NORWAY – The Gingerbread House move along Main Street has hit a snag.

The town building code allows the 80-foot-long historic building to be moved to a 10,000-square-foot lot, but the shoreland zoning law requires it be at least 40,000 square feet, town officials learned recently.

Therefore, a special town meeting is set for 7 p.m. Oct. 7 to request voters change the shoreland zoning ordinance for that area near Pennesseewassee Stream to allow a 10,000-square-foot lot. The meeting will be held in the municipal building on Danforth Street.

The house is expected to be moved from near the intersection at Pikes Hill Road farther up Main Street next to Butters Park.

Town Manager David Holt explained that during the transfer of land to facilitate the move, it was discovered that 40,000 square feet would be needed to create a new lot.

In an e-mail to the Sun Journal, Holt said, “When the offer was made to have the Gingerbread House, if it was moved, we all started to look for the nearest available spot to avoid the cost of moving wires. Since no good lots were available, a lot that met the requirements of the building code (10,000 sq. ft.,) a lot was created by combining land from the C’s, the town and the MaineDOT. The comprehensive plan, the document upon which any zoning ordinance is created, also calls for 10,000 square feet in that area.”

However, Holt said it was later discovered that under the shoreland zoning ordinance, 40,000 square feet would be needed for the new lot. He said he  recommended that the shoreland zoning ordinance be amended for the area from Greenleaf Avenue to the intersection of Water Street.

“This change conforms with the existing lot sizes in that area, the requirements of the building code and is consistent with the comprehensive plan.  . . . and would allow the Gingerbread House project to continue as planned,” he said.

The Gingerbread House is owned by C’s Inc., a real estate holding company affiliated with Sun Media Group, publishers of the Sun Journal and Advertiser-Democrat. The owners agreed late in 2008 to delay demolition of the 80- by 20-foot, three-story house if a grassroots organization of volunteers could successfully figure out a way to move it.

The Planning Board approved a partial site plan application for the new location, allowing the house to be moved if ordinance setback requirements are met and erosion and storm water controls are in place when the foundation work is done.

The project is expected to result in the rehabilitation of the 1851 Evans-Cummings House, which features elaborate “gingerbread” trim. The house is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Members have agreed the building must be self-supporting.

[email protected]