At the Dec. 2 meeting the Town of Norwood Zoning Board of Appeals discussed proposed changes to board submission deadlines and a draft stormwater requirement intended to reduce cost and engineering burdens for small residential additions.

Staff presented examples from other municipalities and recommended distinguishing between substantive applicant materials and illustrative documents. Board members debated moving the applicant deadline from the current five days to 10 calendar days before a hearing while keeping letters of support or opposition on a shorter timetable (five days). The board favored adding a formal waiver request process requiring applicants to identify specific items and reasons for the waiver and agreed to retain chair/board discretion to accept late materials in exceptional circumstances.

On stormwater, staff proposed a simple design requirement to be included in building‑permit plans: a stormwater management design acceptable to the building commissioner that captures and infiltrates runoff equivalent to the first two inches of precipitation from any impervious surface. Board members and staff said the approach would allow homeowners to demonstrate compliance (for example with pavers or a dry well) without hiring an engineer on small projects; staff will incorporate that specific language into a draft for public hearing.

The board asked staff to advertise rule changes and scheduled a public hearing on the proposed submission‑deadline changes and stormwater language for Jan. 6, 2026. No formal rule change was adopted at the Dec. 2 meeting; the discussion produced direction to prepare an advertised amendment for the board’s next meeting.

Why this matters: Changing submission timelines and clarifying stormwater requirements affects applicants, abutters and town departments: longer submission windows give board members and departments more time to review materials, while a simplified stormwater test could lower costs for homeowners doing modest additions.

Next steps: staff to prepare formal regulatory language, include the proposed waiver procedures, advertise the public hearing and present the draft changes on Jan. 6, 2026.