LAKEVILLE, Mass. (October 19, 2010)—Lakeville residents have put an end to Sysco’s plans to develop a 650,000-square-foot distribution center at the former Lakeville Hospital, rejecting Monday the zoning change necessary for the project, enterprisenews.com reported on Oct. 19.
The zoning change was defeated by a margin of 727-704 at a town meeting, enterprisenews.com said noting that traffic was backed up for nearly a mile at 7 p.m. when the meeting was scheduled to start.
Sysco, a food-services provider, is currently located in Norton and town officials there hope that the distributor will change its mind about moving to a new location. Nevertheless, Sysco Boston LLC president Fred Casinelli said that the company has now set its sights on neighboring Middleboro, Mass.
Opponents, headed by the Lakeville Residents for Responsible Growth, say the site should be used for retail development and had promised to bring at least 300 votes against the center to the meeting.
Norton has offered Sysco the town’s vacant 440,000-square-foot General Motors facility and hopes the company will consider expanding the building.
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