The Norwood Planning Board voted to forward a proposed technical correction to footnote 13 of the town’s zoning bylaw so multifamily housing is allowed only in the mixed‑use overlay districts within the Boston Providence Highway (BPH) District.

Planning staff said the change is a clarification rather than a policy shift and recommended the board send the amendment to the Board of Selectmen for inclusion on the May Town Meeting warrant. The board voted to forward the article and staff will schedule a public hearing before the article reaches town meeting.

Sarah Dixon, planning staff, told the board that after reviewing the text she and town counsel concluded "the only defensible interpretation of the zoning by law as it's written in footnote 13 is that multifamily housing is allowed throughout the Boston Providence Highway District by special permit and is not limited to the mixed use overlay districts." Dixon said the draft amendment inserts the word "only" into footnote 13 to match the original intention of the 2021 zoning change.

Joe Collins, a town economic development official who joined the meeting, urged caution about changing the commercial character of Route 1 but said that, from an economic perspective, Norwood’s Route 1 employment centers are an important source of daytime population and tax revenue. Collins noted the town’s split tax rate and told the board that commercial and industrial valuation makes up a meaningful share of the town’s tax base.

Board members spoke in favor of the clarification, describing the insertion of the single word as a way to restore the original 2021 intent that multifamily be limited to two specific overlay areas (near Everett Street and Moore Street) rather than permitted across the entire BPH. Planning staff said the process for this amendment will move more quickly than the longer public engagement the board usually favors for zoning changes; staff recommended forwarding the article now to correct the bylaw and preserve the detailed development standards that apply inside the mixed‑use overlay districts.

A motion to forward the proposed change (footnote 13) to the Board of Selectmen for inclusion on the May Town Meeting warrant carried on roll call. The transcript records Debbie Solomwood voting "yes" and Rob Bamber voting "yes;" the chair announced the motion passed by a majority. Staff said a public hearing will be scheduled (staff noted April 14 as the public‑hearing date) before the article reaches town meeting.

The board’s action is procedural: it forwards the article for the selectmen’s agenda and for public hearing notice. Any final change to the zoning bylaw would require public notice, a planning board recommendation at town meeting, and a Town Meeting vote.

Planning staff further advised the board that the abbreviated schedule for this correction is faster than the department’s preferred timeline for zoning amendments, and that the board should expect the usual public‑hearing process before a final Town Meeting vote.