Opera House gets building permit

NORWAY — The Opera House Corporation finally has its building permit and is good to go as of Monday, October 22. The permit cost $1,100.

Code Enforcement Officer Joelle Corey-Whitman revealed at the October 18 selectboard meeting that the contractor, H.E. Callahan of Auburn, began renovations in September and still did not have a permit.

Without a permit, she told selectmen, she almost had to put a stop-work order on the project. She said she is trying not to treat the renovation  differently than other commercial projects in town. 

"I need to issue a permit," she told selectmen. At the meeting, she estimated the fee for the permit to be approximately $700. 

Brenda Melhus of the Norway Opera House Corporation asked selectmen if they could waive the fee for the building permit. 

"I feel like it would be a small load off of our burden," she said, if the town were to waive the fee. She said she realized there was the issue of setting a precedent for other corporations, but that waiving the fee would help. 

Selectman Bill Damon said to resolve the issue he would personally write a check to cover the cost of the fee.

Town Manager David Holt took blame for the confusion about the fee being waived, saying "way back I suggested that probably there would be no fee for the building permit because it was our [the town's] project." 

Selectmen said they were concerned that waiving the fee would set a precedent. Chairman Russ Newcomb pointed out that other non-profits are required to pay for their building permits and didn't recall the board every waiving any fees. 

"I promised folks we wouldn't spend any more money than is absolutely necessary," Newcomb said. 

"We have made a number of contributions toward the project, one way or the other; legal fees or other costs," he said.

Newcomb said he was also concerned that if the NOHC couldn't afford the building permit fee now, whether they could afford the project moving forward. 

However, on Monday, after reviewing the site plans, Corey-Whitman calculated the fee at $1,100 which was paid by Bruce Cook.

Work on the building is expected to be completed by the end of December.