Lakeville zoning board hears archaeological review for Simmons Hill development, continues hearing to Oct. 20

The Town of Lakeville Zoning Board of Appeals reopened the continuation of Simmons Hill LLC’s comprehensive permit application at a meeting held at Loon Pond Lodge, focusing on an archaeological review of the proposed subdivision and public concerns. Duncan Ritchie of Public Archaeology Laboratory (PAL) presented a September 2024 memorandum summarizing a background archival review and walkover survey of the project area.

Ritchie said PAL’s work identified zones of “moderate and low archaeological sensitivity” in the project area and that there are no known or recorded archaeological or historic sites on the Massachusetts Historical Commission (MHC) statewide inventory within the Simmons Hill parcel; the nearest recorded sites lie more than a half‑mile to the south across the town line in Freetown. He explained the inventory map showing recorded sites and the project’s half‑mile search radius could not be included in the public memorandum because the MHC restricts public access to that dataset to protect sites from unauthorized excavation or…