Polaroid to Hold Special Public Meeting on Proposed $9 Million Film Processing Complex-August 31, 1965

Representatives of the Polaroid Corporation met with town officials on Tuesday night, agreeing to host a special public informational meeting to outline their ambitious plans for a potential $9 million film processing complex. The proposed facility would be situated on the sprawling 200-acre estate of a former U.S. ambassador to Japan, located off Route 1A along the Norwood-Westwood town line.

The special meeting—scheduled for Monday, September 13, at Memorial Hall—was proposed by Planning Board member James T. O’Sullivan, who remarked that it was “unfortunate” local residents had not been included in an initial closed-door briefing held the prior week between corporate representatives and town agencies.

Rezoning Requests and Proposed Bylaw Amendments

During their appearance before the Planning Board, Polaroid officials formally submitted applications for a public hearing regarding a major rezoning change from single-family residential to limited manufacturing, alongside three specific amendments to the town’s zoning bylaws to be voted on during the fall special town meeting. The public hearing was officially scheduled for September 20.

Polaroid official Donald Clement detailed the firm’s required bylaw modifications:

• Product Classification: Expanding the limited manufacturing category to explicitly include cameras, photographic equipment, and optical products.
• Building Height Restrictions: Requesting an exemption to raise the maximum height restriction from 35 feet to 80 feet to accommodate specialized proposed construction.
• Buffer Strip Utilization: Amending buffer zone regulations to permit the utilization of a portion of the 150-foot buffer area bordering the Westwood line for employee parking.

Regarding site access, a proposed amendment allowing an access route from Nahatan Street was deemed unnecessary by board member Francis Wisgirda, who pointed out that such provisions are only required when residential property separates a manufacturing zone from a public way. If negotiations succeed and town meeting approves the necessary zoning changes, Polaroid’s property holdings will ultimately border Nahatan Street, Route 1, and Clapboardtree Street.

Surveyors are actively mapping the estate—formerly owned by the late ambassador—with definitive boundary findings slated for submission to the planning board by Wednesday. Although corporate representatives initially pressed for an earlier public hearing date, they deferred to the planning authority’s insistence on securing precise boundary data prior to formal advertising.

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