Planning Board Public Hearing Date Set

Through a series of three Planning Board meetings over the past couple of months a document to create an Industrial Overlay District for the hospital property to accommodate SYSCO has been developed.

The time line and process going forward will consist of one or two Planning Board “public hearings”, currently scheduled for September 14, and if needed a continuation on September 21. These meetings will be an opportunity for residents to voice their opinion of this rezoning and their position on the appropriateness of SYSCO on that property before Town Meeting. At the conclusion of these meetings the Planning Board will conduct an internal vote to approve or disapprove this article when it is presented at Town Meeting.

Town Meeting is scheduled for Monday October 18, and a vote will be taken to approve or disapprove this new Industrial-C Overlay District. If approved, another vote will be taken to approve or disapprove of changing the zoning of the hospital site, which is currently zoned under a Mixed Use Development District, to this new Industrial-C Overlay District.

In a nutshell this approach, to create an Overlay District, was taken on the advice of town counsel, and at the request of SYSCO, because both parties knew that this project could not go forward under our existing Industrial zoning by-laws. It is simply too big! Rather than force SYSCO to apply to the Board of Appeals for five or six variances, that could all be appealed if granted, this was the most expeditious route. In essence, throw out our existing Industrial Zoning Bylaws, in place to protect our residents, and create a nightmare Zoning District to accommodate SYSCO.

There are many significant differences between our current Industrial zoning bylaws and this Overlay District. Intensity Regulations, including lot coverage, building height, set back distances have all been changed. Existing Density Bonus calculations have been eliminated.

Not to be missed with discussion of the zoning legalese, is the practical matter of the largest food warehouse and trucking operation in New England being located on Main Street in Lakeville, adjacent to the most densely populated area of town, and its negative effect on our residents and the town.

Please plan to attend these meetings, voice your opinion and vote!

PHASE II - REZONING

Well the TIF has been approved and in doing so the town has moved the process to the next stage, which is to see if SYSCO can live with our zoning bylaws and build and operate their business within those bylaws. If so, the town will be asked to approve or disapprove a rezoning change for that property from mixed use to industrial.

An article (Middleboro Gazette 6/24) recounts a Planning Board meeting on June 22, of which no notification or agenda was made public that included SYSCO and Selectmen to discuss an overview of how the project would be developed.

Two major points on concern from the article about that meeting:

1. This project is too big for the site. The proposed building and pavement cover more than the 50% allowed in our bylaws. The 100 foot set back between residential properties and the site would have to be reduced to accommodate this project.
2. Planning Board Chairman, Jim Marot apparently heard something no one else did at the Town Meeting. The article quotes Jim as saying, “I clearly heard them say they want to have SYSCO in there”. With all due respect to Jim, what the town said was that they approve the tax reduction for this proposal, and the process should move forward to the next stage and determine if SYSCO, with a zoning change could work The town DID NOT say to throw our current zoning bylaws out the window to accommodate this project. In fact, the moderator was very on point in not allowing discussion other than the TIF, saying that all the other concerns would be addressed during the rezoning process.

Once again, there are unpublicized meetings and an apparent rush to push the largest and most disruptive development the town has ever had through the process to meet a time line dictated by SYSCO.

We have to do better!

SPECIAL TOWN MEETING - JUNE 7th 6:30PM

A special town meeting with take place BEFORE the annual town meeting to approve or reject a TIF (tax increment financing) for Sysco to build in Lakeville. A positive vote would move the project along; a negative vote could possibly kill the project. The meeting will be held at Apponequet High School. BE SURE TO GET THERE ON TIME - 6:30pm- FOR THIS IMPORTANT VOTE.

Also, don't forget THURSDAY, MAY 27, 7pm - Public Outreach Meeting at Lakeville Library for more information on the proposed project and the TIF.

Be sure to pass these important dates along to all the Lakeville residents you know.

Overview

Your thoughts about Sysco developing a new warehouse and distribution center in Lakeville might depend on where in town you live. Folks in the southern part of town might think the development and tax revenue are just what the town needs, and the negative impact of this operation will be greatly outweighed by the revenue opportunities. On the other hand, if you live in the northern part of town you might think quite differently about the impact, and see this operation as completely inappropriate for either location under consideration. Certainly, the closer you live the greater the impact, however, we are all citizens of Lakeville and we should look at this as such.

Consideration to convert Lakeville Country Club into a 24/7 distribution center is completely ludicrous, but I guess stranger things have happened. The former Lakeville Hospital property at first glance might seem more appropriate, however, the number of residents in close proximity of that property make it also unacceptable. Most of us are not familiar with a warehousing and distribution operation of this size, that’s easy to understand, since there are not many of this size in all of New England. Sysco Boston, as they call themselves, is the largest food distributor in all of New England.

• No matter how you dress it up, this is a food warehouse and trucking operation larger than any other in New England.
  
  
• We’re told they will register approximately 300 pieces of equipment (tractors and trailers) in the town of Lakeville. Yes, that will generate additional tax revenue, but these trucks will also travel on our town roads, even though Sysco will tell you most will enter and exit Rte 495.
  
  
• We’re told on any given day, 150 trucks will leave in the morning and return after they make deliveries.
  
  
• The products they deliver will be brought into their facility by countless outside truckers 24/7.
  
  
• They load their trucks during the evening. This means safety back up alarms at approximately 100 decibels will sound all night long on every truck they back to the loading dock and then back into position in their yard. It also means that the refrigeration units on each trailer will run all night to keep their product frozen.
  
  
• The lighting of their warehouse and parking area will resemble that of a shopping mall, all night long.
  
  
• They will have a truck maintenance facility on site, have you ever seen or heard one of those?
  
  
• They will store and pump tens of thousands of gallons of fuel.
  
  
• They will most likely cool their giant refrigeration units with an ammonia based cooling system. Ammonia can kill you, and an ammonia leak requires neighborhood evacuation.

These are some issues that cannot be disputed. These, and more, are inherent to their business. An operation of this size and scope belongs in an industrial park setting, which is why industrial parks exist, not at either of these properties under consideration.

As a resident of Lakeville for close to 30 years I have supported the development of business in our town and think our industrial base has grown with a planned, well thought out strategy. I am conflicted with the opportunity for revenue for the town, versus the change in our neighborhoods and community that would result if Sysco were to move in. However, at some point I believe a more appropriate use of our land resources will surface and development that is more conducive to these locations will result. The current economic condition of our town, and every other town, might cause us to act in a way that we normally wouldn’t.

We need to be ever mindful that some decisions once enacted can’t be reversed, and a change like this for better or worse, will be permanent. If you feel as I do, that this is an inappropriate operation for either of these sites, please join with me and other concerned residents. Email syscolakeville@gmail.com or call me at 508-612-4726.

-Nelson Pratt