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A zoning board hearing regarding the proposed $3 million Caldor shopping center on Route 1 was continued to August 19 to give developers time to finalize traffic flow plans. Attorney James Hilliard, representing developers Bronson & Hutensky of Bloomfield, Connecticut, explained that the delay was necessary to negotiate a right-of-way through Park Place Industrial Park to ensure safe vehicle access and egress. Because the section of Route 1 between Sumner Street and Vanderbilt Avenue—situated opposite Furlong’s Cottage Candies and Ice Cream—has been the site of numerous serious accidents involving motorists attempting to cross oncoming traffic, developers needed a temporary solution. Hilliard proposed routing traffic through Park Place to Vanderbilt Avenue, where a new traffic light is to be installed, until a median strip is constructed on Route 1 in three to four years, which will enable safe U-turns at Sumner Street or left turns at a proposed Morse Street extension.
Despite concerns raised by citizens questioning the suitability of the 25-acre industrial site on the easterly side of Route 1, Hilliard defended the project, stating, If the developers did not think it was a good site, they would not go there. They go where people want a shopping center. Unveiled on June 30, the $3 million project is slated to feature Caldor as the anchor store alongside 20 other retail outlets, providing 650 parking spaces to accommodate an estimated 8,000 vehicles daily, with construction expected to take one year.
In other business, the zoning board addressed residential and commercial special permits. In a 2-1 decision, the board denied a request from Edward Runci of 81 Walpole St. to convert his single-family home into a two-family dwelling. Chairman Joseph Randall and board member Philip W. Riley voted against the request out of concern that it would set a precedent in a solid single-family zone, with Riley noting, If such a break is done, it should be a question for rezoning by town meeting, while board member John J. DiSangro cast the lone dissenting vote in favor. Additionally, the board held a public hearing on a petition by the administrators of the estate of William Lovell for a special permit to convert the property at 24 Walpole St. into medical or dental offices, noting zero opposition and three supporting neighbors before scheduling a site visit for Saturday morning.
Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger
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Norwood Store Still Spins Sales with 45s-October 5, 1992
Peter’s Records One Stop on Route 1 in Norwood continues to thrive as a half-million-dollar wholesale business specializing in vinyl 45s, oldies, and jukebox supplies.
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Underground Gasoline Tanks Excavated at Rojo’s on Route 1 Found Free of Leaks, Fire Chief Reports-August 16, 1990
Norwood Fire Chief Thomas Barry reported that underground fuel tanks removed during upgrades at Rojo’s Car Wash on Route 1 were free of leaks, with only minor piping wear detected.
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EPA Orders 4 Out-of-State Firms and 3 Individuals to Pay $16 Million for Grant Gear Works PCB Cleanup- August 15, 1990
The U.S. EPA ordered four out-of-state companies and three individuals to pay $16 million to remediate the Grant Gear Works site off Route 1 and Dean Street.
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Two Norwood Restaurants Lock Legal Horns Over Town’s Final Available Liquor License-August 8, 1990
With competing applications from O’Toole’s on Carnegie Row and The Great American Pub off Route 1, Norwood selectmen voted 3-1 to proceed with hearings despite legal threats from rival attorneys over zoning technicalities.
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Suspicious Three-Alarm Fire Destroys Simoni Flowers on Route 1-August 10, 1990
A suspicious three-alarm fire destroyed wholesale buildings and greenhouses at Simoni Flowers on Route 1, drawing over 75 firefighters from five towns.
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Eight Norwood Women Launch the Town’s First Official Bar Tour-August 18, 1989
Armed with clipboards and a rented minivan, eight Norwood women spent seven hours visiting 23 local bars in the town’s first Official Bar Tour, rating each spot on service and atmosphere.
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Business Leaders Question “Anti-Commerce” Town Direction-August 15, 1989
Following a 2-2 selectmen vote denying a food license for a $1 million Taco Bell on Route 1, the Neponset Valley Chamber of Commerce warned of an anti-business trend.
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Selectmen Deadlock on License for Proposed Taco Bell-August 9, 1989
Norwood selectmen deadlocked 2-2 on a food license for a proposed $1 million Taco Bell showcase at Route 1 and Dean Street, pitting Chairman John Kinnaly against William Butters and Gary Lee.
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Dedham Medical Associates and Harvard Community Health Plan Open 23,000-Square-Foot Medical Facility on Route 1 at River Ridge Complex-September 13, 1988
Dedham Medical Associates and Harvard Community Health Plan open a 23,000-square-foot medical facility on Route 1 at River Ridge, staffed initially by five doctors.
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Ethnic Diversity a Source of Pride as Norwood Prepares for Comprehensive Master Plan and Zoning Overhaul-August 18, 1988
As Norwood celebrates the harmonious ethnic diversity of South Norwood, town planner Sharon Wason leads a $135,000 master plan initiative to overhaul zoning and protect residential neighborhoods.
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