By Jen Otterson,Staff Writer

NORWAY – If all goes well, construction at the former C.B. Cummings & Sons mill site could begin by the end of summer.

Morris Fisher, of CB Richard Ellis/The Boulos Co., told more than 30 residents and business owners at a public hearing Thursday that once the applications and permits have been approved, work could begin within 30 days.

Planning Board Chairman Dennis Gray said the board still had some work to do before it could approve permits for the project, but “it could very well be moving along during the next month.”

When work begins, three commercial buildings will be constructed along the Pennesseewassee Stream. Each building will have a storefront facing the stream and Main Street beyond it, and another facing the parking lot to be built behind the buildings. The three commercial buildings total 18,000 square feet, and each can be split into two commercial spaces.

After the construction of the commercial buildings, parking lot and entrance along Bridge Street, the first of three residential townhouse units will be built. Once there is interest, the second and third townhouses will follow. Each townhouse will have two 2-bedroom units.

Resident Trina Cray said that her Orchard Street home overlooks the mill site. She worried that the six units might become section 8 housing if they did not sell.

Fisher said that although there are no commitments on the first building yet, he did not think that would happen. “Our intention is to sell them,” he said. “If we can’t sell them, we’ll rent them.”

Cray also asked about traffic, lighting and noise from the condominiums.

Jeff Perry, of Sebago Technics, said that a traffic study showed “there’s less traffic associated with this development than at the height of the operation of the mill.” He added that the lighting proposed for the project is designed to not be excessive. There will be fewer lights, at a lower wattage, and most will be downcast.

“What’s proposed will be less noisy than the mill,” Perry said, and “no more noisy than a single-family home.”

Brett Doney, of the Growth Council, said his organization is “very excited to see this project moving forward” and urged the Planning Board to move on it as quickly as possible. He added that the first step in revitalizing a downtown is to get more people living and working there.