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Developer presents overhaul for Lakeville Country Club, urges advisory opinion on eligible‑location status
Summary
Thorotic Development presented a plan to convert the 140‑acre Lakeville Country Club into a mixed‑use senior community with a refurbished 9‑hole golf course, multifamily condominiums, townhomes and a year‑round restaurant. The developer asked the planning board to seek a state advisory opinion on whether the site qualifies as an "eligible location" under recent zoning law changes; the board deferred an eligibility determination until formal zoning language and public hearings are filed.
Lloyd Geisinger, president of Thorotic Development, presented a redevelopment proposal for the Lakeville Country Club on Clearpond Road — a roughly 140‑acre property the developer said is adjacent to the town’s commercial corridor and within about a half‑mile of municipal water. Geisinger said the plan would convert the existing 18‑hole course to a refurbished 9‑hole course with upgraded practice facilities, a new clubhouse and a year‑round restaurant, while repurposing the remainder of the site for senior‑oriented multifamily condominiums and duplex townhomes.
Geisinger and members of his team, including Michael Devon (director of community relations) and counsel Matt Waller (Robinson & Cole), showed revised plans that remove previously proposed four‑story buildings and replace them with three‑story condominium buildings and duplex townhomes. Geisinger said the redesign reduces overall building height while preserving the overall program; he reiterated the developer’s expectation that initial condominium conveyances would begin in the months after construction starts.
A major focus of the presentation was whether the site qualifies as an "eligible location" under state guidance that, in some circumstances, allows certain municipal zoning changes to be adopted by a simple majority rather than a supermajority. The team explained that the eligibility rules emphasize infrastructure and transit access; they cited proximity to the Middleborough‑area commercial corridor and commuter rail station, and noted that the property is within roughly a half‑mile of the municipal water system and that the developer would propose extending water service to the site.
Matt Waller urged the planning board to authorize an advisory opinion request to the state EOHLC, saying an advisory opinion is not binding but could form a useful record to present to town meeting and, if necessary, in reviews by the attorney general’s office. Several planning board members and town counsel advised caution: the board should not determine eligibility before the formal zoning amendment language is filed and before the required Section 5 public hearing, and they raised open‑meeting concerns about voting on an advisory request without proper agenda notice.
During public comment and Q&A residents raised environmental and infrastructure questions. A resident asked whether natural‑heritage concerns (the presenter identified eastern box turtle habitat on the site) or wastewater treatment siting would affect the project; the developer said natural‑heritage review and wastewater due diligence are underway. Another resident asked whether the project would use town water from the outset; the developer answered that initial buildings would be served by municipal water once connections are completed. Questions about road connections (Reservoir Avenue), HOA terms and projected sales prices were also discussed.
The board requested more detail before taking any formal position: members asked for the draft zoning text, the fiscal impact analysis the developer said is due soon, and a more detailed master development agreement term sheet (the developer said he would provide a memo on business terms and zoning draft materials before the holidays). Planning staff and the board will compile a list of questions for the developer; the board confirmed it will hold the public hearing on zoning language after the required materials are filed and before the warrant closes.
No formal vote on eligibility was taken. The presentation is expected to lead to future filings (zoning amendment language, MDA outlines, fiscal impact report) that will be reviewed at subsequent meetings.
