Liquor License Request Tabled In Norwood-This Day In Norwood History-June 19, 1974

Selectmen Postpone Decisions on Commercial Expansion and Address Resident Complaints

Unresolved business dominated the Board of Selectmen meeting last night, as decisions on a variety of local restaurant and amusement licensing requests were deferred. Action on common victualler, restaurant, and all-alcoholic beverage licenses for John Cornetta of The Horse Shoe Restaurant on Route 1 was postponed until next Tuesday’s meeting. The deferral comes as legal counsel represents neighbors who are actively opposing the license extension, which includes an outdoor patio area. Selectmen asked for a report from Town Counsel Everett J. Barton on the issues in time for them to make a decision at next Tuesday’s meeting.

Continually pointing to local zoning bylaws, attorney William F. Peters maintained that the board did not have the authority to grant an extension of The Horse Shoe‘s present licenses to include an outdoor area. He also raised the same legal objections to consideration of an unsuccessful application to license the Mia Pizza Gardens on Route 1 as precedent for the co-premise consumption of liquor can be granted at the same premises as a package store license. A gift shop adjacent to the restaurant licenses, Mr. Cornetta‘s attorneys presented a plan showing the proposed expansion area with a grating fence, but Mr. Peters questioned the adequacy of the solution. They also argued last night that there is no provision in licensing laws permitting the board to grant seasonal licenses for outdoor food and drink-serving, such places as the patio area proposed at the Route 1 restaurant. Mr. Peters contended that the board has in the past restricted licenses allowing serving of alcoholic beverages only to areas in hotels and at special premises like stadiums.

Although Mr. Peters said residents called upon by Mr. Mitchell voiced their support for the license extension, there was also vocal opposition from other neighbors. One, Harold J. Sparks Jr. of 70 Dean St., complained that he had had to expect excess noise from outside speakers in past years at the place, even after it was voted illegal by selectmen last year. He took issue with Mr. Cornetta‘s statement that the noise problem from the music had been solved by moving the speakers 30 feet away from East Cross Street. He also said that Mr. Cornetta had told him, “You’ll be sorry.” Sparks told selectmen and police, “And, although he did not hit me, when I left The Horse Shoe lease, he said that my car would be blown up or my car splattered with a bucket of paint.” He said that happened three years ago and it is not resolved.

Mr. Sparks also said to Chief of Police Frank R. Anis that police participating in after-hours drinking at The Horse Shoe were drinking with the owners and other abutters. He said police were “in a bad light” with police. He complained that a one-way street sign at The Horse Shoe has been used by patrons and cars have been hit twice, most recently on June 4, costing him $240. Asked whether there was a buffer zone between The Horse Shoe zoning room was built for a buffer zone with the residents, but the town split it with an appeal board variance years ago. Town Counsel Barton explained that buffer zone requirements did not apply because the property was located in the manufacturing zoning district where the restaurant’s function room was built.

In other business, Mr. Cornetta told selectmen he planned to operate his Mia Pizza Garden from the middle of May until the end of September. It would close each day at 11 p.m. Selectmen’s First Board moved to deny the license extension application due to the board’s past precedent on the matter. Although Selectmen Chairman John F. Albanese asked someone to second the motion, he failed to second the motion, he could not garner any more votes and asked for a town counsel report to get a report from; counsel was passed unanimously.

In other action at last night’s meeting, selectmen:

• Approved a request for the recreation department to run a youth program in the municipal parking lot behind the Norwood Cinema on Route 1 on July 4, like the Stop & Shop parking lot. The approval is a tentative approval from police.
• Were informed that the state public works department has been requested by Town Manager John P. Moylan to evaluate the possibility of constructing a pedestrian bridge or flashing light at Dean Street for the safety of the 150 or more children who must cross the highway to get to the new Junior High South. The board had received a letter from Walpole Selectmen asking if the request for pedestrian bridges at Route 1 or a light at Dean Street for Dean Street in Norwood was for real. The letter from Walpole selectmen’s committee, that also includes Westwood, was sent to the board relative to its delegate to the committee, Joseph F. Curran, who said the group has not yet been able to meet.
• Granted a license to allow Samson Motors Inc. to run an auto salvage service for the town’s elderly. It is sponsored by Star Market Co.
• Postponed any action for one week on the fees structure to change portion of a parcel of land from the Purgatory Brook to the conservation commission name from our owner Ruth C. Nemeth. Selectmen told Ruth S. Nemeth that the board is not against the proposal, but that accepting the parcel, which was given as a gift from mixed action, might take it out of the tax rolls without any real benefit to the town. They asked her to hold out until a plan to define the terms is given to the town land along the brook, and if the town accepts any acquisition program in mind to protect the area.

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