Finance Commission Backs Major Appropriations For Upcoming Special Town Meeting
The Norwood Finance Commission will recommend that voters spend nearly $2.5 million at the special town meeting next Wednesday, Chairman Joseph W. Wall said last night.
Mr. Wall said $2.3 million will be recommended for municipal electric department construction. He said the finance commission has had several meetings in executive session with the town manager and the superintendent of the electric department to study the need for the appropriation.
The funds will cover the construction of high voltage lines extending two miles from the Norwood–Sharon line to Route 1 at Dean Street, the purchase of land and construction of a new power station at the Dean Street site, as well as new transformers and switching equipment for the station.
More than 40 residents appeared at a selectmen’s meeting Tuesday to protest the taking by eminent domain of some 55 acres for the proposed sewer line right of way.
$2.3 million will be obtained through borrowing over a 20-year period, if town meeting members accept the finance commission recommendation, Mr. Wall said.
Other recommendations include $163,000 for sewer construction to serve the George Clark apartment development off Nahatan Street, and $19,000 for renovation of the playgrounds at the Oldham and Cleveland Schools and Pleasant Street Park.
Requests for appropriations of $20,000 to draw up a master plan for the town and $8,000 for a study of the intersection of Route 1 and Everett Street will be advised against by the finance commission, Mr. Wall said.
He said the commissioners feel that the town is well established at this time and it is too late for consideration of a master plan.
The study of the Everett Street intersection should be under the jurisdiction of the selectmen, Mr. Wall said, and since the selectmen did not request the study, the finance commission will recommend the appropriation be indefinitely postponed.
Other articles in the 16-article warrant include a request for land for cemetery purposes and changes in zoning bylaws as recommended by the planning board.
An article requesting an appropriation for funds to construct a temporary “Bailey” bridge over the Neponset River at Pleasant Street will also be indefinitely postponed as the necessary funds have been transferred from the reserve fund, Mr. Wall said.
Finance commissioners James F. Foley and Robert A. Bulger have held recent meetings at the home of Chairman Wall, who is recuperating from heart surgery performed last month.
Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger
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