At a special meeting Thursday afternoon at Memorial Hall, the Planning Board voted unanimously to default four bonds in the Westover area placed by Norwood Properties, Inc., and covering J 2 streets.
The deplorable situation at Westover prompted the meeting scheduled for the purpose of clarifying the vote of the Planning Board, said Chairman Frederick F. Brown.
The streets involved — Stearns Drive, Cushing Road, Churchill Drive, Avon Road Buckingham road, Downing Street, Bonny Lane, Manchester Drive, Mayfair Street, Dorset Street, Mayfair Circle, and Marlboro Street — are unaccepted Town ways in the newly-developed high-tax area.
Previously, the Board advised Town Counsel Walter J. Gotovich that if engineering matters in the area were not corrected in 30 days, action should be taken to default the bonds.
Since a reasonable period of time has elapsed and work to meet engineering specifications was never satisfactorily completed, the Board voted to take direct action.
Thomas K. McManus of the Planning Board pointed out that the Board is limited to taking action within the framework of the Subdivision Control Law. Town Counsel must take the legal steps against, the bonding company for seizing the bonds and completing the work according to engineering specifications.
The steps taken by the Town from the submission of a preliminary plan by the developer to recommended acceptance of the development by the Planning Board come under the Subdivision Control Law. Many of the legal technicalities of this ten-year-old law have never been adjudicated.
After reviewing the preliminary plan of the developer, the Planning Board returns it with tenative approval or recommended changes After making the changes, the developer submits a definitive plan for approval with a copy to the Board of Health which reports its approval or disapproval to the Planning Board within 45 days.
A Public Hearing is then plan before the final decision of the Planning Board is reached. The Engineering Department, in cooperation with the Planning Board, determines the size of the bond to be posted according to a scale.
In the event no decision is reached by the Planning, Board after 60 days from the submission of the definitive plan, it is approved by default.
The final inspection is conducted by the Engineering Department and the Planning Board is advised of any steps which must be taken to bring the development up to specifications Maintenance is assumed by the Town after Town Meeting votes acceptance of the development.
That part of the Westover Development presently under fire has never reached the point of engineering readiness although sections there have approached readiness for the reduction of bonds. Subsequent deterioration of the streets has followed, however, since no regular maintenance program was initiated there.
Fred W. Carritte of 4 Inverness Road, president of the recently formed Westover Associates, advised the MESSENGER today that the organization is preparing a statement to be published Thursday.
The community group met with the Selectmen about six about months ago to air complaints about conditions in the development. High on the list of improvements being advocated by the Westover Associates is the reconstruction of Nichols Street which is already an accepted way.
(All articles originally appeared in the Norwood Messenger unless otherwise noted)