Planning Board Launch Master Plan Study for 200-Acre “Meadows” Tract-August 23, 1965

The Norwood Planning Board is moving forward with a long-awaited comprehensive study to shape the future of the “Meadows”—a sprawling 200-acre tract situated off Route 1 near the Canton and Westwood town lines. Financed by a $10,000 appropriation approved at town meeting earlier in the year, the master plan study is designed to regulate development across the high-potential industrial area, which extends toward the Route 128 corridor and the Everett Street sector where early commercial growth is already taking place.

Planning Board Chairman Paul Murphy emphasized that time is of the essence, noting that developers and realtors are already actively attempting to purchase parcels within the tract. The study will address a wide range of infrastructural considerations, including street development, water, drainage, sewerage demands, and zoning requirements, while resolving complex land ownership issues involving roughly 10 different private owners alongside the town of Norwood. A key strategic question the study aims to answer is whether the town should act as the developer—potentially qualifying for state aid—or allow private developers to drive the process. The planning board is slated to select between two professional consulting teams, with the study expected to reach completion by December.

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