GORHAM – Despite being trounced at the polls Tuesday, supporters of a $3 million Gorham plan that would have built a stadium with artificial turf for high school varsity teams still believe the project is worth revisiting.

According to official results released by the town clerk’s office, 1,272 voters opposed the stadium referendum while 309 favored the project. Gorham has 11,788 registered voters.

Mary Mercier, president of Gorham Football Boosters, said Wednesday the group would soon meet to discuss whether a field proposal could make a comeback.

“It’s unfortunate that an opportunity has been missed by not having a competition field,” Mercier said about the referendum results.

“I’m disappointed on the vote,” Jim Hager, a School Committee member and proponent of the artificial turf project, said Wednesday. “I would hope we revisit this.”

But next time, he said, he would advocate placing more emphasis on information, publicity and clarity of the need for a synthetic field.

Several teams play on the same field at the high school.

“The main grass field gets abused,” Hager said.

Under the proposal that went to voters, a stadium featuring artificial turf, lights, bleachers and a building with locker rooms and concessions would have been built on the so-called Chick Property. Last year, a road, Chick Drive, was built through the site linking routes 202 and 25.

The town-owned 85-acre parcel includes the town’s Public Safety Building and the Narragansett Elementary School.

In addition to football, the stadium would have been home field for Gorham High School varsity teams including soccer, field hockey, and lacrosse.

In addition to the turf stadium, the referendum proposal would have also upgraded traffic circulation at Narragansett School by adding more parking and constructing another access, separating car and school bus traffic.

Those safety concerns at the school likely will be a topic at a Town Council workshop on Tuesday, July 19, when the board discusses town capital improvement projects.

Town Council Chairman Matthew Robinson said Wednesday that he called Town Manager David Cole seeking information about where the Narragansett safety improvements fall on a school department priority list.

“This has been on their wish list since 2000,” Robinson said.

Hager advocated revisiting the traffic safety issues at Narragansett School as soon as possible.

If the referendum had passed, Gorham would have borrowed the $3 million to be paid back over 20 years, accruing $1,351,875 in interest. The total project with interest would have cost local taxpayers more than $4.3 million.

Indications that the referendum would fail came early Tuesday. Several voters in an American Journal exit poll Tuesday pointed to the downturned economy as the reason why the town should not pile on debt for the stadium project.

“I voted absolutely no on the $3 million field,” said Jeremy Greene. “We can’t afford it.”

Karen Strout wanted to hold the line on tax hikes regardless of how minute the increase.

“I voted no,” Strout said, “we’re seniors on a fixed income.”

And Rick Davis also voted no.

“I think it’s ridiculous in this economy to spend $3 million on a field,” he said.

Phil McCormack also opposed the stadium plan.

“I didn’t feel it was the right time to spend the money on a sports field,” he said.

Robinson said he would sponsor an item on an upcoming Town Council agenda to return the balance of $200,000 seed money the panel had approved for the artificial turf stadium project to the recreation impact account.

“I voted no,” said Matt Rowe. “It’s safer to play on real turf and a lot cheaper to maintain.”

Opponents of the stadium proposal scored victories in both wards and central. In Ward 1, it was 745-189; Ward 2, 433-98; and Central, 94-22.

Gorham voters did ratify the $31.2 million school budget, 1,047 to 517. Darryl Wright, running unopposed, was elected with 1,275 votes to fill an unexpired three-year term on the Gorham School Committee.