In a vote followed by cheers and applause, Casco residents overwhelmingly approved renovations to the town Community Center.

The special town meeting Saturday was called for residents to vote on a $530,000 bond to perform the minimum repairs needed to re-open the building for recreation programs and meeting space. Residents also approved a second item to dispose of a fire engine to make room for a new purchase.

Saturday’s meeting started a few minutes late because at 9 a.m. the line of people waiting to check in still extended into the cold parking lot. The meeting room and kitchen in the Central Fire Station were packed with close to 100 residents both sitting and standing.

When the meeting did get started, Town Manager David Morton introduced the article to renovate the center. There have been seven votes regarding the community center, Morton said, with four of those in 2008.

“We’ve looked at this for a long time,” Morton said.

Though some past proposals to repair the building have been more extensive, this one will not take care of all of the building’s problems, Morton said. The plan will take care of mold, structural problems and required changes to make the building accessible for those with disabilities.

The scope of work and projected costs were developed by a group of local contractors. The plans still need to be approved by an architect or engineer and be sent out to bid. The Friends of the Casco Community Center committee has promised to raise $80,000 of the cost, which would lower the responsibility for taxpayers.

Kevin Hancock, a vocal advocate for repairing the center, said the packed meeting room showed how great it would be to have a larger public meeting room.

The topic has been discussed for years, Hancock said, and residents just voted in November not to tear the building down.

“Many people here this morning are somewhere between frustrated and upset (about the number of votes),” Hancock said.