Shattuck stone wall, stone walled again

The Norwood Community Preservation Committee (CPC) met recently and voted to approve the majority of projects on this budget cycle for fiscal year 2027 (FY27).

The Shattuck Park, however, was again denied. The project came in lower than previous requests, as it was just requesting funds for a feasibility study and design this time and did not request funds for the actual construction. According to the Community Preservation Act (CPA) Fund application, the Town of Norwood, through the Town Manager’s Office, was seeking about $32,000 for the study and design. The aim was to repair the stone wall running through the small park, the stones of which have fallen down.

The main issue of contention at the CPC meeting was that neighbors were not notified, much like the previous denied application. The first of several applications was put forth by residents of the Town; however, they did not live near the park and many abutters were concerned. This time, the Town is requesting the study and design, but despite the CPA application requesting abutter and community support for the project, none was attached.

CPC members said this was the biggest issue last time and was the reason why they were denying it now; that and the fact that the stone wall isn’t going to fall down further, and there isn’t a big cost to waiting for the Town to get community support from the abutting neighbors.

“Last year, when this was in front of us, one of our major obstacles to approving it was the lack of community input and support,” said Chair Catherine Walsh. “I don’t see that they have moved the ball forward in that at all. You look at some of the school projects in this round and all the support letters they’ve received… I mean it seems like one of the things we highlighted was community engagement. I don’t see the community engagement.”

Walsh pointed out that Selectman Bob Donnelly’s memorial veteran’s park project at the corner of Washington Street and Mylod Street a few years ago had community support because Donnelly went out and spoke to the neighbors.

“I feel like that is the responsibility of the project proponent, and I’m not sure that was done,” she said.

Member Joseph Greeley said there was correspondence on Shattuck Park, but it was not at all in relation to the wall.

“The abutters and interested parties have, in their view, larger questions as to how Shattuck Park is managed, quote-unquote, and we had to convince them that this study had nothing to do with their concerns and was limited to the wall,” he said. “People don’t really notice the wall, everything but the wall, just because it’s on only one of the four sides facing the cemetery and though people walk through the gates of the wall, nobody really thinks too much about the wall itself. In my mind this is an obscure request to fix something that, sure, is broken, but not vital to the enjoyment of the park.”

Greeley did say, however, that those same interested parties are interested in forming a friends group to help support the park.

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“They’re all neutral on the wall; the fact that somebody has proposed updating the wall was a total surprise, and nobody spoke about it at all,” he said. “There was no local advocacy, and it makes you wonder how this project came to be. It is falling down, but it is not falling down significantly and, frankly, it’s only on a very small side of the park. Maybe 20 percent of the park is bordered by that wall.”

“This wall isn’t going to fall any more, there’s not a rush is what I guess I’m trying to say,” said member Julie Barbour-Issa. “It’s not like the Morse House where we’re trying to protect something or keep the water out. A couple more stones fall and we’re still good, right?”

Member Cheryl Doyle asked if Greeley would make the motion to deny because he has since moved out of the state. And so he did, and the CPC voted 6-0, with Joseph Sheehan abstaining, to reject the proposal for this year.

The rest of the slate of projects, with the exception of the Masonic Building’s project (this was retracted by the Masons), was approved. To see a list of those projects, go to https://tinyurl.com/yn7yjc35