NORWAY — About 25 residents filled town hall to express comments and concerns about a proposed rooftop bar and event space next to the 290 Maine Street restaurant downtown.

The Norway Planning Board held a public hearing June 13 to allow for the board and the applicant and owner of 290 Maine Street, Ryan Ricci, to gauge the public’s reaction to the idea, according to planning board chair Dennis Gray.

Gray said that a public hearing usually isn’t held until a building application is deemed 100% complete, but Ricci wanted to get an idea if his project would be approved or denied before spending approximately $50,000 on required engineering work, he said.

“I can’t spend 50 grand for you guys to come back and say you’re not going to approve it. It just makes no sense financially,” Ricci said. “I’m OK with either way you go.”

Many of the public comments centered around the building’s design, look, and feel – and how it will fit into Norway’s downtown historic district.

The design of the main structure shows it will be made mostly of glass and steel with a brick wall. It will be a separate building, which Ricci called an “outdoor annex,” that will sit between 290 Maine Street and another building on the other side also owned by Ricci. 

The rooftop bar would be open seven months out of the year with a limited menu and would also be available for private events such as weddings or birthday parties, Ricci said.

There will be an open area on-top with a bar that can also be used for private events, he said. He intends for the lower level of the new building to be open all year-round.

“Basically, it would double our occupancy all year-round now,” Ricci said.

Scott Berk, president of Norway Downtown and owner of Cafe Nomad, spoke for the nonprofit, whose mission stated on its website it is to “to lead the effort to revitalize Norway’s historic Main Street in collaboration with residents, businesses and organizations.”

“There has been a huge amount of time, and money, and effort over the years, a long period of time, 20 years, preserving the downtown look and feel of historic buildings,” Berk said. “It’s one of the driving factors of why we’re such a good economic success.”

He said he is in favor of the plans as it will attract more people to the downtown and it would be a nice addition, he only wants Ricci to keep in mind the historic architecture of the downtown historic district.

“There needs to be some time and thought put into addressing the historic nature of Main Street,” Berk said. “Because as we continue to grow, it’s really important that we don’t lose the character that we’ve worked so hard to build on this street.”

“We did have an architect fully design this,” Ricci said. “Everything that I’ve ever done has kept Norway and this area in mind.”

Ricci then went back-and-forth with the planning board and residents in a constructive discussion concerning different suggestions for how to make the building fit in more appropriately with the downtown historic district.

“It’s a tough thing to nail down when we’re talking about aesthetic,” Berk said. “We don’t have clear standards here in Norway.”

Gray, the planning board chair, advised Ricci that he would now have to go through the planning board process and meet the standards stipulated by the town’s zoning code.

“What you have here: the concept, the design, the growth, the increase of 290’s footprint, as you have it here, I’m OK with it,” he said.

The Norway Planning Board will hold a site walk at 33-35 Whitman Street for a proposed cooperative housing unit at noon June 25. The board will next meet at 7 p.m. June 27.

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