Planning Board Reviews Zoning Proposal for Route 1 Dealership-July 15, 1981

On July 14, 1981, the Norwood Zoning Board of Appeals reviewed a proposal submitted by Boston Port Services Inc.—a firm associated with local business owner Ernie Boch—to construct a sports car dealership on Route 1. The project, intended to sell DeLorian sports cars, faced significant regulatory hurdles due to a town bylaw requiring a 75-foot buffer zone between any structure and the zoning district line.

The proposed building site was bisected by a zoning line that separated a manufacturing zone from a general residence zone, with the structure placed only seven feet from the line. The applicant requested that the board measure the required buffer from the property line rather than the zoning line, which would move the building to approximately 55 feet from the boundary.

Zoning Board Chairman Philip W. Riley expressed concern that this would constitute a “substantial derogation” of the town bylaws, questioning whether the board possessed the authority to interpret the code so loosely. Local residents living on Hillcrest Road appeared at the meeting to voice their opposition, arguing that granting the variance would “open the door” to further commercial development encroaching on residential property, creating noise and environmental concerns.

The board ultimately deferred its vote on the necessary variances and special permits until Town Counsel Justin C. Barton could provide an official opinion on the interpretation of the bylaws.

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