NORWAY — A spokesperson for the state’s Department of Transportation said Tuesday that the process to clear a piece of land necesssary to the successful move of the Gingerbread House may ultimately have to be approved by Govewrnor John Baldacci.

 The Gingerbread House Steering Committee was given a tentative go-ahead
Monday to move the historic Main Street house up the street near Butters Park
in the spring. But to make the move, the committee must get access to land currently owned by C’s Inc., the town of Norway and the Department of Transportation.

DOT’s Herb Thompson said the department’s property office must, by state statute, go through a series of approvals to release the land starting with determining whether it can be declared surplus land.

 If that is ascertained, the land must then be offered to the Maine Housing Authority. If there is no interest, the department will proceed with placing a valuation on the land, negotiating a sale and preparing a deed, said Thompson. A number of signoffs must be placed on the document including the DOT’s commissioners. Ultimately the deal will go to the State Budget Office and must be approved by the governor.

“It will be a transaction of property,” said Thompson. There really isn’t a way to shortcut the process but the department is working on it as quickly as possible, he said.

 “We’ll move ahead with our part expeditiously,” said Thompson.

  Ed Snook, chief financial officer for C’s Inc., said the company is interested in letting the Gingerbread House be moved. “Yes we’re intending to move forward. That’s not saying it’s written in stone, but I don’t anticipate there being any problems,” he said.

Earlier this year, Snook said C’s Inc. would consider delaying the planned demolition of the historic 1851 building if the group could raise at least $100,000 toward their planned move of the house just down the street.

Last month, the Gingerbread Task Force reached its goal to raise $100,000 when an anonymous donor stepped forward with the money during the fundraising efforts. There is another $8,000 plus raised and a promise from the Davis Foundation of $20,000 if the group can raise $150,000 in the next two years.

The agreement between C’s Inc. and the Gingerbread Steering Committee must still be spelled out in a memo of understanding, which will not happen until several issues are resolved including obtaining the land parcel.

With the verbal agreement, Steering Committee Chairman Andrea Burns said the anonymous donor will deposit $50,0000 in the bank Tuesday. The final $50,000 will be deposited after the New Year.

The town of Norway’s land may not need to go through voters, Holt said. The Board of Selectmen is expected to meet with Steering Committee group members Thursday to talk about the process. Snook said his group will review the revised plans that appear to take less land from the company than a prior plan.

Several permits will also be needed prior to the building move, including shoreline zoning and building permits from the local Planning Board.

Originally known as the Evans-Cummings House, the Gingerbread House, with its octagonal tower, was erected in 1851. Its builder was Richard Evans, who was considered an important contractor who also built the Nash house on Pleasant Street and the passenger railroad station at South Paris. The 80- by 20-foot house is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Plans have been under development for the past several years to save the building by various organizations, including Norway Downtown, the Norway Historical Society, the Gingerbread Task Force and Steering Committee, the town of Norway, Norway Water Department, Maine Department of Transportation and others.

If the committee is successful, long-range plans will be determined but members have already agreed the building must be self supporting.

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Gingerbread Steering Committee Chairwoman Andrea Burns and members Ann Siekman and Pat Shearman, who chairs the Gingerbread Task Force, study a plot plan Monday morning of the proposed Gingerbread House move near Butters Park farther up Main Street in Norway.