NORWAY – The Planning Board unanimously voted to increase the number of beds at a downtown residential care facility from four to five.

According to its website, Medical Care Development is a nonprofit organization that provides public health programs to improve the health and well-being of people, and to provide supported community living facilities for “our most vulnerable citizens.”

Shannon Korhonen Brown, program manager for the Medical Care Development residential home on 7 Beal St., said the large building has four residents living there.

“Right now, we’re looking to increase that by one,” Brown told the board. “Part of the Department of Health and Human Services licensing requirements asks us to get approval by the town to expand the number of beds.”

Brown said there would be no physical change to the building, and no construction would be done.

“The fire marshal has already looked around and said that, safety-wise, we’re good to go,” she said. “We’re just looking for a letter that says you’re in agreement with that.”

The board voted to approve the request.

In other business, the Planning Board voted to confirm that the property at 220 Main St., formerly owned by Ron and Jane Everett, can still be used as office space.

Attorneys Jeffrey Wilson and Greg Braun, who operate Braun & Wilson, PLLC at 23 Market Square in South Paris, said at Thursday’s meeting that they are looking to move to the 220 Main St. property.

“We’re just outgrowing the space at our old office,” Wilson said. “If we moved in, there would be no apartment spaces. It would just be office space.”

He said he and Braun would have their offices in the front part of the building, with the option for “a couple of attorneys to work upstairs.”

“We’re just asking that the board approve the prior use of the building as an office,” Wilson added.

mdaigle@sunmediagroup.net

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