Westwood MA
4-24-2026 1:04am

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Fears of Traffic Congestion, Light/Noise Pollution if Costco Relocates to Westwood/Norwood Border (Updated)

As we reflect on Patriots' Day, we need to call on our leaders to meet the latest challenge that poses an existential threat to Westwood residents. This time it is not the British but the corporate giant Costco, which has submitted an application to the Norwood Zoning Board of Appeals for a special permit to relocate from Dedham to our doorstep. 

The location is the already overburdened and poorly functioning intersection of Route 1 and Everett St./University Avenue. The plan is for a much larger warehouse than the one in Dedham with a gas station and nearly 1,000 parking spots. It would overwhelm an already congested area that is clogged on a daily basis with UPS and Amazon trucks and traffic coming from the Canton/Dedham St. slip ramp. 

The project would put zero dollars in the town coffers since it is located entirely in Norwood. Westwood would bear the impacts of unbearable traffic from thousands of additional cars pouring into the site with no benefit at all. Light, noise, pollution and a host of other impacts are likely.

We need our Town officials to protect the residents from this onslaught, but so far there has been nothing but silence. We have seen this movie before when the Town of Norwood approved the construction of the Amazon distribution facility on Everett Street. The result was tractor-trailers flying down Canton Street, Everett Street, and Forbes Road. 

This project has clearly been in the works for a long time since the Massachusetts DOT is proposing to spend $25 million of our tax money on this single intersection. It does not appear that our Town officials knew anything about these events, all of which were hiding in plain sight.

This is a time when we need leaders--those who currently hold positions and those who are seeking election on April 28---to tell the developer, Costco, the State DOT and the Town of Norwood that we are not going to stand by and be run over by the Costco tractor-trailers that will bring the area to a standstill. Everyone should be closely watching whether the Town has the courage to take action against this existential threat.

John Harding

Thanks to John Harding, Westwood resident, for contributing these comments to Westwood Minute.

---

Editor's Note (updated 4/24/2026 at 11:38 a.m.): A limited review by Westwood Minute of the earliest discussions of relocating Dedham's Costco to the Westwood/Norwood dates to October 2025.  According to a time chronology by the MA Department of Transportation, its project of investing in the area was reviewed in 2009, with 25 percent design submission completed in 2021.

While the Town of Westwood does not have governing authority within the borders of Norwood, measures to mitigate potential impacts of the proposed Costco project upon Westwood residents could include negotiations among municipal officials and a review for potential legal issues such as water quality and environmental compliance. 

Norwood's Zoning Board of Appeals on April 14 approved the company's application for special zoning permits. Approval included change of use of the site at 1 Technology Way from laboratory/research use to retail trade and service and storage and vehicular service. The Norwood Zoning Board of Appeals also determined that the application meets the town's special regulations for its Water Resource Protection Overlay District. A copy of the Costco Wholesale Site Plan that was reviewed by NZBA is attached as a file below this article.


You may also be interested in:

-  Things To Do around Westwood This Weekend and Beyond: Thursday, April 23 to Tuesday, April 28

- Locals and Legislators Rally on Beacon Hill in Support of House Bill for State Takeover of Norwood Hospital

- Norwood Police Officer Arrested for OUI by Own Department

- GOOD DEEDS: Spring is Here – The Community Preservation Act

File Attachment

Plans - 1 Technology Way.pdf
13
I'm interested
I disagree with this
This is unverified
Spam
Offensive

Replies

4-24-2026 9:00am

First of all, the intersection improvements are scheduled for the upcoming years and they are not related to Westwood at all. They are completely under the jurisdiction of a highway district that does not include Westwood and therefore does not utilize resources that could be allocated to projects within Westwood, rather the District Five Highway Office serves from Norwood all the way down the entirety of Cape Cod and the islands. The project includes adding additional lanes on Route 1 and re-signalizing the intersection which has been needed for over a decade. 
Second, you should expect traffic and other issues when the entire area has been developed. No one seems to realize that the neighborhoods on the eastern part of Westwood are PRIORITIZED and they have all the shopping plazas and supermarkets and everything. Meanwhile, over on Route 109, there is no longer even have a drugstore or anywhere to buy anything. The closest options are Alltown or the New Dover Market. Canton Street/Everett Street needs to STOP complaining because they are always the neighborhoods that are PRIORITIZED for new amenities in Westwood. 

I disagree with this
This is unverified
Spam
Offensive
4-25-2026 7:07am

The plaza on 109 where the Post Office is located would be a prime site for a modern development. It is a relic from the 1950#.  Why haven’t the town planners sought a project for that location?  

I disagree with this
This is unverified
Spam
Offensive
4-24-2026 12:02pm

This is Route 1, the most heavily commercialized corridor in the region, and calling this an “existential threat” isn’t based in reality.

This area is already home to large retail, fast food, auto dealerships, commercial and industrial uses. Opposing this project looks like a typical “not in my backyard” response, even when it is exactly where this kind of use is intended to go.

The Costco getting relocated already exists just a couple of lights away. The traffic demand is already here. The difference is that the proposed location will have a 25 million dollar intersection upgrade specifically designed to handle that volume.

The tax revenue point is understandable but such is the reality of any town line. We dragged our own feet for years on University Station. It ultimately cost the development millions of square feet, additional hotels, and millions of dollars in tax revenue, again, in a location perfectly fit for that type of development.

I for one, look forward to a more conveniently located Costco.

1
I disagree with this
This is unverified
Spam
Offensive
4-25-2026 6:27am

We heard the same "existential threat" nonsense with what was then called Westwood Station.  And, you're right, a perfect location for the proposed 4.5M sq ft mixed use development replacing an industrialized are near trains and interstate was squandered.

1
I disagree with this
This is unverified
Spam
Offensive
4-25-2026 7:12am

Chris,

The idea that an opportunity was lost at Westwood Station is ridiculous.  You, Nancy Hyde and other town officials did everything they could to push it through with no concern for bordering neighborhoods.  Dollar signs were all that mattered.  Here we get no dollars but we do get traffic trying to cut through to avoid back ups on Route 1.  Have you been at that intersection when the parade of trucks from UPS and Amazon clog the intersection?  Please come over and see the reality with only a low use business where Costco wants to relocate.

I disagree with this
This is unverified
Spam
Offensive
4-25-2026 7:49am

Mr. Harrington,

Have you ever tried to get through that intersection when the parade of trucks from UPS and Amazon back up the intersection all the way down University Avenue?  The idea that anyone dragged their feet on the original plan for Westwood Station is preposterous and entirely irrelevant since this development would add zero dollars to Westwood. The Select Board, Planning Board and all other town officials did everything they could to push the project through at three times its current size. It collapsed of its own weight and the fact that the developer, Cabot Cabot and Forbes, had lined up financing wit the disgraced President of Anglo-Irish Bank, who was subsequently arrested.  There are routinely vacancies in the development event at its reduced size.  The Town missed out because Dedham beat them to the punch with an attractive retail and entertainment center at Legacy Place, instead of just another strip mall.

The inappropriateness of this particular location is illustrated by comparing it to the recently opened Costco in Sharon.  That location is on a site with no surrounding businesses and a dedicated road to handle the traffic.  No such design is possible here.  Indeed, this site was not even zoned for retail and for twenty years or more has had a low density building that housed Analog Devices and currently FM Insurance. The resultant traffic from this project will spill across neighborhoods and make it impossible for Westwood residents to get across town.  All for a project that generates no money for the Town. All we are asking is for Town leaders to engage with the developer and the Town of Norwood to discuss minimizing impacts to the extent possible. But they did not even know this was being planned and are, once again, completely behind the curve.

I disagree with this
This is unverified
Spam
Offensive
4-25-2026 11:04am

I work in real estate development. Which means I spend a lot of time evaluating exactly these kinds of sites, traffic volumes, and corridor uses. So when I say Route 1 is an appropriate place for large-scale retail, that’s not some wild personal opinion, it’s literally what this corridor has been for decades.

I like that you’ve decided that “it says it all.” About what, exactly? That someone with relevant experience sees this differently?

For what it’s worth, I’ve also lived in Westwood for 30+ years. I sit in that same traffic you’re describing, on Route 109, on Elm Street getting to Route 1, etc. The difference is I’m not pretending a Costco, relocating from a couple of lights away, suddenly transforms Route 1 into something it isn’t.

If your argument hinges on dismissing people rather than engaging with the facts, it’s probably not as strong as you think. And for whatever reason, it has gotten into your head that the town wasn't aware of this development. Just because you weren't aware, doesn't mean the town wasn't as another person has already pointed out.

1
I disagree with this
This is unverified
Spam
Offensive
4-24-2026 1:31pm

I attended the March 26 presentation by Mass DOT on the $25M Route 1 and University Avenue/Everett Street redesign.  I noted that Select Board member Joe Previtera was there as well as Planning Board Chair Ellen Larkin Rollins.  Both spoke during the Q+A section of the session, asking for access to traffic data among other questions.  So, it seems that our elected officials are aware of this and engaged on the entire project.  

I disagree with this
This is unverified
Spam
Offensive
4-25-2026 7:15am

Duck, if the Town has a plan to mitigate impacts they have not communicated it.  One of our neighbors spoke with the Town Planner for Norwood.  They do not want a repeat of Amazon and are more than willing to have discussions about mitigation measures.  However, no officials from Westwood have reached out.  Why?

I disagree with this
This is unverified
Spam
Offensive
4-25-2026 8:01pm

Hi, as this conversation may continue, I just wanted to interject a friendly reminder to please keep comments/replies in step with Westwood Minute's Community Guidelines. Doing so will help maintain this space as a safe and friendly place for community members to exchange ideas, even if they differ. Hopefully, even if folks don't agree, we can be open to listening and trying to understand other viewpoints.

Community Conduct Guidelines

1. State your opinion/reply/comment respectfully.

2. Give other community members the benefit of the doubt. You deserve the same.

3. Keep comments constructive and argue the issue, rather than attack the person. Arguing against a person's position is fine, but please avoid name-calling.

4. Disagreeing, taking an unpopular position, or arguing a point are NOT reasons for removal. Westwood Minute is very reluctant to remove any comments and posts -- free speech and open debate is important, along with the practice of engaging in constructive disagreement. However, personal attacks, profanity, self-serving promotions, and discriminatory or inflammatory remarks are subject to removal.

5. Confusing posts (off-topic, unintelligible, or not relevant to the discussion) may be removed to keep postings relevant and useful to readers, but again, the goal is to avoid removing any postings whenever possible.

For a complete reading of Westwood Minute's Community Guidelines, you can always find them under the "About" tab under the Westwood Minute logo at the top left of the site. Scroll down that page to click on the link titled, "Community Conduct Guidelines."

I disagree with this
This is unverified
Spam
Offensive
4-30-2026 10:28am

With all due respect, it's this NIMBY attitude that stunts tax revenue growth in Westwood.  People will insist on gatekeeping and resist every opportunity for growth and tax revenue yet want to build new mega buildings based on projected growth of the town. The same people that say it's a shame we aren't building a new FS1 with 13 bathrooms and room for future growth are the same people who opposed the Islington renovation because they didn't want the town growing and losing the village feel. If you don't want the town to grow, we don't need to build for future town growth.  Corporations see this and don't want to be bothered with having to deal with this fight and look elsewhere for potential locations.

1
I disagree with this
This is unverified
Spam
Offensive
5-10-2026 12:59pm

Ms. McLaughlin,

There are many pressing needs in Westwood includingFS1 and Thurston.  This project is entirely within the boundaries of Norwood.  Accordingly, Westwood gets zero revenue but town services such as FS2 can be required to respond.  We get nothing but traffic and other headaches from this proposal.  Thanks 

I disagree with this
This is unverified
Spam
Offensive