Selectmen Consider Abandoning Willett Parkway Amid Discussions on Gravel Removal, Industry, and Conservation-July 29, 1965

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The Norwood selectmen are considering the possibility of relinquishing their jurisdiction over Willett Parkway. The so-called abandonment proceedings would, in effect, relieve the town of any responsibility in the proposed construction of an access road from Walpole St. to a parcel of land owned by Dr. Norton Fishman, a Norwood dentist. Willett Parkway is an undeveloped paper road accepted some time ago by the town. As such, the town is nominally responsible for its development.

Two months ago, Dr. Norton Fishman proposed that the town share in a $9,000 project that would provide a twenty-six-foot road. Dr. Norton Fishman said he had no plans to subdivide the seven-lot park. He asked that the town provide materials for the project, and said that he in turn would meet the cost of labor, with drainage and sewerage work also being involved. At first, the board voted by a 3-2 margin to go along with Dr. Norton Fishman‘s proposal, but later rescinded the move. On Tuesday, on the recommendation of Selectman Walter J. Dempsey, the board agreed to meet with the planning board to determine whether to proceed with the abandonment of the parkway.

Selectman Walter J. Dempsey has consistently opposed the proposal, maintaining that helping to construct the road would promote the development of the seven-lot parcel. Dr. Norton Fishman, however, has said he does not intend to develop it in the foreseeable future. “If we are going to go into the road building business we ought to build roads that will benefit the town as a whole”, Walter J. Dempsey said.

Willett Parkway was originally planned as a memorial to the late Norwood philanthropist George Willett. On this basis, it was accepted by the town, but the original plan never materialized.

In other municipal news, Edward Runci, a Norwood realtor, disclosed Tuesday that Barcolene, Inc., a producer of cleansing and medicinal supplies, plans to locate in Norwood. Edward Runci informed the selectmen that the company intends to purchase a 30,000-square-foot building on Lennox St. from Dr. Philip Cushing. The factory would hire thirty employees at the outset and would probably expand to accommodate a staff of seventy within a short period of time, Edward Runci said. He went on to explain that the negotiations would be contingent on the company’s ability to satisfy all bylaw requirements with a minimum of difficulty. Edward Runci asked the board for a license that would permit the company to store quantities of butane gas. The board replied that such a storage license was feasible, but that a public hearing would be required by law, which could probably be settled in a month.

Edward Runci replied that the arrangement seemed reasonable, but indicated that the delay could prove fatal to the proposed business deal, adding that he felt Norwood officials were less than encouraging to prospective businessmen. The town’s bylaws, particularly its zoning statutes, are calculated to curry delay and hamper negotiations that would provide the town with more business and industry, he charged. The selectmen disputed several of the points made by Edward Runci and assured him that all of the bylaws and official town policies were calculated to encourage the best possible industrial development rather than indiscriminate ventures.

Meanwhile, a continued appeals board hearing on a request for a permit to remove gravel from land off Canton St. failed to produce an area of agreement between the petitioner and property owners. The second session of the hearing was held Tuesday night, having been continued from July 13. Seeking the permit is the Glacier Sand and Stone Company, which plans to remove some 71,000 cubic yards of gravel from the land over the next two-year period. Strong opposition to granting the permit was voiced on July 13 and again Tuesday night by Dr. William Gibbons of 527 Canton St. Dr. William Gibbons contended that a hardship to residents of the area would be created by dust and noise coming from the proposed removal site, claiming that some fifty families would suffer from the proposal since it would cause a general devaluation.

The project was defended by Atty. Grafton Corbett of Norwood, representing the petitioner, who noted the nearest point of the pit to the street is 500 feet. In an effort to set up an alternate hauling route, it was suggested that a right-of-way be granted over land owned by Dr. William Gibbons. However, Dr. William Gibbons said he would not consider granting any route across his property. Appeals board chairman James J. Drummey said a decision on whether the permit will be issued will not be made for two or three weeks, as technicalities of the proposal have yet to be discussed with the town engineer.

In another zoning matter, the board granted a permit to Melvin R. Brown of 141 Ridgewood Drive to build an enclosure for a swimming pool on his property. The concrete pool measures eighteen by thirty-six feet, and the addition will extend to within twenty-one feet of the rear property line instead of leaving the required thirty-foot setback. Melvin R. Brown contended that a denial of the means for a year-round physical fitness program for his family would constitute a hardship and that failing to enclose it would present safety risks in a large neighborhood. Ernest Higgins and Merrill Towne of the building code board of appeals recorded themselves in favor of the permit, noting they are currently drafting a bylaw calling for fencing of all swimming pools in town.

In local cultural and environmental updates, the Morrill Memorial Library announced that all of its facilities have reopened to the public following the completion of new book stacks in the main lobby. Additionally, the Norwood Conservation Commission, chaired by George L. White, reported active progress in surveying wooded tracts and studying the area behind the Newman Junior High School for nature study. Efforts are also underway to have the Metropolitan District Commission close automobile access roads to Cutler Park to preserve its natural habitat. Finally, in regional medical news, George L. White, president of the board of trustees at Newton-Wellesley Hospital, announced that Dr. Walter C. Guralnick of Brookline has been appointed chief of oral surgery.

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