NORWAY — The management company for the Norway Lake Marina said a plan to convert part of the property to a studio apartment is on hold.

HOLD UP – The management company for the owner of the so-called log cabin at the Norway Lake Marina said plans to covert it to a studio are on hold.

Chris Miller of Western Hills Property Group, the management group that is marketing the entire marina, said plans to covert the log cabin at 295 Lake Road into a studio apartment is still pending because of concern about the conversion requirement.

In November, the Norway Planning Board approved the request by Western Hills Property Group to change part of the marina, formerly known as Snow’s Marina, on Pennessewassee Lake from commercial to residential.

The request was to change 650 square feet on the eastern side of the complex – known as the “log cabin” – into a studio apartment for either use by the owner and rental.

The current owner is listed as Robert M. Lehmkuhl, of Malibu, California, according to town records. Lehmkuhl grew up in the local area and owns a summer home on Route 117.

The motion to allow the change to residential for the log cabin section was contingent on it being recorded at the registry of deeds. At that time, Code Enforcement Officer Joelle Corey Whitman said once the conversion is made, it is a permanent move and can never go back to commercial.

Miller, who was representing the owner at the hearing, said the property is being marketed for commercial business and he receives several calls a month inquiring about it, but he declined to comment further.

The marina was opened in 1926 as Snow’s Marina and was noted for servicing and selling Erinrude motors for boats. In 1961 it began to also sell and service Polaris snowmobiles. The marina was started by Al Snow and was one of the first 10 companies in the country to handle Evinrude motors.

It closed in the early 2000s.

Since that time, others have tried to operate a marina from the space and most recently, it was occupied by Grow Depot that has since moved its location to Augusta.

In late October, a 1996 Lincoln Town Car crashed into the showroom of the unoccupied marina.

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