Oldham Building Committee Awaits Construction Deadlines as Planning Board Weighs Town Map Revisions-August 31, 1964

As summer drew to a close in 1964, tensions mounted on two municipal fronts in Norwood: the Oldham Building Committee prepared to weigh potential legal action against a lagging prime contractor, while the Planning Board met to overhaul official town maps to align with newly adopted zoning bylaws.

Oldham School Completion Deadlines and Contractor Dispute

The Oldham Building Committee scheduled an important evening meeting to address lingering construction deficiencies at the Oldham School, which had opened late the previous winter amid ongoing disputes. Two strict completion deadlines had been imposed by the committee on July 6 upon prime contractor Melvin Goverman, acting on the advice of project architects Stoner Associates.

While an August 21 deadline for interior alterations—covering unfinished interior walls, doorways, floors, the boiler room, and various internal spaces—had already passed without formal administrative retaliation, the committee granted Goverman an extension to September 15 to complete outstanding exterior projects, which largely involved drainage and landscaping work.

Although committee chairman Joseph Olshan was temporarily out of state, School Superintendent Dr. Philip O. Coakley and fellow building committee members confirmed that tonight’s meeting would proceed as planned. Architects and committee members cautioned that failure to meet the final mid-September deadline to their satisfaction could trigger formal court action against the contractor.

Planning Board Reviews Town Map Changes and Dedham Builder Easement

Concurrently, the Planning Board convened under Chairman James T. O’Sullivan to review extensive updates required to bring the official town map into strict conformity with Norwood’s newly adopted zoning bylaws. The review encompassed the elimination of a designated “trunk highway” and the precise redefinition of residential and industrial zones. Board member Francis Wisgirda also presented findings on recodifying town bylaws for enhanced clarity, with officials anticipating that the comprehensive zoning adjustments would be finalized within six months ahead of the following year’s town meeting.

Additionally, the board scheduled discussions with Dedham contractor Paul Stivaletta regarding a proposed utility easement for his planned development on Neponset Street. An earlier municipal attempt to grant Stivaletta access to existing water and sewer lines had fallen through, prompting the board to explore easement solutions before presenting final recommendations.

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