4 Tannery Lane to be discussed at June Town Meeting

Whether to appropriate $575,000 from the Community Preservation Committee to purchase a permanent Conservation Restriction for Davol Field at 4 Tannery Lane will be voted on at Town Meeting on Tuesday, June 2. 

If the conservation restriction is approved, the property would be permanently protected from development and limit use to  land conservation. Currently, the land is zoned to allow for a park to be constructed. The Buzzards Bay Coalition owns this property and is the one seeking the conservation restriction. 

If approved,  the Coalition would demolish the house on the property, and potentially turn it into a public park — a proposal that concerned some residents. 

Back in April, the Russells Mills Historic District Commission voted to deny the request for a conservation restriction. However, they filed this with the Building Department rather than the town clerk so their denial was turned down. 

The Coalition wants this property because with rising sea levels and the property’s low level, this could be a place where salt marshes could migrate. Located behind Davoll’s General Store, the property neighbors the Slocums River.

The main concern raised by residents was that there are many public spaces already in the area, and another would only add extra traffic and pollution. 

Town Administrator Cody Haddad emphasized that the Town Meeting article isn’t to approve building a park but to  approve a conservation restriction. Even if the conservation restriction is not approved by Town Meeting members, the Buzzards Bay Coalition has the legal right to turn it into a park.

“You may not like the answer of they’re separate, but they are separate,” said Haddad. 

Others pointed out that there is a housing crisis in town, and that the house at 4 Tannery Lane could be used as a single-family residence. Some residents mentioned specifically buying their property and spending money to preserve their historical nature, and don’t want to see the Tannery Lane house torn down. 

Some members of the public said they felt they were kept “out of the loop” with this project, regardless of there being multiple meetings within the Conservation Commission and Buzzards Bay Coalition. 

Many of the abutters emphasized their support for the Coalition, regardless of their dislike for this project.