Ellis “Dust Bowl” Termed Menace to Health-This Day in Norwood History-June 13, 1950

Board Asks Counsel For Biding Following Hearing

Residents living near the Ellis Gardens housing development appeared before the Board of Health last night to describe worsening dust conditions that they argued now pose a direct threat to public health. The group, representing homeowners throughout the affected neighborhood, stated that the blowing sand and powdery soil have intensified rather than improved, despite earlier complaints made to town officials.

A petition signed by 106 Norwood residents and taxpayers had been submitted to the Board requesting an immediate hearing. The petitioners asked that action be taken to address what they described as a persistent sand and dust nuisance in an area roughly enclosed by Everett Street, Neponset Street, the State Highway, and the NHRR tracks. According to the residents, the problem stems from land stripping conducted by Mastercraft Homes, Inc., which has left large areas of exposed sand vulnerable to wind.

During a two hour hearing held in the Information Room of the Municipal Building, more than a dozen residents spoke, each offering specific examples of how the dust has affected daily life. The Board of Health acknowledged that a dust nuisance could indeed constitute a health menace, but members agreed to seek a legal opinion from Town Counsel Francis C. Foley before determining what action the Board is authorized to take.

While the Board of Health considers its next steps, an even larger group of residents from what they have begun calling the “dust bowl” area plans to meet with the Board of Selectmen tonight. Those attending expect to ask whether building permits in the development can be temporarily halted until the exposed areas are covered with loam. Several residents have already expressed the belief that construction is “moving too fast.”

Over the weekend, Bartley King, health agent, visited the neighborhood with other town officials to observe the conditions firsthand. Residents interviewed by the Norwood Messenger yesterday afternoon stated that the situation has continued to deteriorate despite earlier protests to the Selectmen.

One of the worst days, according to several residents, occurred last Saturday. On Margaret Street, a housewife described the scene as so severe that the blowing sand made it difficult to see the house next door. She explained, “It was so bad that my husband and I couldn’t go out of the house, let alone allow the children out to play. The sand gets into food, clothes, and pots and pans. You can imagine the job of trying to prepare the baby’s formula under such conditions?”

She added that windows have had to remain tightly closed, even on hot days, to keep the sand from entering the home. Despite this, she said that some sand still manages to get inside. “You clean the house one day, and the next day, if it’s windy, everything is covered with a layer of this powdered sand,” she stated. “You never know.”

A resident of Ellis Avenue reported that the sand blown into his home last Saturday was so thick “you could shovel it up,” adding that conditions are “getting worse.” He said that the dust storms have become so intense that driving is hazardous, noting that his son nearly struck a child while pulling into their driveway because visibility was so poor. “Imagine what it means to inhale this dust,” he said, “particularly for the children.”

He explained that the dust problem has existed since last fall and that earlier complaints to the Selectmen have not resulted in improvement. He expressed the view that the matter now falls squarely within the responsibility of the Board of Health, stating that the conditions “definitely constitute a health menace.”

Residents said the situation has been created by the removal of loam during construction in the Ellis Gardens development, leaving sand exposed to the wind. They noted that while loam is being replaced at houses already completed, the trouble appears to originate from the unfinished sections where the ground remains bare. Some of the blowing sand, they added, comes from the streets themselves, and one resident pointed to a sandlot that he believed should be removed.

Complaints have come from as far away as Islington, where dust from the project has reportedly blown into homes. Motorists traveling over the weekend said that the Ellis Gardens area, as seen from Upland Road, was completely enveloped in a cloud of dust. Additional complaints have been received from residents of Maxwell Avenue, David Terrace, Margaret Street, Ellis Avenue, and Washington Street from Neponset Street to the second high bridge.

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