Lakeville Planning Board Continues Howland Road Hearing, Debates Battery Storage Bylaw

Planning Board · Meeting of July 23, 2026

Lakeville Planning Board welcomes new clerk, continues Howland Road hearing, and confronts new state zoning law. Acting chair David Lodge presided over the July 23 meeting after regular chair Michelle was called away on an emergency, with members Gay, Wilga, and Donna also present. The board unanimously voted to remove the fee schedule from its rules and regulations to allow future updates by board vote rather than public hearing, pending legal sign-off from consulting firm Serped.

A public hearing on L and B Realty Trust's drainage modification at 92 Howland Road was continued to August 13 at 6:35 p.m., with peer review by the town's consulting engineer still outstanding. Board members discussed new variance and special permit rules embedded in House Bill 5555 — the state's fiscal year 2027 appropriations act — which took effect retroactively July 1 and significantly relaxes the standard for granting a variance, with Lodge warning it is "a huge, huge change" that inverts longtime local practice. The board also approved a July 30 Zoom meeting on a Lakeville Country Club matter and heard a site update on Pinecrest Village, where recent heavy rains again sent silt down Pinecrest Drive despite developer improvements; no lots will be released until Beals and Thomas completes a peer review of the Conservation Commission's order of conditions.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 2,719 words

Source: the Planning Board meeting of July 23, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.