'Adult' zoning issue crosses town line

The controversy over creating two adult entertainment districts in Dedham is spilling over into Westwood.

Westwood residents say the two proposed districts, which will be voted on Monday at Town Meeting, include parcels that cross town lines near Route 128. Those parcels are too close not only to Westwood homes, these residents complain, but to the $1.5 billion Westwood Station project - the town's biggest and best hope for economic development.

"We didn't know anything about it until we picked up the newspaper," said Westwood Town Administrator Michael Jaillet. "They had a public hearing process, but the Westwood neighborhoods that would be impacted weren't notified."

While there's little Westwood can do before next week's Town Meeting, officials are hoping that Dedham will make some adjustments once it's approved the new districts.

Dedham officials have moved swiftly in recent months to target available land for the adult use zones, after settling a 4-year court case with Amazing.net, the town's sole adult video and book store.

The Rhode Island-based business won the right to retain its longtime location at Route 1 and Eastern Avenue after proving that Dedham's 18-year-old adult zone on the Boston, Hyde Park, and Canton border was created specifically so no one would locate there. That site, a sprawling former Stop & Shop shipping facility, has no access to Dedham.

Because state and federal court decisions in recent years have established constitutional free speech protections for adult-oriented businesses, Dedham officials said the town had to take quick steps to create viable adult-entertainment zones. Without the districts, strip clubs, book stores and any other R- or X-rated entities could locate anywhere in town they want, Dedham town counsel George Pucci has warned.

Establishing adult zones isn't an invitation for businesses to come in, Pucci stresses, just another layer of protection in case they do. All applicants would have to negotiate a lease with the property owner and obtain a special permit from the Zoning Board of Appeals.

One of the proposed districts consists of seven parcels on Allied Drive, three of which cross the border into Westwood. The other, near the junction of University Avenue and Blue Hill Drive, also crosses the town line.

Of particular issue for Westwood is an office building at 400 Blue Hill Drive. It's close to both the Route 128 train station and the 4.5-million-square-foot mixed-use Westwood Station under development by Cabot, Cabot & Forbes.

This week, CC&F president Jay Doherty said he had no comment on Dedham's plan because he doesn't know much about it. His focus has been an ongoing deadlock on Beacon Hill over a beer and wine license for Wegmans, a New York supermarket he hopes will anchor the massive project.

The 135-acre Westwood Station development on University Avenue is expected to include approximately 1,000 housing units, retail and office space, and possibly two hotels.

At one time, Cornerstone Corp., which owns 400 Blue Hill Drive, was suing Doherty over parking concerns. That lawsuit has since been settled, officials said.

Westwood Selectwoman Nancy Hyde said her town understands Dedham's need to address the adult use issue, but that Westwood officials clearly want Dedham to remove 400 Blue Hill Drive from the district.

Dedham residents at a hearing last month suggested Sturgis Way, off Allied Drive, as a better alternative. At the time, though, Town Planner Arthur Noonan said he had already pored over all potential sites.

Dedham is a good neighbor, said Hyde, adding: "We appreciate the complexity of the issue. But we don't want their actions to be on the backs of their neighbors. I believe they will approach this more cooperatively."

Michele Morgan Bolton can be reached at mmbolton1@verizon.net.