Town Manager Explores Underground Lines to Resolve Buckmaster Pond Dispute-September 5, 1979

A long-standing inter-municipal dispute between Norwood and Westwood over control of Buckmaster Pond may be moving toward a permanent resolution.

Town Manager John J. Carroll informed selectmen last night that he intends to open direct negotiations with Westwood officials to explore installing underground electrical service to Norwood’s municipal pump house and well located at the pond. While the pond itself lies within Westwood, it is owned and operated by the town of Norwood. Controversy has persisted for years over Norwood’s maintenance of overhead power lines servicing the pumphouse, which Westwood officials and the local light department have criticized as hazardous.

Carroll reported securing a low bid of $24,000 to install underground electrical lines running from High Street directly to the pumphouse—a proposal he suggested “would seem to be the answer to Westwood’s prayers.” However, Carroll sounded a note of caution regarding potential environmental hurdles, noting that the Westwood Conservation Commission must grant approval for running a conduit across protected conservation land, even though Westwood Town Meeting approved a formal easement three years ago. “If we go underground, it will eliminate the present pole service entirely,” Carroll emphasized.

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