The Lakeville Conservation Commission on Jan. 14 continued a public hearing on a Notice of Intent (DEP file SE 192933) for an after‑the‑fact seawall and pier at 3 Mona Street to the commission’s Feb. 11 meeting at 6:30 p.m. at the Lakeville Police Station.

The hearing matters because the structure was built without a wetlands permit in 2016 and remains within the waterfront buffer and flood zone; the commission said it wants a site visit and additional work to identify possible mitigation before deciding whether to issue an order of conditions. The applicant is pursuing Chapter 91 licensing for structures seaward of mean high water, but the Conservation Commission must first address Wetlands Protection Act requirements.

Jamie Bissonnette of Xena Consulting Engineer, appearing for the applicant, told the commission that the concrete structure was poured in 2016 and estimated it comprises roughly 159 square feet of concrete (about 474 cubic feet). Bissonnette said Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program reviewed the site and concluded the work “is not a take” because it was already in place; she also said the calculated effect on pond elevation is nearly unmeasurable (she reported a numeric estimate on the record). Bissonnette said removing the structure to restore compensatory storage could be more damaging than leaving it in place, and she discussed the practical difficulty of creating compensatory storage on the small lot (roughly 50 by 140 feet).

Abutter counsel Rachel Watsky of Watsky Law asked the commission to require mitigation, writing that allowing an after‑the‑fact filing “without requiring mitigation at all” would amount to treating unpermitted work as grandfathered. Commissioners asked to review the site in person and to consider off‑site mitigation if on‑site removal would harm the shoreline. Commissioners also discussed Chapter 91 licensing as a separate, necessary step for the applicant to obtain authorization from waterways regulators.

The commission agreed to schedule a site visit; Conservation Agent Mark Minton said he would circulate a date and invite commissioners. Commissioner John LeBlanc moved to continue the matter to the commission’s Feb. 11 meeting at 6:30 p.m.; the motion was seconded and the commission voted in favor.

The commission did not take final action on mitigation or an order of conditions at the meeting; members directed staff and the applicant to pursue a site inspection and to develop options for compensatory storage or off‑site mitigation ahead of the continued hearing.