Select Board adopts order of taking for Route 79, clearing last easements before construction

The Lakeville Select Board voted on Dec. 2 to adopt an order of taking for temporary and permanent easements needed for the Route 79 roadway improvement project and to award damages to affected property owners in the amounts set forth in documents on file.

Town staff described the package of takings as the final set required before construction can proceed. The town administrator said the board's approval will allow staff to record plans and related mylars with the registry; he characterized the step as “the real final step before construction is kinda, like, okay to go proceed.”

When asked for construction timing, staff said a pre-construction meeting should occur within the next month and that significant on-site activity is not expected until spring 2026. A board member noted the project has been on the Select Board agenda for years and said residents have been awaiting visible movement on the job: “I think people just wanna see it start,” the member said.

The motion to adopt the order of taking and to authorize damages as presented was moved, seconded and passed by roll call. The board recorded that these takings are for both temporary and permanent easements connected to the Route 79 improvement project and that amounts are set forth in documents prepared for and on file with the Select Board.

Next procedural steps identified by staff include recording the order and plans with the registry to permit the project to move toward construction and scheduling the pre-construction meeting.