Board of Appeals Cites Pollution and Traffic Concerns in Turning Down Commercial Corridor Development Bids

Illustration of a town zoning board meeting discussing two agenda items: an unapproved band performance for Senator Quinlan and a denial for International Foods Inc. The board members are seated at a table with documents, and visuals of a river, traffic diagrams, and a restaurant are displayed on screens.

The Norwood Zoning Board of Appeals filed formal decisions yesterday to reject the applications of the Norfolk Asphalt Co. and International Foods Inc., dealing a double blow to proposed commercial developments in town.

The Norfolk Asphalt Co. had sought a specialized permit to construct a new asphalt manufacturing plant in a section of town zoned for limited manufacturing. The application had been the subject of three highly contentious public hearings in recent months. Frederick S. Lane, legal counsel for the corporation, argued vigorously that the project had been unfairly killed by arguments that were “emotionally objectionable,” rather than based on technical facts. Lane reminded town officials that the asphalt company provided a substantial “$20 million payroll” to residents across the region, making the rejection a significant economic turning point.

However, the board ultimately sided with concerned residents and environmental factors, citing unresolved pollution risks and structural incompatibility with the surrounding district. During the same sessions, the board also reviewed proposals regarding the local waterways. The discussion focused on a plan by the corporation to construct an 18-inch-high, 24-foot-wide collapsible dam across a local brook in the South Norwood section near St. Paul Avenue, on land owned by the firm. The dam was requested by the division of natural waterways of the state Department of Public Works as a means of alleviating local pollution. The possibility of rip-rapping or shoring the sides of the brook was also discussed, with the corporation offering to pay $5,000 of an estimated $43,000 shoring cost.

In the second decision filed yesterday, International Foods Inc. was flatly denied a zoning variance to construct a new fried chicken retail outlet on Route 1. The corporation sought to build the fast-food establishment on a parcel of land situated directly adjacent to the existing Anatolia Restaurant.

In rejecting the variance, the Zoning Board of Appeals determined that the intersection of Route 1 and modern highway access points was already a major traffic hazard. Board members concluded that introducing a high-turnover retail food outlet would dramatically increase the existing congestion, creating an unacceptable safety risk for local motorists. The double rejection underscores the board’s tightening stance on environmental pollution and highway traffic management ahead of Monday evening’s upcoming selectmen meeting, where the principal town warrant is scheduled for action commencing at 8 p.m.

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