Conservation Commission Approves Proposed Auto Body Shop Near Hawes Brook-August 22, 1979

A contentious meeting of the Norwood Conservation Commission resulted in the approval of an order of conditions for a proposed auto body shop at Washington Street and Alandale Parkway, but not before more than 20 disgruntled South Norwood residents voiced fierce opposition. Proposed by Richard Spicer of Rick’s Auto Body on East Hoyle Street, the commercial project is slated for a parcel located within 100 feet of Hawes Brook.

Nearby homeowners expressed grave concerns that the development would exacerbate chronic local flooding and introduce severe pollution risks to the adjacent brook. Beyond environmental fears, however, the hearing tapped into a deep reservoir of community resentment regarding municipal planning decisions. “When you don’t want something, you dump it in South Norwood,” one angry resident protested during the session, while another shouted, “It’s about time the people of South Norwood stood up for their rights.”

Board members countered that the property was already legally zoned for business, emphasizing that their statutory duty was strictly to establish stringent environmental safeguards rather than rule on zoning suitability. “We’re not against you guys,” board member Maurice Baker assured the packed room.

To mitigate environmental hazards, the commission incorporated rigorous mandates into the final order of conditions based on plans submitted by Richard Merrikin of Norwood Engineering Co. The approved design for the 52-by-52-square-foot shop and its 17 parking spaces includes:

• A mandatory six-inch bituminous berm surrounding the entire lot.
• Grading contours engineered to completely prevent water runoff onto Washington Street.
• Strict requirements that all oil and gas spillage from vehicles awaiting repair be contained in suitable receptacles.
• Catch basins equipped with specialized “gas traps” to capture petroleum runoff.
• A strict prohibition against adding two feet of landfill to the property.
• A stipulation disconnecting specific catch basins from the existing town drain on Washington Street, unless the municipal drain is subsequently enlarged to handle increased volume.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger