On July 11, 1973, the Norwood Board of Selectmen authorized the formation of a special committee to develop a multiphased action plan for the acquisition and development of Ellis Pond.
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This decision followed a lengthy and contentious debate involving pond owner Robert A. Fairbairn, local neighbors, the Norwood Sportsmen’s Association, and engineers from Fay, Spofford & Thorndike. The new committee, which includes Selectman Walter J. Dempsey, Town Manager John P. Mogan, Mr. Fairbairn, and representatives from engineering, conservation, and neighborhood groups, is tasked with creating a schedule of progressive projects to be presented to the town. The committee will aim to present these projects to the town meeting one at a time, beginning with a purchase request at a special session this September. ⠀
The discourse centered on a $13,500 engineering report that recommended a $770,000 project to purchase Ellis Pond and the adjacent Guild Pond, dredge the bottom, and repair the dam to create an area suitable for boating, fishing, hiking, and ice skating. Mr. Fairbairn expressed skepticism regarding the town’s intent, citing a three-year delay that he claimed cost him $2,000 annually in taxes. Meanwhile, local neighbors proposed a “palatable” alternative, suggesting that the total cost could be reduced by 55 percent by limiting dredging and scaling back dam repairs. Further complications arose from the Norwood Sportsmen’s Association, which expressed concern that their clubhouse and leased land on the site would be jeopardized by the proposed use of federal aid, which restricts private group use of acquired land. The board also discussed the logistics of financing, noting that while 50 percent federal and 25 percent state reimbursement might be available for land acquisition, funding for development costs remains significantly more uncertain.
Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger
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