Selectmen Postpone Decision on Norwood Police Towing Contract-July 11, 1979

Towing Controversy Continues

On July 11, 1979, the ongoing controversy regarding police department towing contracts returned to the forefront of local governance as Norwood selectmen held a public hearing regarding an application by A. Civitarese & Sons, owners of the South Norwood Exxon station. The town currently contracts with 17 authorized towers to manage requests from the police department, though until recently, that responsibility was restricted to only three companies. The recent addition of D & D Auto Body (Foxboro Transport Co.) to the rotation—joining Don & Wally’s Service Center, South Norwood Service Center, and Center Auto Body—has prompted intense scrutiny from both residents and existing contract holders.

Attorney Helen Donahue, representing the Civitarese family, argued that securing a police towing contract would provide much-needed repair work for the South Norwood Exxon station, which she noted carries a “tremendous financial obligation” for the family. She referenced a study conducted by Police Patrolman Joseph F. Tessicini indicating that 348 vehicles were towed over a six-month period, suggesting that adding an additional tower would balance the load to approximately three to four vehicles per week per company. However, local residents were strongly opposed. Attorney Stephen Gordet, representing neighbor Michaline J. Kniolek of 15 Short St., raised significant concerns regarding the storage of damaged vehicles at the site. He pointed to a 1967 zoning variance that explicitly prohibited the storage of junk vehicles on the premises. Another resident, William C. Phipps, warned that the applicants appeared to be shifting the facility’s character toward a major automotive center, raising fears of future body shop operations. Due to the raised questions regarding the property’s zoning compliance, selectmen postponed action on the application for two weeks.

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