NORWAY — The Planning Board voted 4-1 Thursday evening to approve a plan by Granite Ridge Estate to use a rural lodge and new luxury barn at 65 Delano Drive for wedding parties and other events.

The vote will allow Portland-based business owner Anthony Fratianne to host up to 200 people in the new 3,500-square-foot barn and timber-framed lodge which overlook the White Mountains of New Hampshire.

The barn is on a 1,000-foot ridge in North Norway and is accessed by Nancy Ann Drive, a narrow, private dirt road off Norway Center Road. There are 18 houses, each on a minimum of a 3-acre lot, on the two, narrow dirt roads maintained by an association.

Nancy Ann Alling, whose father, Robert Alling, built both Nancy Ann and Delano drives, said she will appeal the board’s decision because of her concern over the safety of residents in the area.

Alling, one of dozens of concerned abutters at the meeting, said she will ask the Board of Appeals to instruct Fratianne to expand Nancy Ann Drive, which has a 50-foot right of way, so two cars can safely pass. The road is about 15 feet wide, she said.

The application for an appeal must filed within 30 days of the Planning Board decision.

The majority of Planning Board members said the project adhered to 24 standards, ranging from the project’s impact on soil conditions to noise levels, that must be met for approval.

Board member Anthony Morra asked that conditions be set on two of the approved standards that would allow the board to revisit any traffic and noise concerns in the future.

“No one is more pro-business than me. But there’s a lot of people here with concerns,” he said.

Board member Mike Quinn, who voted against the project, said he was worried about abutters’ concerns over traffic and other issues.

Although abutters were not allowed to speak during the decision-making process, several spoke out angrily about the ongoing dust problem during construction and other safety issues.

The plan has drawn concerns from residents along the roads about the impact on drainage and nearby water bodies.

Fratianne, who is general counsel and senior vice president of the Maine-based Liberty Companies, said he reduced the parking spaces in his plan from 80 to 20 to be a good neighbor. An agreement was made for wedding guests to park off-site at Affordable Events LLC in Harrison and at Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School in Paris. Guests will be taken to the site by LA Luxury Limousine, according to owner Josh Tice.

Additionally, Fratianne said he has widened the access to Delano Drive to ensure Fire Department and construction equipment can easily access the site.

He said he remains open to any ideas from the neighborhood about how the traffic flow can be improved, but he anticipates only three to five “rides” for each event with off-site parking. If someone wants to leave the event, a limousine will be available to transport them down the road, he said.

“This is a long-term project. We want to be the best neighbors possible,” Fratianne said.

Norway has no zoning laws, and there are no guidelines on commercial business development in residential areas. The applicant had to meet all 24 conditions for the change of use request to be approved by the Planning Board.

ldixon@sunjournal.com

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