Lakeville conservation commission issues final warning to 160 Bedford Street property; DEP to be notified

The Town of Lakeville Conservation Commission voted unanimously Tuesday to send a formal warning to the owners and engineers for 160 Bedford Street, giving the project team two weeks to produce required peer‑review items and soil testing and to appear in person at the commission’s Aug. 26 meeting.

The commission said the site has been under review for more than a year and that staff and commissioners have received repeated complaints from neighbors about activity on the property, including parked trailers and construction equipment. Commission members told the applicant’s representatives they had not received required soils testing and peer‑review responses referenced in earlier comments, and that staff efforts to reach the project engineer produced no adequate response.

Commissioners voted to: require written submission and an in‑person appearance at the Aug. 26 meeting; bar any further continuances; notify the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) — including the hazardous‑waste/emergency response unit if warranted — and begin daily photographic inspections of the property by commission members to document activity and changes on site.

The warning letter will say that if the commission does not receive the required materials and in‑person responses by Aug. 26 the commission will seek DEP assistance and pursue enforcement options.

Commission members described multiple red flags: trailers and vehicles parked close to proposed detention areas, stockpiled gravel, a dumpster near wetland areas and repeated changes to the applicant’s filings. Commissioners said neighbors have reported odors and vehicle traffic; the commission said it will include those concerns in its communication with DEP.

Conservation Agent Mark Minton and staff will send the letter and coordinate DEP contact. Commissioners also instructed staff to record and retain the daily site photos and to document any observed spills, tracking of material onto the road, or changes to the site’s layout.

The commission framed the action as an effort to get the project team to take final, timely steps rather than re‑start enforcement cycles that could slow the town’s response. The motion carried with all members voting in favor.

The commission’s letter will state the August 26 deadline, that no further continuances will be accepted, and that DEP will be contacted if the commission does not receive the required materials.

The commission did not issue fines or a new enforcement order at Tuesday’s meeting; it reserved further action pending the applicant’s response and any DEP findings.

Background: the 160 Bedford Street matter has been before the commission for more than a year. Commissioners said the applicant submitted a Notice of Intent but repeatedly changed the filing and delayed required soil testing and seasonal high groundwater documentation that peer reviewers asked for. Neighbors have filed complaints about activity on the property and the commission has previously ordered a work stoppage; that enforcement has been modified in the past when the applicant submitted an NOI, commissioners said.

What’s next: The commission will send the warning letter immediately, arrange DEP outreach, and expect the applicant to appear in writing and in person on Aug. 26 with the requested peer‑review and soils evidence.