GARDINER — Complaints by neighbors about odors have stopped a plan to expand a candle-making operation that could have brought 100 new jobs to south Gardiner, the deal’s backers said.

Instead, Village Candles Inc. – which has been leasing a 138,000-square-foot building at 650 River Ave., will consolidate its operations at leased space in Wells, taking nine existing jobs with it, the company’s owner said.

Village Candles had hoped to purchase the south Gardiner building so it could expand and consolidate its operations there, said building owner Dick McGoldrick.

The purchase would have enabled the Topsham-based manufacturer and retailer of scented candles to move its manufacturing to Gardiner, where it already has warehouse and distribution operations.

“They would have put their whole manufacturing plant there, but they got some opposition from a couple of neighbors,” McGoldrick said. “They would have brought 100 jobs to the town. It’s a shame.”

Village Candles owner Paul Aldrich said his representatives met with the Gardiner Planning Board in January 2009 to see if they could get assurances the plan would be approved before he purchased the building.

He said about 20 people opposed to the proposal attended the meeting.

“They were saying too much fragrance released from the building was a deterrent from them selling their houses,” Aldrich said.

“There was someone from the elementary school saying the fragrance was causing throat irritation to the kids.

“They were silly accusations. They’re candles sealed in glass jars with lids. There was very little fragrance released from that building,” Aldrich said.

“It’s like if you were moving into a neighborhood where the neighbors don’t like you. You just don’t want to do that.”

Aldrich said all his employees, in Gardiner and Topsham, have been offered jobs, including the nine people who work at the south Gardiner site.

Aldrich said he had been looking for another location within a 30-mile radius of Topsham for two years.

All the properties he found, however, were encumbered with environmental issues.

He said many of his employees are from South Portland and Scarborough.

The new location in Wells is about 50 minutes from the existing manufacturing facility in Topsham, he said.

City Manager Scott Morelli said last week he was trying to verify that the company is departing.

“If they are, in fact, leaving town, that means local people will lose their jobs,” he said.

Chris Paszyc – commercial real estate broker for CBRE/The Boulos Co. in Portland, who is marketing the property for McGoldrick – said Village Candle is leaving in April.