NORWAY — The Norway Selectboard will have a public hearing on Thursday, Aug. 20, at the Town Office to consider limiting parking directly in front of the Advertiser Democrat building at 1 Pikes Hill to 20 minutes.

Concern over use of the parking spaces was prompted by a July 16 decision by the Board of Selectmen to remove six parking spaces from the Main Street side of the building.

The approval paved the way for the Department of Transportation to issue a traffic flow permit for the Western Maine Health’s  $8.2 million medical building under construction on Pikes Hill Road. The building is expected to open in January and increase daily traffic counts downtown by 800 cars. DOT recommended deletion of the spaces to provide better visibility for cars existing Pikes Hill in the now right turn-only designated road.

The two spaces in front of the building have traditionally been used by patrons of the newspaper — many seniors — who run into the office for brief business.

Advertiser Democrat Editor Ann Wood said the two parking spaces are now often used by other downtown business patrons — many who leave their car parked there for hours, causing a hardship for others.

Downtown on street parking has a two-hour limit, but is not consistently enforced.

The meeting gets underway at 7 p.m. in the town office on Danforth Street.