Jeff Smith, the organizer for TriFest, told the Town of Lakeville Park Commission on Feb. 13 that Loon Pond Lodge and the adjacent Ted Williams camp have shifted toward hosting weddings and that the change would make it difficult for the lodge to host both weddings and TriFest’s weekend setup.

Smith asked the commission to consider a $2,000 reduction in August rent, arguing the lodge owner would lose wedding business because of tents, railings and porta-potties associated with the TriFest weekend. Commission members said they understood the lodge’s aesthetic concerns but noted TriFest organizers had a signed contract and that the commission could not break or unilaterally modify that agreement at the meeting.

Peter told Smith the commission relies on event revenue and that the TriFest weekend is a major annual fundraiser. Commissioners said they were not prepared to accept the requested rent reduction on short notice and said the request would be discussed at a future meeting; Peter and other commissioners encouraged Smith to work with Melissa, the commission’s liaison, before seeking further action from the town manager.

During the discussion lodge manager Tim (surname not recorded in the transcript) told the commission he was concerned that outdoor event set-up over a multi-day period could undercut wedding bookings because of visible tents, railings and porta-potties near the venue’s photographed areas. Peter said the lodge’s business model had changed because it was now being promoted as a full-service wedding venue and that the venue’s dates were commercially valuable.

Commissioners noted the lodge’s monthly rent figure (recorded in the meeting as $10,000) and the TriFest weekend revenue figure (reported in the meeting as roughly $4,500), and they said the commission’s slim operating margins made a $2,000 concession difficult without additional justification. The commission invited event and lodge representatives to a future meeting to discuss logistics and possible mitigations, such as revised event layout or other compromises, but made no decision at the Feb. 13 meeting.

Ending: The commission said it would place the lodge’s request on a future agenda so commissioners can review the signed contract and hear any proposed layout changes before taking action.