Lakeville approves $150,000 to design new police station; site choice cleared for petition to state

Town meeting voted to borrow $150,000 to pay for design and related professional work for a proposed new Lakeville police station and then approved the site recommended by the feasibility committee.

The meeting’s first vote on the borrowing -- the portion of Article 4 that authorized the town treasurer, with selectmen approval, to borrow under Chapter 44 for design costs -- required a two‑thirds majority and passed after a counted vote. The tellers reported 169 in favor and 25 opposed; the moderator declared the measure approved by more than the required two‑thirds.

The second, separate portion of the warrant article asked voters to approve siting the police station on the lot adjacent to the senior center and Federal Municipal Park (referred to in the presentation as the Precinct Street site) and to allow town officials to petition the General Court if state legislation is needed for that location. That portion passed by a majority vote.

Why it mattered: Architects hired by the feasibility committee told the meeting that Lakeville’s existing public safety buildings are undersized and not seismically stable for continued public‑safety use, and that substantial structural retrofit costs made reuse impractical. Joe Milani of Castle Boos Architects summarized a study that produced a space‑needs assessment, existing‑condition surveys and a site evaluation. The committee prioritized a new police station on the Precinct Street site, a replacement or substantial renovation for the existing fire station on Bedford Street, and renovations/additions to the town offices so the historic Pump House could remain municipal space.

“The police station is most compatible with Site 4C, adjacent to the senior center and Federal Municipal Park,” Joe Milani said during the presentation. He described a single‑story, residential‑scale building sited back from the road to blend with the town’s semi‑rural character.

Selectman Charles Evers, who helped lead the feasibility committee, said the $150,000 is “only the very first step in a very large project” and that the town will seek grant money and consider rolling initial design debt into a later debt exclusion for the full project.

Opposition and concerns: The planning process and siting drew questions from several attendees about alternative locations (including a Route 18 parcel) and about the impact on parkland and tree cover. Evers said the park commission had reservations about siting adjacent to the athletic club because it would remove a tree buffer and open a clear‑cut view from the road; the committee consulted the park commission in selecting the Precinct Street location.

What happens next: With design funds authorized, the town can engage architects and other professionals to prepare designs, drawings and bid materials. Voters also approved the site authorization so the selectmen may pursue any necessary legislative approval. Further funding for construction would require later votes and likely additional financing decisions.

Votes, as recorded in the meeting: borrowing/design authorization (Article 4, portion one) — 169 yes, 25 no (two‑thirds required; passed); siting and petition to the General Court (Article 4, portion two) — majority (vote taken by show of cards; moderator declared passed).

Context: The Castle Boos feasibility presentation described deficiencies in the 1930s police building and earlier additions to the pump house and town offices. The firm recommended new construction for public safety functions and retaining the pump house/town offices on the existing town offices site because of a deed restriction tying that parcel to municipal use.