Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use And Master Planning topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Owner of Lakeville Country Club asks planning board for public, village-scale master planning
Summary
Owner Derek Maxey asked the board to help convene public discussion and technical assistance for a long-term plan for the 40+-acre golf course property; residents urged preservation of open space and senior housing options.
Derek Maxey, owner of the Lakeville Country Club, appeared before the Lakeville Planning Board on March 13 to seek town input on a possible master plan for the club’s roughly 40-acre property.
Maxey said he has fielded multiple unsolicited development proposals — residential, industrial and mixed-use — and would like to convene a public, town-led planning effort to identify what the community wants for the site. He asked the board whether the town could assemble a small group, including residents and representatives from the Planning Board, Board of Health and other departments, to produce a concept plan that would guide future proposals.
Residents at the meeting urged preserving recreational uses and open space and suggested housing geared to seniors, including single-story or duplex-style units rather than large multi-story apartment buildings. Several speakers referenced a prior presentation from a developer (referred to in the meeting as Thorndyke/Thorndike) that some residents favored for a small portion of the site, while others warned against repeating large-scale projects they called undesirable.
Town Planner Nancy Durfee and multiple residents suggested the Town could seek technical-assistance grants from the state (MassDevelopment was mentioned) if the property owner and town agree and sign a participation letter. Durfee said such programs can fund community‑driven planning processes that pair developers and local stakeholders with technical advisers.
Board members and residents discussed specific constraints that will shape any plan, particularly water allocation, on-site wells, Board of Health requirements and access points — Reservoir Avenue, Crooked Lane and Claire Pond Road were all discussed. Maxey said the site already includes an existing public water supply and wells on-site but acknowledged that water allocation and septic capacity would constrain residential development.
Planning Board members asked Maxey to work with Nancy Durfee on a follow-up: Maxey said he will bring preliminary plans to Durfee so the board can decide whether to schedule a public hearing to discuss options and to invite technical assistance providers. The board agreed that any master-plan process should be public and that the town will consider pursuing state technical assistance if the owner concurs.
