NORWAY – Brett Doney said he had 11 new parking spaces for workers at the Odd Fellows Building on Main Street.

But, he told the Planning Board on Thursday, there’s a catch.

Doney, chief executive officer of the Growth Council of Oxford Hills, said it purchased property on Water Street for parking.

“It’s around the corner and down the street,” Doney said. “So, it’s a bit of a walk.”

Doney pointed out what the board already knew, the spots are outside the walking distance of the town regulations governing parking spaces.

“In a basic sense, I want to know if this is adequate?” Doney asked the board.

“It’s adequate,” said Chairman Dennis Grey. “For a start.”

Grey said he recognizes the plight of downtown merchants and the parking problems there and has had conversations with Town Manager David Holt.

He said they were looking at how to create more flexibility in downtown parking.

Doney is seeking to renovate the Odd Fellows building and said he is beginning the plans with securing more parking for possible second and third floor tenants.

The Planning Board also approved the subdivision plan for the proposed technology park on Roberts Road.

The subdivision plan sets guidelines for developing the land and regulations concerning water and traffic.

“It formalizes and records all representations we made with regards to conservation of land and protecting the lake and aesthetics of land,” Doney said.

The document is available for public viewing at the town office on Danforth Street.

The board also held a public hearing and gave final approval for the Christian Science Church to construct a new church at the corner of Route 118 and Morrill Road.

Rachel Fisck, whose house on Waterford Road (Route 118) is horseshoed by the six acres of property the church owns, asked if her annual problem handling runoff will increase because of her new neighbors.

Peter Whitchurch, Christian Scientist representative, said he estimates that since the two buildings – 40-foot by 24-foot and 16-foot by 20-foot structures – are built between her property and the source of the water, he expected the runoff problem to improve.

He also said that there would be a 100-foot wide buffer strip between the church buildings and her house to control the flow.

The board also gave permission for Mike Morin to add two more slips to his marina on Norway Lake so he could now handle 37 boats. The original plan for the marina was for 35 slips.

The board also gave permission to Lester Wordell to rent canoes and sell bait and tackle from the former Snow’s Marina building on Norway Lake.

In final action, the board approved Ed Dilworth’s request to raze his current home on Mallard Way and construct another home that’s 20 percent bigger and build it further from Norway Lake.

Code Enforcement Officer Jeffrey Van Decker normally reviews and decides expansions less that 30 percent, but since a foundation is involved, the issue had to come to the board.

jsmedley@sunjournal.com

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