Once again, a Wononscopomuc lakefront house is under scrutiny

LAKEVILLE — Another storm seems to be brewing along the shores of Lakeville’s Lake Wononscopomuc, stirred up by plans for a new house along the shore.

An Aug. 3 public hearing before the Planning and Zoning Commission drew property owners from around the lake but discussion ended abruptly when the application was withdrawn during the meeting.

The applicants, John and Caitlin McNiff, are seeking to enlarge a non-conforming structure — a house — at 151 Interlaken Road.

The application has drawn fire from the Lake Wonoscopomuc Association, whose members object on ecological and aesthetic grounds.

Before the continued hearing could get underway, Planning and Zoning Commission member Jon Higgins noted a potential conflict in that the McNiffs’ architect, John Allee, is an alternate on the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA); according to state law, a member of a land use board may not represent another party to another land use board. (Allee resigned from the ZBA the day after the hearing.)

The McNiffs’ attorney, Mark Capecelatro, requested a 10-minute recess to confer with his clients, and after the huddle asked that the application be withdrawn without prejudice — which means it may (and almost certainly will) be resubmitted at a later date.

And so the hearing ended, with interested spectators still arriving at Town Hall expecting a lengthy proceeding.