NORWAY – Town Manager David Holt told selectmen Thursday that the town was looking to apply for a $400,000 grant to refurbish and remove some of the former C.B. Cummings & Sons buildings.

The property was purchased by the Growth Council of Oxford Hills for $100,000.

Holt said Community Development Block Grants are available to towns and the money would be used to remove some of the pipes and buildings and put in a parking lot.

“We would try to make an attractive place where a private developer would want to come in and spend money,” Holt said. “We would leave four or five buildings.”

Holt said the Cummings property may have to be designated as blighted, which is different than condemning.

He explained one of the definitions of blighted is that there is not enough parking space to make the entity economically viable.

Holt said the town would have to come up with a match of at least $100,000 for the grant, but the purchase price of the property could be considered that match. He said it is too early now to determine what other costs to the town may be involved.

“Obviously, the town would not like to spend a penny and the state would like to see us spend many thousands,” Holt said.

A committee to determine the uses of the Cummings property will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the town office.

The CDBG application has to be completed by mid-January.

In other business, the board approved extending all-terrain vehicle use on Patch Mountain Road between Greenwood and Norway until Dec. 15 or until there is a groomable or maintainable amount of snow.

Greenwood selectmen approved a similar measure on Nov. 18.

Janice Stevens, trail master for the Oxford Hills Trailblazers ATV club, said there are still hunters using the road and since there is no snow, it is too early to post it.

Selectmen had voted earlier this year to allow ATVs to use the road from May 15 to Nov. 15. Snowmobilers use the road in the winter.

The board also approved a $2,413 tax abatement for The Norway Color Center, which was destroyed by a fire in June.

Holt told selectmen he is looking to create a system to better handle complaints concerning highways and other municipal functions.

“I want to do better at recording and following up on complaints,” Holt said. “I think the police do pretty well at recording complaints. I’d like to record highway complaints and really, everything.

“I don’t have anything in place,” he said. “Our goal is to try and do better.”