NORWAY — Surveyors from Pine Tree Engineering in Bath were at the former Herbie Roberts’ property on Friday surveying the site for a municipal and private parking lot.

The property lies between the town office and Norway Savings Bank and was purchased by the town in 2001 for $75,000. The house on it was torn down April 19.

While in the past few years town officials had investigated using the property as a new police station or for other purposes, costs were deemed to be too high.

Recently, Town Manager David Holt and Norway Savings Bank officials began to look into using the site as shared parking space.

Holt recently told selectmen that the opportunity would free up funds that had been saved to redevelop the site. That money might then be used to fix the town garage roof and possibly create needed storage. Holt has been looking at shared services in other areas, such as code enforcement, to save money.

Holt said Norway Savings Bank is paying for the surveying and other site work. Town officials expect to lay out a plan for the parking lot in the next few weeks.

“It’s been pretty much agreed there will be unrestricted use for the town and bank,” Holt said.

A town excavator took the house down, and a local man hauled away some of the material, including copper piping and beams, but with the understanding that the town will receive a percentage of the profits from any sale of the items.

Holt said removing the material meant less debris that had to be paid for at the landfill.

“The bank had to pay by the ton,” he said of the materials that had to be disposed.

ldixon@sunjournal.com