GHS
Westwood —
WESTWOOD - With permission granted Tuesday night by the Planning Board, a University Avenue business has come one step closer to expanding its floor space by nearly 50 percent.
Romanow Container, a manufacturer of corrugated cardboard boxes, is now awaiting approval from the Board of Appeals and the Conservation Commission to build a 67,000-square-foot addition onto the existing 145,000-square-foot building at 346 University Ave.
``Customers want manufacturers to hold onto the product and deliver when the customer needs it,'' Michael Romanow, an attorney for the company, said Wednesday of the need for additional warehouse space.
Romanow, a cousin of the owners, works through his Natick-based law firm Romanow & Romanow.
The meeting before the Planning Board was for a site plan review and to discuss parking. Bylaws require sufficient parking based on the size of a building, but because Romanow Container uses most of its space for manufacturing, it claims not to need many parking spots. The site has available space should the building ever need additional spots.
``They could squeeze enough required spaces in there, but they don't need them,'' Steven Olanoff, vice chairman of the Planning Board, said yesterday. ``Why put paint on a parking lot which can deteriorate and get into stormwater?''
Because the addition would create additional warehouse space rather than manufacturing, Romanow said it would likely not create additional employment opportunities.
With its location in a water resource protected district, Romanow Container approached the Dedham-Westwood Water District before seeking a special permit from the Board of Appeals.
``We're not a permitting board, but we do comment,'' Michael Duff, the water district's executive director, said yesterday. ``We're satisfied that the proposed addition will not adversely affect the integrity of the infrastructure.''
In fact, the design of the addition would collect rainwater on its roof and recharge it back into a catch basin.
Romanow Container had to resolve an issue with setbacks from wetlands before receiving Conservation Commission approval, but as of yesterday Chairman Joseph Previtera said revised plans had just been submitted and looked adequate.
The Board of Appeals hearing has been continued to Jan. 3.
Greg Duggan can be reached at 781-433-8355 or gduggan@cnc.com.
Romanow Container, a manufacturer of corrugated cardboard boxes, is now awaiting approval from the Board of Appeals and the Conservation Commission to build a 67,000-square-foot addition onto the existing 145,000-square-foot building at 346 University Ave.
``Customers want manufacturers to hold onto the product and deliver when the customer needs it,'' Michael Romanow, an attorney for the company, said Wednesday of the need for additional warehouse space.
Romanow, a cousin of the owners, works through his Natick-based law firm Romanow & Romanow.
The meeting before the Planning Board was for a site plan review and to discuss parking. Bylaws require sufficient parking based on the size of a building, but because Romanow Container uses most of its space for manufacturing, it claims not to need many parking spots. The site has available space should the building ever need additional spots.
``They could squeeze enough required spaces in there, but they don't need them,'' Steven Olanoff, vice chairman of the Planning Board, said yesterday. ``Why put paint on a parking lot which can deteriorate and get into stormwater?''
Because the addition would create additional warehouse space rather than manufacturing, Romanow said it would likely not create additional employment opportunities.
With its location in a water resource protected district, Romanow Container approached the Dedham-Westwood Water District before seeking a special permit from the Board of Appeals.
``We're not a permitting board, but we do comment,'' Michael Duff, the water district's executive director, said yesterday. ``We're satisfied that the proposed addition will not adversely affect the integrity of the infrastructure.''
In fact, the design of the addition would collect rainwater on its roof and recharge it back into a catch basin.
Romanow Container had to resolve an issue with setbacks from wetlands before receiving Conservation Commission approval, but as of yesterday Chairman Joseph Previtera said revised plans had just been submitted and looked adequate.
The Board of Appeals hearing has been continued to Jan. 3.
Greg Duggan can be reached at 781-433-8355 or gduggan@cnc.com.
