Westwood Select Board Approves Permanent Conservation Restriction on 450 Acres of Hale Land

WESTWOOD — June 22, 2026 — Westwood Select Board approves permanent conservation restriction protecting nearly 450 acres of Hale Education land. The board, chaired by Marianne LeBlanc-Cummings, voted unanimously at its June 22 meeting to approve a legally binding conservation restriction that guarantees public access to the open space in perpetuity, with the Trustees of Reservations serving as the CR holder. The board also granted three licenses at public hearings: a new Common Victualer license to Ron's Gourmet Ice Cream for an Islington location, an all-alcohol Section 15 off-premises license to Roach Brothers, and a Common Victualer all-alcohol Section 12 on-premises and entertainment license to Lifetime Fitness at 44 Harvard Street. DPW Director Todd Korchin and Community and Economic Development Director Nora Lockney briefed the board on the proposed Costco development near Route 1, noting that Costco's gas station special permit from Norwood is under appeal and that an initial traffic study is expected in early fall — with Westwood formally advocating for analysis to include Canton Street, Everett Street, Forbes Road, and the Upland Road-Clapper Tree Street intersection. The board also established a screening committee to hire new Town Counsel and appointed Westwood High School sophomore Leanne Ariyashi as the town's new Youth Poet Laureate.