At a special meeting on Thursday, the Standish Town Council gave the go ahead to enter into a purchase and sales agreement on land for a community center.

The original order to purchase this piece of property, offered by Windham resident Jamie Cummings, was tabled at last Tuesday’s council meeting after a lengthy executive session.

But Thursday, by a vote of 4 to 2, the council agreed to put down a $20,000 non-refundable deposit on the $325,000 eight-acre parcel located at 270 Northeast Road. Councilors Lymburner and Pomerleau voted against the order while Councilors Hopkins, Christy, Russell and Simpson voted in favor of purchasing the property.

As the purchase is contingent upon approval by Standish residents, it will go to a referendum vote on the June 13, 2006 municipal election ballot. If voters do not approve the purchase, the town will lose the $20,000 down payment.

Once the order was on the table, discussion ensued on both sides of the issue.

Community Center Committee member Susie Walker listed all the advantages the property’s location would provide. Near Town Hall and with easy access and good visibility, the property’s location would make the center convenient for all age groups. Most school buses travel right by, making it handy for after-school programs. And the lot is on town water.

“We have been meeting for a year with thought and diligence and are confident that this property should be purchased for the community center lot,” Walker said.

Comprehensive Plan Chairwoman Carol Billington presented relevant findings from the committee’s recent survey “not to put a spin on the information” but to put it in perspective with what residents feel is important for Standish.

According to Billington, the survey asked people to rank their top five primary priorities for town government over the next 10 years. Given 15 options, they were asked to choose five and number them from most to least important, one through five respectively.

“It’s very subjective, I guess, and it can be interpreted in a thousand ways,” Billington said.

When the results were compiled, of the 15 options, the community center was ranked number 10 overall out of the list of 15. Garnering a total of 180 votes, 16 voted it number one on their list of top five priorities; 33, number two; 33, number three; 47, number four; and 51 ranked it at number five.

Results from another question involving a community center on the committee’s survey indicated that 48.4 percent were in favor of a center, 26 percent were not in favor and 17.2 percent had no opinion.

Councilor Phil Pomerleau pointed out that the survey did not indicate any dollar figure for the facility so people could not make a decision based on cost.

The first Community Center Committee conducted a survey in 2004. In that survey comprised of 450 responses, 92 percent supported a community center and eight percent did not, according to Recreation Director Linda Brooks.

Councilor Dolores Lymburner asked Brooks if the committee considered the original offering of a six-acre portion from the eight-acre parcel. Cummings initially offered the six acres to the town for $150,000.

When Brooks answered that it had been considered, Lymburner then asked if the committee discussed offering a three-part option for voters on the referendum: yes on the entire eight-acre parcel, yes on the six-acre parcel, or a no vote.

“I’m very supportive of a community center in this town,” Lymburner said. “I’m just concerned about the price because we’re starting with something I think is a big expenditure for this town. Where there could be an opportunity where folks may not support $325,000 but they may be willing to support $150,000, I’d hate to see us go to a vote in June and the whole thing is lost.”

But Brooks was concerned that giving the public three options would hold up the seller’s ability to market his property.

Several people, both council members and observers, expressed apprehension about the $20,000. Pomerleau questioned why they couldn’t call a special town meeting to bring the matter to a vote more quickly so they wouldn’t have to risk losing the money.

But at the end of the evening, the council voted to put down the $20,000 and let the people of Standish decide.

“I think if we pass up on this we’re passing up an investment for our town and we’re also passing up the opportunity for the citizens to let us know in no uncertain terms on the June ballot whether they’re going to support this type of financial price,” said Council Chair Cindy Hopkins. “It’s going to be a clear message to us and to the committee and I think that’s what we need right now.”