NORWAY — The owner of a proposed wedding barn on Morse Road has withdrawn his application, according to a town official.

Code Enforcement Officer Joelle Corey-Whitman said Tuesday that the public hearing scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 25, to discuss the proposal has been canceled.

Peter Ulrickson filed an application with the Planning Board last fall to approve a change of use for the property. He had hoped to operate the business in a 19th century farmhouse at 107 Morse Road.

A large contingent of opponents was expected at this week’s public hearing. Opponents had presented the board with a petition signed by 81 residents in the North Norway area urging it to reject the application.

The petition signers claimed approval would result in “dangerous” additional traffic, noise that would prevent them from enjoying the “peaceful” outdoors, and decrease their property values.

A decision on Ulrickson’s application for a change of use had been delayed several times in the past few months when it was discovered not all abutters had been properly notified by certified mail. The Planning Board finally gave him the go-ahead two weeks ago to proceed with the application when all attempts had been made to notify one last abutter.

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

Ulrickson said at previous meetings that the weddings would be held in the barn one day per weekend and have no more than 125 guests. The expected route for guests would have been Greenwood Road to Morse Road.

The house on the 20-acre property was built in 1820 and is known as The Old Whitmarsh Place. The hilly residential area overlooks some of Norway’s lakes and is comprised of many retired people with homes valued at around $250,000 or more.

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