Lakeville subcommittee elects leaders, sets phased plan to study town hall reuse

The Town of Lakeville Town Hall Building Reuse Subcommittee convened its inaugural meeting on Aug. 13, 2025, at the Lakeville Police Station, elected Maureen Candido as chair and Darren Beals as vice chair, and set an initial work plan that prioritizes an asbestos survey, evaluation of septic constraints under Title 5, accessibility improvements and phased reuse tied to the planned relocation of the fire department.

The subcommittee — appointed by the select board to make recommendations about current and future uses of the town hall once the fire station relocates — opened with organizational votes. The nomination of Maureen Candido, a member of the select board, for chair passed on a roll call vote; several members voted aye and one member recorded an abstention. The panel then approved Darren Beals, chairman of the finance committee, as vice chair by roll call.

The panel spent the remainder of the meeting reviewing a 2022 town hall and fire station feasibility study and discussing constraints and opportunities for reuse. Nate Dowling, building commissioner and zoning enforcement officer, summarized the feasibility study’s options: combine uses in the existing building; renovate parts of the existing building and build a new fire station;…