A deal that would have allowed a community center to be built on land adjacent to the Standish Town Hall seems to have fallen through due to concerns from the seller that the town’s offer was too low.

According to Standish Town Councilor Larry Simpson, the owners of the property, Donald and Eleanor Boulter, originally agreed to sell the town the property at fair market value based on an appraisal to be paid for by the town. As part of the agreement, the town also consented to make a better access road to the Boulters’ woodlot.

But believing the appraised value was too low, the couple backed out just hours before the council was to vote on entering into a contract to purchase the property. Repeated attempts to reach the Boulters for comment were unsuccessful.

“We were unable to come to an agreement on the terms,” said Gordon Billington, Standish’s town manager, “but we’re hopeful that there may be some agreement in the future.

Billington said the town, which was unable to come to agreement in an earlier negotiation on land on Route 25, is now looking at other properties to build a community center.

Last July, the Standish Kiwanis Club offered to donate a seven-acre parcel of land on Route 25 near their clubhouse. At that time, it appeared the town would accept their gift but reached an impasse over one issue: the right of first refusal.

Right of first refusal means the club would have to give the town the option to buy the property before it is offered to another party. The town asked for the right of first refusal from the Kiwanis Club in the event the club ever decided to sell an adjacent parcel.

The town wanted to be given this option so they could maintain access to the beach.

According to Standish resident Paul Mosley, who is a Community Center Committee member and the newly inducted president of the Kiwanis Club, the club objected to granting the town first refusal because it could potentially delay the sale of the property for up to a year.

But the club is now discussing an alternate piece of property and Mosley is still hopeful some agreement can be reached.

“My long-term objective is to see if we can’t both come together,” he said. “My ultimate desire is that I’d like it to go through.”

The Community Center Committee is “pursuing every available option,” said committee member and Recreation Director Linda Brooks. That includes the possibility of building on part of the 11 acres of land occupied in part by Standish Town Hall.

“We are still negotiating with the Kiwanis Club as well,” Brooks said. “They are considering a tract of land near their beach location – we’re waiting to hear back from them. That would guarantee us access to the beach in years to come if something happened to the Kiwanis Club.

But Brooks recognizes one unexpected benefit in the hunt for land.

“The upside of taking so long seems to be that the concept itself is building the interest of the community,” she said. “We’ve had positive feedback from residents.”