The Buzzards Bay Coalition (BBC) purchased 4 Tannery Lane in the Russells Mills Village Historic District and will demolish the house and build a public park with a parking area — without ever asking the community if we were in favor of the project.

The house has not yet been demolished. BBC could put the property back on the market with a conservation restriction on the land— protecting the open space permanently without demolition or a public park and parking lot. We believe this is the better outcome for Russells Mills — and for Dartmouth.

Our Concerns

1.     Historic character: 4 Tannery Lane sits inside the Russells Mills Village Historic District and has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1985. Demolishing the house and creating a park is inconsistent with the historic character the District seeks to protect.

2.     No community input: BBC never presented its plans to the community before purchasing the property. A project that changes this village permanently deserves a real public process first.

3.     Traffic and safety: The 4 Tannery Lane entrance sits at an awkward, narrow bottleneck on Rock O’Dundee Road. During local events, overflow parking and pedestrians spill onto the streets because there are no shoulders or sidewalks. 

4.     There's a better option: 

• BBC could put the property back on the market with a conservation restriction on the land.

• This would protect the open space permanently without demolishing the house. 

• The property back on the tax roll for the Town of Dartmouth.

We are asking the Buzzards Bay Coalition and the Town of Dartmouth to pause this project, consider the private sale of 4 Tannery Lane, and have a genuine public process with the community before any final design moves forward.

I support preserving the house at 4 Tannery and conserving the land.