By Kelly Morgan,Staff Writer

NORWAY – Town officials have rejected a proposal for a subdivision moratorium that would have temporarily stopped larger developments on rural roads.

The Norway Planning Board and Norway Board of Selectmen met jointly Thursday to discuss the proposal and the possibility of charging impact fees for development. Town Manager David Holt said that when the moratorium was discussed, “there was no support from the Planning Board or selectmen.”

Voters would have been asked to approve the measure at the annual town meeting. Instead, the two boards came up with a set of alternatives.

One, Holt said, would be a town ordinance stating that “subdivisions cannot be approved unless the road meets a minimum standard.” This would place the burden of road improvements on the developer rather than the town.

Holt said he will be working with Fergus Lea of the Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments to come up with a set of proposed standards.

Also, Holt said, the Planning Board and Board of Selectmen have agreed to work on updates to the town’s subdivision and site-plan review ordinances.

Any new ordinances or changes to the existing ordinances would require the town to hold public hearings and bring the items forward at town meeting for voter approval.

Holt said he is concerned that because Norway is no longer supported by farming and woodworking activities, more people may sell their land to developers or develop it themselves. New development means new burdens on the town, especially where roads are concerned.

There are 70 miles of road in town, Holt said, many of which are not prepared to handle more traffic. Two or three miles of road are fixed each year, he said, “And you don’t have to be a math genius to figure out we’re not fixing it as fast as it’s wearing out.”

Holt said the Planning Board and Board of Selectmen will continue to discuss impact fees, which are typically charged to developers to offset costs associated with road or infrastructure improvements related to a specific project.