Select Board Approves Bid for Medeiros Farm Project

The Seekonk Select Board approved a bid award for CHA Consulting for design services for the Medeiros Farm project at Wednesday’s meeting. The vote was 4 to 1. Chair Michelle Hines, Chris Zorra, Pam Pozzi, and Michael Healy were in favor, with Gary Sagar opposed.

Rob Archambault, a candidate for Select Board, was highly critical of Town Administrator Shawn Cadime, who sits in on the Medeiros Farm Committee meetings.

Archambault alleged Cadime had “circumvented” the process where the committee would vote to make a recommendation for which firm should be awarded the bid.

“You’re overstepping your bounds,” Archambault told Cadime. “You hijacked their opportunity. You hijacked that committee.”

“I didn’t have a vote in any of this process,” Cadime stated. “I took everybody’s evaluation. I have the documentation. CHA was the vote of the committee. I didn’t circumvent anything. It was all public record.”

At the May 2023 Town Meeting, $150,000 was appropriated from the Community Preservation Fund to hire a consultant to develop a master plan for the Medeiros Farm at Elm Street and Lincoln Street. A seven member committee was appointed to oversee the project. David Sullivan is the Chairman. Sullivan also serves as Chairman of the town’s Planning Board. The other members all represent other town committees.

The Medeiros Farm Recreation and Park Master Plan outlined four objectives: active recreation, passive recreation, historic preservation, and a Community Park.

Residents from Elm Street and Lincoln Street expressed their opposition to having soccer fields in their neighborhood. They cited traffic and safety concerns.