Norwood Planning Board Seeks Four Zoning Changes for Upcoming Special Town Meeting-August 9, 1965

Proposals Address Residential Rezonings on Pleasant Street and Sunset Avenue, Consolidated Shoe Company Plant Code Clarifications, and Special Permits for Apartments; Selectmen to Weigh Proposed Young Adult Club on General Street

NORWOOD — The Planning Board has agreed to submit four major zoning code amendments for inclusion in the warrant for the upcoming Special Town Meeting, forwarding its formal request to the Board of Selectmen. Following public hearings, the four proposed changes encompass residential rezonings, industrial clarifications, and apartment regulations:

• Residential Rezoning: Responding to appeals from property owners, the board will ask town meeting to rezone several parcels of land along Pleasant Street, Sunset Avenue, and Talbot Avenue back to general residence use. The parcels had been reclassified for manufacturing several years prior, preventing residents from constructing homes on their property.
• Plastic Footwear Manufacturing: Prompted by the Consolidated Shoe Company—which sought a code clarification before constructing a new plant off Everett Avenue—the board proposes amending Table A, Section M, to explicitly permit the use of plastic materials in footwear manufacturing within manufacturing zones.
• Route 1 Highway Uniformity: A series of articles will seek to convert remaining patches of land along Route 1 currently zoned as “trunk highway business” into the “manufacturing” category to establish zoning uniformity, aligning with the predominant commercial classification along the highway.
• Apartment Permits in Manufacturing Districts: The board agreed to sponsor an article requiring developers to obtain a special permit from the board of appeals before constructing apartment houses in manufacturing districts. This measure aims to limit apartment density and grant the appeals board tighter control over minimum standards and construction oversight.

Selectmen to Consider Proposed Young Adult Club on General Street

In separate municipal business, the Board of Selectmen will review a permit request during their regular session tomorrow night from Thomas DiFrancia of 74 Norton Drive to establish a commercial young adult club. Proposed for General Street in the building that recently housed the former First National Stores market, the club would cater to young adults aged 17 to 20, providing a venue for dancing and entertainment. DiFrancia argued that similar ventures in Taunton, Hingham, Nantasket, and Detroit have operated successfully with minimal delinquency issues. Tentative operational plans include employing a minimum of three police officers four nights a week alongside adult supervisors to ensure strict security and order.

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