Proposed Washington Street Rezoning Divides Norwood Hospital Area Residents Ahead of Special Town Meeting-September 14, 1982

Property owners and residents residing in the immediate vicinity of Norwood Hospital are sharply divided over a proposed zoning amendment that would reclassify seven residential parcels along Washington Street to permit professional and medical office use.

Special Town Meeting Rezoning Proposal and Neighborhood Concerns

Three property owners—Victor Farmer, John Sweeney, and Emil Bassy—plan to bring the rezoning article before a special town meeting on September 20. Attorney Robert J. Donahue, representing the petitioners, explained at a planning board hearing last night that approval of the change would allow Farmer and Sweeney to convert their existing homes into professional medical offices, while providing future building potential on Bassy’s vacant lot.

Donahue argued that the rezoning is a logical step given that all other Washington Street lots in the corridor—with the exception of two schools—are already zoned for business, and anticipated that the demand for medical offices will surge upon completion of the hospital’s ongoing expansion program. “It’s a more balanced view of the area,” Donahue stated. “It should have been done quite a long time ago.” The seven targeted lots run from Winter Street to the intersection of Washington and Walpole streets.

However, immediate neighbors strongly pushed back against the plan during the planning board session. John Shalbey, owner of the Ro-Jo Car Wash at 71 Winter St., and George Reagan of 67 Winter St., whose properties directly abut the proposed rezoning area, warned that commercial encroachment would destroy the aesthetic stability of their neighborhood. Shalbey expressed deep frustration over prospective parking lot expansion: “We’ll see blacktop and a business building in our back yards.” Reagan similarly warned of a “slow erosion” of the residential fabric.

The planning board elected not to take a formal stand during the hearing, opting instead to issue its official recommendation directly on the floor of town meeting.

SNCARC Willett School Proposal and Community Bulletin

In other matters before the planning board, representatives from the South Norfolk County Association for Retarded Citizens (SNCARC)—including Associate Director Bob Stearns and Community Programs Director Jane Smith—urged the board to support a proposed bylaw amendment that would permit special education and rehabilitation programs in all municipal zones via special permits from the board of appeals, specifically targeting space at the former Willett School, which currently sits in a residential zone.

Community Bulletin Highlights:

• Kiwanis Meeting:Harry Sawizky of the Shriners Burns Institute will speak at tomorrow’s Kiwanis Club meeting at 12:15 p.m. at TK’s Meeting House, followed by an executive board meeting at 7 p.m. at Jack Staller’s office, 661 Washington St.
• Scout Registration: Cub Scout and Boy Scout registration will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday at St. Catherine School auditorium (for Callahan, Oldham, and St. Catherine troops) and the Balch School cafetorium (for Balch, Cleveland, and Prescott troops).
• Cardiac Education Series: Norwood Hospital launches a free four-part recovery series for heart attack patients tonight at 7:30 p.m. in the basement lecture room, led by nurse Alyce Lanoue.
• Parkinson Support Group: Weekly support meetings resume next Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. at the Ellis Nursing Center, alongside monthly sessions at the Endicott Estate in Dedham.

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