This site at 33-35 Whitman St. in Norway is proposed for a three-story, 17-unit cooperative housing building. The late Ashley Everett’s house was demolished in February by the Norway Equitable Housing Cooperative to make way for the new development. Submitted photo

NORWAY — After two public hearings and much discussion, the Norway Planning Board has approved a 17-unit cooperative housing development planned for 33-35 Whitman Street.

Board Chair Dennis Gray ran through the different performance standards listed in Norway’s subdivision ordinance, making sure the project plans comply, during the board’s Aug. 22 meeting.

The are two conditions to the board’s approval: Norway-Paris Solid Waste Inc. still must sign off on its ability to handle the development’s waste, which it is expected to; and the Norway Equitable Housing Cooperative has been asked to report on parking and if there are any issues with space once the development is built and residents move in. 

“I want to indicate as well the parking issue that is in variance with what our ordinance indicates, but that the state law allows for affordable housing projects,” Gray said. “The board is ‘skeptical’ that 12 will do the job, but 12 is what the law requires.”

The board agreed that this will allow them to know the true impact on parking in town of new residential housing units.

“We know from prior experience in the conversion of large, single-family houses in the downtown area that have become apartment units, they have always created parking issues, so far,” Gray said. “I think we’re interested in seeing how well this kind of a unit can fit into our general downtown parking issues.”

The Norway Equitable Housing Cooperative was launched in 2021 by Norway’s Center for Ecology-Based Economy with a mission of bringing affordable and sustainable, net-zero, housing to the area. To the co-op, net-zero means low to zero electricity bills within an energy-efficient building with solar panels providing all the necessary power, project coordinator Thea Hart has said.

Scott Vlaun, executive director of the Center for Ecology-Based Economy, even suggested including a section in the housing cooperative’s bylaws discussing parking and the rules around it to minimize potential issues.

The Norway Equitable Housing Cooperative building will be owned by the tenants and will operate as a limited equity housing cooperative with governing bylaws. Each household will hold a voting share in the organization.

“People are owners, so they will protect it,” Vlaun said of the development.

Gray noted the development meets Norway’s green space standards for subdivisions.

“There will be designated areas of open space for recreation for all the people that are living there, more so than most of the residential developments we have in the town itself,” he said.

The cooperative hopes to utilize MaineHousing’s Rural Affordable Housing Rental Program to help pay for the project and is waiting to hear if it will be awarded funds.

Vlaun said that if everything goes perfectly, the development should be built within a “couple years.”

“We’re looking at some big numbers,” Vlaun said, noting that total construction costs are estimated to be more than $5 million.

Fundraising for the project is ongoing. For more information, visit ecologybasedeconomy.org/norwayequitablehousingcoop.