PARIS — A proposal to purchase a lot for a future riverside park faces review by local and state regulators before the deal can be approved, according to officials.

The request, approved by Paris selectmen Monday evening, asks the Paris Utility District to sell the 7-acre lot at 1 Paris Hill Road to the town for $1. The parcel, which contains a large pump station, water mains, sealed wells and a vacant former office building, abuts the Little Androscoggin River. 

The deal still faces several hurdles. The PUD’s board of trustees, which oversees the wastewater treatment system that serves 900 residents whose sewage is processed through the facility every day, must endorse the proposal before forwarding it to state regulators at the Public Utilities Commission.

Under Maine law, the commission has the final say over whether any local utility — such as the PUD — is authorized to sell, lease or otherwise change the status of property. Transactions that don’t impact the utility’s function are exempt. 

Reached by phone Wednesday morning, PUD board Chairman Raymond Lussier Jr. said he had yet to be given the proposal and declined to comment on whether the idea would be met with local approval. 

If, in fact, the deal is eventually passed on to state regulators at the PUC, Lussier said a number of factors could influence their decision, not the least of which is the effect on ratepayers. 

“It’s a process and a half to have this passed. … It won’t be my decision. It will be the board and the PUC’s. At the end of the day, that’s where we are right now,” Lussier said.  

The lot has been eyed by Paris selectmen, town officials and residents as a possible park, while the vacant office building, the former headquarters of the PUD, could become offices for the town recreation department.

From the main road, a dirt driveway snakes behind the office building, leading to several slow moving ponds that link to the Little Androscoggin River. Informally, residents have long used the site to launch kayaks and swim.

By acquiring the land, town officials said usage could be formalized and expanded into a full-blown recreational park. Ideas for the site include a public boat launch, renting kayaks and canoes from the office building and promoting ice skating in the winter, while developing walking paths interconnecting other parks and trails in town, according to the terms of the proposal. 

Impetus for the sale was sparked by residents earlier this year, who told a consultant the town hired to study revitalizing downtown that open, green spaces build a sense of community and attract new residents. 

Key to any agreement in the eyes of regulators will be securing proper easements for workers to access the pump station to conduct routine maintenance and repairs, according to PUD Plant Manager Steve Arnold.

“We had heard through the rumor mill they were going to put a proposal together, but we haven’t seen anything. Whether they give it to me or submit it to the board, there’s a process which must be followed,” Arnold said. 

Once the board has the proposal, Arnold said it must provide the PUC with “some sort of rationale” as to why they want to sell it. 

“People use it now. We don’t mind if they use it as long as they pick up their trash. We’ve never had any issues,” he said.  

The Paris Hill pump station handles roughly one-third of the sewage plant’s flow, according to Arnold. Wastewater is gravity fed and pumped along sewer lines running parallel to the Little Androscoggin River. 

“Regardless of what happens, it won’t bear any weight (on the service to customers),” he said. 

PUD trustees will meet 6:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 17, at the wastewater treatment plant at 7 CN Brown Way.