CPC hosts public hearings

The Norwood Community Preservation Committee (CPC) met at the Senior Center on Jan. 21 for the second of two hearings where attendees asked questions and gave comments on four applications for CPC funding in accordance with the Community Preservation Act (CPA). The requests were a transfer of funds to the Conservation Land Fund, the Shared Housing Services Organization, an assessment of the elementary schools’ playgrounds, and the construction of a new restroom and concession stand for Norwood High School.

Jerry Miller, President of the Norwood High School Alumni Association presented the meeting’s biggest funding request, $250,000 to build a new restroom and concession facility adjacent to Norwood High School’s football fields. During his proposal, Miller explained that in a previous town meeting he noted, “What we don’t understand is, we’re in compliance now, because we have access to the school. We’re going to try to put in a few more bathrooms and add a concession stand and we’d be out of compliance. We’re trying to complete what we think is that facility up there,” referring to land for the new facility.

Miller noted the Alumni Association plans to reach out to 5,000 Norwood High School alumni to raise money to support this project, in addition to the requested CPC funds, and the $38,000 the Alumni Association allocated for the project.

Vice Chair Doyle asked Miller, “If you’re looking at raising $250,000 and your total project cost is $500,000… I’m assuming the $250,000 would be the bathrooms. Would any of your fundraising go towards the bathrooms… not straight-out CPC funding the entire thing?”

Miller said he hoped the naming rights opportunities will entice large donations from Norwood High School alumni who want to help complete the project. He noted to the CPC that this approach will be enough to raise enough funds to not need CPC assistance. However, “We’re trying to get all the names together,” Miller noted, “before the Alumni Association can start the fundraiser.”

Miller also noted that the building inspector would be open to variants in plumbing codes if the concession and restroom facility had a smaller footprint, caused by the potential update to the school’s tennis courts, which would reduce the cost.

Before the meeting ended, the CPC unanimously accepted the minutes for previous meetings held on Oct. 8 and Oct. 15, 2025.

The CPC’s next meeting will take place on Feb. 4, 2026, at 5:30 p.m., at Norwood Town Hall, Room 24, the Finance Commission Meeting Room, at 566 Washington Street. The meeting’s agenda and additional information are available online at www.norwoodma.gov.

Also on the docket, Sean Mannion, Assistant Superintendent of Finance Operations for Norwood Public Schools, presented a modification of two proposals submitted to the CPC previously: expanding the Callahan Elementary School’s playground and replacing the Prescott Elementary School’s front playground. The modified proposal sought between $10,000 to $25,000 to fund an assessment and prioritization study of all school playgrounds by a consultant to recommend what’s needed to ensure the playgrounds are accessible and safe for students and community members.

Mannion noted that the study would help support future elementary school redistricting plans, such as the George F. Willett Early Childhood Center becoming a K-4 school in the next year. Mannion noted, “All of the structures there are geared towards Pre-K and K, and this would present an issue.”

CPC Vice Chair Cheryl Doyle remarked “I’m actually thrilled we got to this point,” regarding the modified proposal. “Between those two playgrounds, it’s sitting at $500,000. You have six elementary schools, a lot of them have more than one playground, and there was a potential that, say, we move forward with just these two this year. Next year, we could have been hit with more that would have wiped us clean. We would have needed to either pick or choose… or at Town Meeting, there would be a very long debate” about why CPC is funding playgrounds.

Doyle thanked Mannion and others for sharing information about the playgrounds’ condition, and that safety will be “fair across the board to elementary schools without pitting neighborhoods.” Carly Rocklen, Norwood Conservation Planner and member of the Norwood Conservation Commission (NCC), presented the meeting’s first request, a $25,000 transfer to the Conservation Land Fund to augment the commission’s existing funds ($178,537.14), for due diligence activities towards 15 future land parcel acquisitions, valued at a total of over $92 million, which can help the environment, improve quality of life, provide recreational and educational opportunities for residents and align with town goals and action plans.

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After Rocklen’s presentation, the committee asked her if the NCC used any of its existing funds for other due diligence. Rocklen explained, “We ended up for 55 St. Paul St.… I don’t believe we have at this point.” CPC chair Catherine Walsh noted that project’s due diligence funds came out of their regular operating budget. CPC Treasurer Joseph Greeley noted that Rocklen’s request is an appropriate use of CPA funds, but asked, “How is there some feedback as far as, going forward, if we’re approaching $180,000, how do we make sure we’re not putting money into this without any result?”

Rocklen responded, “The Working Lands Group… have been working really hard to look at potential lands for acquisition and think about how they would fit into our current conversation land: would they help to expand our trail system?” She noted that the Commission created a list of highest-priority lands to acquire and, with the help of their volunteers plus the Wild Lands Trust plus donations from residents interested in the Commission’s activities, there’s a plan in place to raise the funds over time to acquire the lands in a strategic manner for public access.

Next, Sarah Dixon, Norwood Director of Community Development, presented a request for $14,000 to fund the Shared Housing Services Organization (SHSO) for a fourth year in a row to build out the service delivery and operating model to preserve the current affordable and community housing units in Norwood to income-qualified households, about 9 percent of year-round housing units in the program.

CPC Member Joseph Sheehan noted to Dixon that the committee awarded $10,000 in the first year and $12,000 in the second year to the SHSO and inquired about any funds that were unused. Dixon replied, “We haven’t, to date, spent the full amount of appropriation that was made... This has been a slow roll and ramping up the service delivery model.” Dixon felt comfortable to give the service provider another year to assess where they are.

Dixon noted that the SHSO was “…starting to move out of the phase where we’re playing catch up. The reality is, Norwood wasn’t doing a lot of this affordable housing for many years. We’re transitioning now to what this is going to look like going forward.” Dixon later noted to the CPC that preserving these affordable units “is an integral part of having this housing inventory, to preserve the eligibility of these units for our 40B statute requirements.”