Lakeville Faces Opposition to Proposed 6‑Million‑Cubic‑Yard Earth Removal Project

Lakeville Faces Opposition to Proposed 6‑Million‑Cubic‑Yard Earth Removal Project

Lakeville MA – A plan to extract more than six million cubic yards of earth from a 566‑acre property on Howland Road has drawn widespread criticism from residents, school officials, and an environmental organization.

Owner Carl Malloch has applied to the town for an earth‑removal permit that would remove 6,453,850 cubic yards of material from roughly 167 acres of the Howland Road site over a projected ten‑year period. Malloch says the work is necessary to address the property’s “steep and variable topography.” If approved, the cleared area could someday accommodate industrial or commercial development, including rail‑oriented uses.

More than 660 residents have signed a petition urging the Lakeville Select Board to deny the permit. The petition, sponsored by protectlakeville.org – a local citizens’ group formed in response to the proposal – lists concerns over safety, environmental impact, and community health.

The Freetown‑Lakeville Regional School Committee has expressed serious questions about the project, given its proximity to the Howland Road school complex that hosts Apponequet Regional High School, George R. Austin Intermediate School, and Freetown‑Lakeville Middle School. In a letter to the Select Board, committee members highlighted potential risks to student safety, disruptions to school transportation, limited emergency access, and general safety concerns about operating the schools during construction.

Specific worries cited include dust and particulate exposure, increased truck traffic during peak school‑bus hours, and the possibility of blasting or other disruptive activities coinciding with school arrival, dismissal, athletic events, or other periods of significant traffic volume.

The Freetown Select Board added that one of the proposed truck routes would travel down Freetown Street, raising concerns about road deterioration from heavy vehicles.

The Community Land and Water Coalition Inc. of Plymouth, an environmental group, has called for outright rejection of the plan. In a letter to the Select Board, the Coalition warned that the project could create a nuisance and pose “a risk of harm to the public health, safety and welfare that cannot be mitigated by conditions.”

The Lakeville Select Board will review the proposal on November 10 at a meeting held at the Lakeville Public Library on 4 Precinct Street. Malloch has not yet responded to a request for comment.