blessed in many ways, and I’m proud to call Lakeville home. I have been involved in many town decisions over those years and have seen first hand the character of this community.
Monday evening we will see if the passing of years and our growth have changed our character. Change not measured by what we see outside, but by who we are inside.
This bog was created in an attempt not to alienate, but to educate. I hope you have found it to be that. I am saddened that through these last months I have lost some friends, however, I take some degree of comfort knowing that I have made many more new ones.
So, in the final analysis we will decide the future direction of our town as we have done for generations. I have every confidence that the character that has molded this town over those generations is still alive and living in Lakeville.
Peace.
Norman Orrall paid an unannounced visit to the Sysco Norton site at 3:00AM recently and parked on the road in front of their facility for one hour and observed. As reported in the Middleboro Gazette (Oct 7) Mr. Orrall said, “I spent about an hour, from three to four, which is when I’ve been told they would be working to get trucks on the road. It’s not something I would want to live near. So, in good conscience, I can’t support it because of that.”
It would seem that the 400’ wide building doesn’t provide the sound buffer that Sysco’s Chuck Fraser has told us it would. The same argument he is using for the proposal in Lakeville. It’s safe to assume that Mr. Orrall heard more than, “nothing but crickets,” as Fred Casinelli told those in attendance at a recent Planning Board meeting.
Mr. Orrall observed what we have been saying for months, “you wouldn’t want to live near this.” At his 3:00AM visit he observed significant lighting concerns, noise, from trucks, truck air breaks, and back up alarm beeping. The reality is Sysco could wrap this entire property with a sound wall and it won’t be acceptable.
As a member of the Finance Committee, Mr. Orrall certainly has an understanding of the financial condition of the town and the real estimated contributions in new revenue from Sysco.Like many Mr. Orrall voted to approve the TIF, but unlike many he then did his due diligence. It’s truly unfortunate most of our town officials didn’t feel the need to do the same.
He studied the revenue side and determined that the Mixed Use proposal would have produced the same revenues as this project. The Mixed Use proposal was much less intrusive to the community and would have actually brought value to many residents.
However, we've been all through that. The time is upon us, we are at that fork in the road...take this town in the right direction.Vote NO on Monday.
On a personal note…
There have been many occasions in my thirty years here in town when the town has been faced with difficult decisions; we have usually made the right choice. The character of our town is much more than the trees on the side of the road, the open farmland, the beautiful waters and vistas.
Character starts from what’s within each of us. Character is measured by how compassionate we are to our family, our friends and our neighbors. Character is reflected in not what we say, but by what we do. Character can’t be bought and sold, either you have it or you don’t.
I moved here thirty years ago and raised a family, contributed to the community and have been blessed in many ways, and I’m proud to call Lakeville home. I have been involved in many town decisions over those years and have seen first hand the character of this community.
Monday evening we will see if the passing of years and our growth have changed our character. Change not measured by what we see outside, but by who we are inside.
This bog was created in an attempt not to alienate, but to educate. I hope you have found it to be that. I am saddened that through these last months I have lost some friends, however, I take some degree of comfort knowing that I have made many more new ones.
So, in the final analysis we will decide the future direction of our town as we have done for generations. I have every confidence that the character that has molded this town over those generations is still alive and living in Lakeville.
Peace.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Location…Location…Location
If there were 80 or 90 acres in an industrial park with good highway access in Lakeville where Sysco could relocate to, this might make sense. However, 68 acres on Main Street doesn’t.
So…let’s look at the site of the Industrial C Overlay District and the proposed Sysco distribution center…There is a lot here, its important stuff, and trust me it’s quicker to read than it was to write!
Main Street, Lakeville…As you enter our town from the north and encounter the largest food service distribution warehouse and trucking operation in New England operating 24 hours a day, I’m sure we can all agree it won’t give anyone who passes by that ‘welcome home’ feel, unless you live in an industrial park. For the distance of the entire length of the property frontage, which stretches ¼ mile, you will drive by a warehouse building up to 50 feet tall, an employee parking lot and yes, possibly a waste water treatment site.
In most towns the development of Main Street is done in such a way as to bring value to its residents. A place in town to go to that serves a purpose to its residents; a town center atmosphere, usually some combination of commercial and cultural that generates commerce and enhances quality of life. An area that encourages activity not discourages it.
Not with this proposal. Our most valuable land resource will be used for a 24/6 warehouse and trucking operation! This will provide no value for anyone; you won’t go there for anything…on the contrary it will be a place to stay away from. Apparently our town leaders don’t have a problem with this, maybe that’s because they don’t have any vision. How could anyone with the least amount of foresight not see this mistake? A former short-term Selectman Chuck Evirs even went so far as to publicly compare Sysco to the Pilgrim nuclear power plant in Plymouth, and SEMASS in Rochester! Yikes! The kicker is, he supports this project!
I would think most Lakeville residents would want to raise the bar some from this subterranean level. As an example, a quick look at the new Meditech proposal in Freetown highlights the following: 800 – 1000 NEW professional jobs (not 75), 128,000 sq. ft. office building (not 650.000 sq. ft. warehouse operating 24/6), No TIF…that’s correct they will pay full tax rate (not 43% tax reduction for 13 years). http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=201010050313 Gee, who would have guessed!
For quite some time our town leaders have looked at the Hospital property as a liability rather than an asset that should be developed properly to enhance the appeal of our town. Rather they have continually looked at this as a problem, not an opportunity.
The result of this Overlay District if approved will be to remove all the possibilities for reasonable, responsible growth on Main Street and shatter a positive vision for our town’s future development. Don’t let that happen.
The Infamous Dump Site…We have repeatedly heard some town officials misinform and scare residents regarding the town’s exposure for clean up costs of the former dump site on the property if Sysco were denied. They have portrayed this as a toxic waste sight that “no one else would ever pay to clean up if Sysco went away”, and “the town could get stuck with the clean up cost.”
After extensive study the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, in a report to National Development, dated May 24, 2006 concluded the following.
“Observations during test pitting identified solid waste consisting primarily of cans, bottles, rags, paper, plastic and construction and demolition debris including concrete, brick, asphalt, wood, roofing shingles, bulky waste items (appliances), flooring materials and scrap metal. No observation of medical waste was made during site reconnaissance exploration work.” The report goes on to say, we have “concluded there is sufficient data to indicate that the Landfill does not pose a significant threat to the surrounding environment and nearby sensitive areas.” The corrective action recommended is to excavate and remove solid waste material down to granular soils.
Unlike what some would have you believe, your hair won’t turn green and a third eye won’t pop out from the center of your forehead from contact with this dump site.
Currently the estimated cost for site clean up, including building demolition is $5M. That is part of the ‘$20M property purchase and related cost.’ If Sysco doesn’t purchase this property it will still be developed. Don’t believe the paranoia that this will sit vacant for 20 years. National has owned the property for eight years and has had opportunities that didn’t work out for a variety of reasons, not the least of which was a global financial meltdown.
Contrary to public comments made by Janet Black, our town Assessor and Nancy Yeatts our Selectwoman regarding the town getting stuck with the clean up costs; Planning Board Chairman Jim Marot has discounted these claims as false and has explained that there are no circumstances that would necessitate the town to pay for the clean up if it didn’t choose to.
The 40B Housing Scare…Again some of our town leaders would have you believe if not Sysco; it could turn into a 40B housing complex. First of all Lakeville has its percentage of qualified units which means that we are in a position to be able to refuse additional projects of this type...they know that.
Secondly, a project of that nature would not be cost effective for a developer on this site. It would not make any financial sense, and consequently just not happen.
End of discussion.
Gridlock on Main Street…The installation of four new traffic lights from the Rte. 495 ramps to Bridge Street will be synchronized with each other so; we’re told traffic will just flow through the area. Glad to hear that. The addition of close to 460 truck trips every day, which averages one every two minutes for the time period from 3:00AM to 6:00PM, was starting to concern me.
Depending on what time of the day you are in the area you could have the pleasure of experiencing gridlock Lakeville style from a combination of the MBTA Station traffic, the largest apartment complex in Lakeville, Kensington Court, normal traffic from existing business activity in the area, and now tractor trailers everywhere! That’s what will be waiting for you on Main Street, after you navigate the backup coming off the Rte. 495 exit ramp.
Let’s not forget the early morning and afternoon bus routes that travel in this part of town and the children standing at those bus stops and traveling on those buses. As we turn the calendar and enter the winter season, imagine all this activity in the dark!
Size Matters…Forget about everything else for a minute and just look at the inappropriate scale and size of this monster. By Sysco’s own building standards and past practice, this is too big for the site. When compared to every other Sysco ‘cookie cutter’ building around the country there are none this size on a lot this small! None, Nada, Zero, Zip. As a point of reference, this build out is comparable to the entire Galleria mall complex, including their parking lots! Think about that for a second.
When asked why they would be cramming an operation this size on a lot this small, Sysco Project Manager, Thomas Bond responded that this project did present some “challenges”, and that in this area of the northeast it was very difficult to find a big enough piece of land with highway access. So…jam and cram it in, that’s what the Overlay District will allow them to do; don’t let it happen.
Stop the madness…vote NO on October 18th. We can do better!
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