HARPSWELL — Harpswell aquaculture researchers are asking the Board of Selectmen for access to property at Mitchell Field to conduct reviews with various government agencies to help estimate the cost of making their vision a reality.

Chris Heinig, chief executive officer of the Harpswell Oceanic Center (HOC) and RAS Corp., said that lease negotiations are still under way for property at the former Navy fuel depot where his company seeks to set up an indoor ecosystem that would produce fish in a mostly self-sustaining network, called a recirculating aquaculture system.

Heinig told The Times Record in September 2011 that the project would also have a for-profit side — RAS Corp. — that would support the nonprofit oceanic center.

Based on initial projections, Heinig said that such an aquaculture facility could produce up to 600 metric tons of fish annually.

In September, the HOC received a $12,500 grant from the Maine Technology Institute (MTI) to fund planning and permitting work.

“We’re in the process of doing that, but to move that forward we need to meet with the agencies and with the Planning Board,” Heinig said. “And absent the town’s authorization, we can’t really do that.”

On Thursday, the Harpswell Board of Selectmen will consider granting Heinig and researchers from the HOC that access, with a stipulation that the HOC will cover all costs associated with such reviews.

The authorization from the Board of Selectmen would include “the right to appear before the Harpswell Planning Board on some preliminary basis,” according to a letter drafted by Board of Selectmen chairwoman Elinor Multer.

Heinig’s letter to the board states that the HOC “will pay for all meeting preparation costs, provide a copy of submitted review materials for the town’s file and invite town staff to attend non-town agency meetings.”

Results from the proposed study, Heinig wrote, “would not only help HOC to plan and estimate the development costs but such information would be of benefit to the town whether HOC is the eventual tenant at the Mitchell Field Marine Business District or not.”

As for research, Heinig said that HOC is moving along more quickly than expected with projects at the University of Maine.

Heinig said the HOC applied for another MTI grant to fund research about raising fish in an aquaculture system.

Research, he said, is progressing faster than expected.

“The results to date are very, very good and they’re exceeding our expectations in certain aspects,” Heinig said.

The Board of Selectmen will meet Thursday at 6 p.m. in the Harpswell Town Office on Mountain Road.

dfishell@timesrecord.com