Norwood Plaza Tenants Offer to Fund New Traffic Lights, Other Town Business-August 11, 1977

⠀

Tenants of the Norwood Plaza are so eager to remedy persistent traffic and safety hazards at the intersection of Walpole Street and Wilson Street that they have offered to install traffic signals entirely at their own expense, Town Manager John P. Mogan announced during Tuesday night’s selectmen meeting. Even after being briefed on the substantial costs associated with such an installation, the shopping center group remained fully committed to funding the project. Selectmen readily approved forwarding the plaza’s petition to state transportation officials for formal review and approval.

Meanwhile, the Conservation Commission voted last night to continue a public hearing on developer James H. Shane’s proposed Park Place industrial park until the following week, pending receipt of further details regarding water storage areas on the 73-acre tract situated along Route 1. Meeting with representatives from Norwood Engineering Co.—including Richard Merrikin—the commission reviewed plans to fill a large eastern section of the site. However, members expressed concern that filling the area would significantly reduce critical water storage capacity and set an undesirable precedent for future developments. While initial proposals called for open loam-seeded drainage ditches that would eventually require town maintenance under an easement, the board reacted more favorably to an alternative suggestion from Richard Merrikin to line the sides of the ditches with durable traprock. Developer James H. Shane agreed to revise the engineering plans and present updated water storage solutions at a continued hearing scheduled for next Tuesday at 8:30 p.m.

In other local news, county health commissioners issued a definitive ruling regarding a dispute involving a linen company property at 1124-1126 Washington St. Owned by Bruno Bartucca and operated by proprietor Kevin Reardon, the firm faced complaints from the Reardon family regarding alleged nuisances. The commissioners ruled that the Reardons failed to demonstrate that the Board of Health had neglected or refused to pass proper abatement orders, finding that the board’s March directives were “reasonable and adequate to control” any violations and noting that local enforcement remains the responsibility of the municipal board rather than the county commissioners.

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