Planning board continues review of proposed 6‑bay fire station at 28 Precinct Street

The Lakeville Planning Board continued the public hearing on the town’s proposed new fire station at 28 Precinct Street on Aug. 14 after technical and peer‑review issues remained open.

Spencer Lin of Park Corporation and Fire Chief Steve O'Brien presented revisions to the site plan for a 17,040‑square‑foot, six‑bay station, focusing on turning movements, grading and stormwater. Lin said the team modeled turning movements using a vehicle larger than the town’s current largest truck to create a conservative design and to prove access under a range of conditions. Chief O'Brien told the board the modeling exceeded the dimensions of Lakeville’s ladder truck and provided “a factor of safety” for future equipment needs.

Lin described the grading strategy in detail: Bedford Street sits at about elevation 87 and the station floor at roughly 90.5, a rise of about 3.5 feet over roughly 100 feet. The apron is graded at roughly 2 percent for a flat entry into the bays; the approach pitch up from the road is about 5 percent (the same slope commonly used for ADA ramps), which helps balance truck clearance and reduce the risk of “bottoming out.” Lin said the team confirmed the vehicle clearance and engineered the station ramp, apron and bay elevations so the rear of a long ladder truck will not “kick out” when backing in during cold or slippery conditions.

The applicant also reported a recent traffic and sight‑distance study done to respond to MassDOT comments; the consultant said observed conditions exceed AASHTO minimum sight‑distance recommendations. The firm measured sight distances of more than 800 feet in both directions, noting AASHTO minimums of roughly 425 feet. MassDOT’s comments to date focus on signage and trimming roadside vegetation to preserve sight lines; the applicant said it will propose AASHTO‑compliant warning signs and coordinate locations with MassDOT.

Public comment included residents who expressed concern about truck size and safety at other station locations; one resident said, “the fire truck was too big for the firehouse” during earlier local work. The chief and Park Corporation representatives said the design team and the fire chief are satisfied with the current engineering work but welcomed MassDOT’s input on signage and roadside pruning.

After the presentation and public comment, the planning board voted to continue the hearing to Sept. 4 to allow the applicant to respond to outstanding MassDOT and peer‑review comments and to provide draft conditions and any additional materials the board requests. The motion to continue passed unanimously.