NORWAY – The Planning Board decided Thursday to inspect the site of a game bird business and hold a public hearing before deciding whether to allow an expansion.

John Gagne of Western Maine Game Birds presented plans to put in a 14- by 65-foot brooder house and a 14- by 20-foot office on his property at 64 French Road.

He said the structures would not be permanent, and he planned to set them on blocks.

Gagne said he has been raising game birds to supply hunting clubs off and on for about 10 years and wanted to expand his hobby into a business.

“I’d like to do upwards of 100,000 birds this year and with the new building should be able to do 3,000 chicks at a time,” Gagne said.

He said he would sell the birds at any developmental stage, from eggs to grown.

He said the 100,000 birds was a yearly figure and that they would not be there all at the same time.

Planning Board member Michael Micklon raised concerns about the environmental impact since a brook borders Gagne’s 4.2 acres.

Gagne said he is currently monitored by wardens and there is water quality testing done on the brook. He said the way the land is configured the waste never reaches the brook, the rains wash it away.

Chairman Dennis Gray suggested a site visit so the board could get a true picture of the property and planned buildings. He also suggested a public hearing so abutters’ questions could be answered.

The board also approved a building permit for Oxford County Regional Solid Waste to add a 20- by 40-foot building to the back side of the recycling building at 39 Brown St.

The building will be used to store anything with a cathode ray tube, such as televisions and computer screens. These products will be required to be recycled in 2006.

The board also granted a building permit to Brenda Birney, owner of Mainely Properties, to build a 10- by 26-foot addition to the Cafe Corner at 33 Fair St.

She said the addition would be used for, refrigeration, freezers and dry storage for the restaurant.

The board also approved her changing a three-bedroom apartment upstairs to a one-bedroom unit to allow for more office space to expand her real estate business.

She also has to add another stairway to the rear of the building.

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