Facing mounting pressure to straighten out what officials bluntly term a “zoning mess,” the Planning Board decided last night that it can no longer postpone a thorough reevaluation of the wide-open Trunk Highway A (THA) and Trunk Highway B (THB) zoning designations that loosely regulate extensive commercial acreage along Route 1.
Route 1 “Strip Zoning” Overhaul and Arena Industrial Park
Building Inspector John E. Grover repeatedly urged the board to fully redefine THA and THB zones, noting that properties under these classifications currently sit on the municipal map without specific restrictions—allowing landowners to erect anything from retail storefronts to manufacturing plants. While developer-investor Frank R. Simoni recommended merely establishing a 100-foot highway setback requirement, Town Counsel Justin C. Barton and Inspector Grover warned that simple setbacks would only compound existing dissatisfaction with shallow “strip zoning.”
The planning board voted 4-1 to meet on September 27 with Town Engineer Robert A. Hamilton to devise a corrective strategy through comprehensive zoning revisions or outright rezoning, with Chairman Thomas A. Riolo indicating that Route 1 abutters may subsequently be consulted.
In a related major development, James H. Shane, board chairman of Appendagez Inc. (Faded Glory clothing distributors), formally presented plans for the proposed “Park Place” industrial park on the 220 buildable acres of the Norwood Arena site. Shane announced that roughly 8 or 10 acres will house a two-story glass and brick-faced Faded Glory office building and adjoining warehouse designed with potential for future expansion. While employment numbers will grow beyond the firm’s current 320 Norwood workers, Shane noted specific construction costs and labor projections remain uncalculated. Chairman Riolo praised the proposal enthusiastically, declaring, “I like Shane’s proposal. I think it means more jobs for the people of Norwood and more tax revenue.”
Housing Authority Honors Petrovek and Other Town News
In other municipal matters, the Norwood Housing Authority recently honored August “Gus” Petrovek Jr. for his nine years of dedicated service as the state-appointed member of the board. Housing Authority Chairman John C. Adelmann presented Petrovek with an engraved plaque recognizing his faithful service during a tenure marked by the completion of 152 apartments across two elderly housing developments on Nahatan Street. Petrovek, of 33 Granite St., has been succeeded by former selectman Michael J. Curran, an appointment of the Dukakis administration.
Additional local updates include:
Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger
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Underground Gasoline Tanks Excavated at Rojo’s on Route 1 Found Free of Leaks, Fire Chief Reports-August 16, 1990
Norwood Fire Chief Thomas Barry reported that underground fuel tanks removed during upgrades at Rojo’s Car Wash on Route 1 were free of leaks, with only minor piping wear detected.
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EPA Orders 4 Out-of-State Firms and 3 Individuals to Pay $16 Million for Grant Gear Works PCB Cleanup- August 15, 1990
The U.S. EPA ordered four out-of-state companies and three individuals to pay $16 million to remediate the Grant Gear Works site off Route 1 and Dean Street.
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Two Norwood Restaurants Lock Legal Horns Over Town’s Final Available Liquor License-August 8, 1990
With competing applications from O’Toole’s on Carnegie Row and The Great American Pub off Route 1, Norwood selectmen voted 3-1 to proceed with hearings despite legal threats from rival attorneys over zoning technicalities.
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Suspicious Three-Alarm Fire Destroys Simoni Flowers on Route 1-August 10, 1990
A suspicious three-alarm fire destroyed wholesale buildings and greenhouses at Simoni Flowers on Route 1, drawing over 75 firefighters from five towns.
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Eight Norwood Women Launch the Town’s First Official Bar Tour-August 18, 1989
Armed with clipboards and a rented minivan, eight Norwood women spent seven hours visiting 23 local bars in the town’s first Official Bar Tour, rating each spot on service and atmosphere.
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Business Leaders Question “Anti-Commerce” Town Direction-August 15, 1989
Following a 2-2 selectmen vote denying a food license for a $1 million Taco Bell on Route 1, the Neponset Valley Chamber of Commerce warned of an anti-business trend.
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Selectmen Deadlock on License for Proposed Taco Bell-August 9, 1989
Norwood selectmen deadlocked 2-2 on a food license for a proposed $1 million Taco Bell showcase at Route 1 and Dean Street, pitting Chairman John Kinnaly against William Butters and Gary Lee.
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Dedham Medical Associates and Harvard Community Health Plan Open 23,000-Square-Foot Medical Facility on Route 1 at River Ridge Complex-September 13, 1988
Dedham Medical Associates and Harvard Community Health Plan open a 23,000-square-foot medical facility on Route 1 at River Ridge, staffed initially by five doctors.
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Ethnic Diversity a Source of Pride as Norwood Prepares for Comprehensive Master Plan and Zoning Overhaul-August 18, 1988
As Norwood celebrates the harmonious ethnic diversity of South Norwood, town planner Sharon Wason leads a $135,000 master plan initiative to overhaul zoning and protect residential neighborhoods.
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Norwood Tries to Solve Two-Mile Route 1 Zoning Puzzle After Decades Without Regulations-August 17, 1988
Town planner Sharon Wason and local officials are tackling a two-mile unzoned stretch of Route 1 in Norwood, aiming to establish setbacks and landscaping rules after 20 years of regulatory gaps.
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