Medeiros Farm Project Goes Ahead

The Medeiros Family Farm on Lincoln Street has been the source of much discussion.

In 2022, the Town of Seekonk bought the 40 acre property for $2 million.

At the May 2023 Town Meeting, the Town voted to appropriate $150,000 from the Community Preservation Fund  to seek, hire, and direct a consultant to develop a master plan for the Medeiros Farm project at Elm Street and Lincoln Street. A seven member committee was appointed to oversee the project.

Town Administrator Shawn Cadime explained the first phase of the project involved a conceptual drawing submitted to the May 2025 Town Meeting for their approval. No money has been allocated for construction of any kind.

The Medeiros Farm Committee has hired an architectural services firm to draw up designs for the property.
The project will use Community Preservation Act (CPA) funding and will not affect the tax rate. The CPA allocation for the design phase is $825,000.

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

“While Seekonk has been successful in preserving open space, establishing trail access and opening their 1st community playground, demand exceeds availability,” the plan states.

Here are the details of the plan for the Medeiros property that were presented to town meeting:

Parcels 1 and 2, comprised of 7.85 acres of open fields, would be used for active recreation needs and developed into new athletic fields to keep pace with the increasing demand from residents.

Parcel 3 and 4, comprised of 32.27 acres, would include two more athletic fields, as well as 3 acres of community gardens, over 22 acres of open space with community trails, and the historic preservation of five buildings from the original farm property. In preparation for this plan, Seekonk’s local Historic Commission toured the property, examined the buildings, and deemed them to be significant to the town’s history - a necessary step to ensure that the buildings would qualify for CPA historic preservation funding. Among the assets being preserved are:

• The Farm House, which will be converted into offices and storage space
• The Garage and Egg Barn, both of which will be transformed into the home of a new historic museum on the site
• The Chicken Coop, which will be used as an extension of the historic museum and additional equipment storage
• The Greenhouse, which will be incorporated as a part of the planned community gardens

In a November 30, 2021 article on the Community Preservation Coalition website, CPC Chair John Alves said the town was “indebted to Paul Medeiros, executor of the Medeiros estate, for accepting the appraisal value and resisting the pressures of land developers.”

At the committee’s September 29 meeting, residents expressed concerns about multiple soccer fields being placed on the land.

Justin Sullivan, serving as the Select Board’s representative on the committee, said the Medeiros Farm would be used for many different sports, not just soccer, due to a shortage of fields in town.

“We love our neighborhood,” said Jill DeMello. “We love the peacefulness of it.”

DeMello worried about the increased traffic and possibility of accidents if the soccer fields are placed on the Medeiros property.

“I’m a walker,” DeMello explained. “I’m worried about my safety and my family’s safety. It’s scary to us.”

“Soccer fields don’t belong in the middle of the neighborhood,” said Manuel Sarmento. “You can’t walk on Lincoln Street because the cars almost run you over.”

Committee chairman David Sullivan pledged to work with the residents as the project continues to develop.