PLYMOUTH - June 23, 2026 - The Plymouth Select Board faced a wave of public scrutiny during its first “Town Hall on the Road” meeting of the year at the Cedarville Fire Station, where residents aggressively questioned the board’s recent decision to waive its right of first refusal on the massive 140-acre Landers property. While board members defended a negotiated conditional waiver as a no-cost avenue toward securing much-needed workforce housing and partial preservation, local citizens and dissenting board members criticized the deal as an unenforceable, closed-door concession that risks environmental degradation and unchecked sand mining.
The Full Story
The meeting opened with a somber note as the board observed a moment of silence for former Selectman Eugene Lane and veteran WATD journalist Bobbi Clark. However, the atmosphere quickly shifted to intense local policy debates as the board transitioned into its public question-and-answer session at the Cedarville Fire Station.
The primary catalyst for public outcry was the board’s recent majority vote to logistically bypass exercising its Chapter 61 right of first refusal on the PA Landers property in South Plymouth. The town had the option to acquire the 140-acre parcel for $5 million to ensure total preservation. Instead, a majority of the board executed a conditional waiver with local developer Matt Sheridan. Under this Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), the developer plans to build a residential development containing starter homes priced between $450,000 and $500,000, while voluntarily setting aside roughly 40% of the land for open space.
Select Board member Kevin Canty fiercely defended his participation in the vote, addressing concerns regarding his personal friendship with Sheridan by highlighting that he had formally filed a public disclosure statement. Canty argued that the deal effectively balances conservation with the town’s most critical crisis: housing affordability for residents under 35. Board Chair Deborah Iaquinto supported this stance, clarifying that the town simply could not justify adding a $5 million acquisition burden onto local taxpayers given its constrained fiscal resources.
Conversely, Select Board members Bill Keohan and Richard Quintal voiced strong dissent, alignment themselves with the frustrated audience. Keohan emphasized that the town possessed the financial capacity to buy the land using its robust Community Preservation Act (CPA) fund—which currently holds a multi-million dollar balance—without impacting the standard tax rate. Quintal expressed deep regret over how quickly the waiver was finalized, noting that alternative environmental partnerships and conservation coalitions were not given adequate time to secure competitive funding.
