Lakeville voters approve zoning change allowing up to 70% lot coverage in business, industrial districts

Lakeville — Voters at a special Town Meeting approved a petitioned amendment to the town zoning bylaw that creates a density bonus permitting up to 70% lot coverage in the town's business and industrial districts if projects meet specified design and site-review standards.

The petition, presented by Merrick, who brought the article forward by citizen petition after the annual meeting, would add a new Section 5.10.4 (Density bonus). The bylaw language allows up to a 10 percentage-point increase in lot coverage for full compliance with building design standards in Section 7.6.0.3 and an additional 10 percentage-point increase for compliance with site design standards in Section 7.6.0.4, for a maximum of 70% total lot coverage of structures, parking and paved areas within the lot receiving the bonus.

The measure was debated for more than an hour. The planning board recommended the article after holding a hearing on July 15, a planning-board representative told the meeting. Merrick said he pursued the petition after the article failed at annual town meeting by one vote and he collected more than 280 signatures to place it on the special-warrant…