PARIS — The Paris Utility District and the town have reached a tentative agreement and are moving forward with a plan to transform a vacant building and land into a public park.

The town won’t own the property it previously gifted to the PUD.

PUD Manager Steve Arnold said by phone Tuesday that the district received an updated proposal from the town last week to lease the vacant PUD building and 7 acres at 1 Paris Hill Road next to the Little Androscoggin River.

The town requested the PUD obtain a conservation easement for the location so it can be used as a recreation center. It was noted in the request that the property was given to the PUD by the town in the 1960s.

The town originally wanted the PUD to give back the land, but Arnold said the state Public Utilities Commission, which has a final say on the lease proposal, didn’t want to sell or gift the land because there are wells on the property. While the wells aren’t used, there’s no knowing what the future will bring.

“We said, ‘No we’re not going to sell them, we’re going to retain ownership, how do we do that?’ That’s where the conservation easement came from the PUC since they’ve had some of these in the past,” Arnold said. “To walk away from (the property) was impossible.”

He plans to send the town’s proposal to the commission along with a dummy conservation easement sometime this week. Arnold said there will be, at the very least, correspondence between the entities involved. Since there’s no longer the question of selling or gifting the property, which can be a lengthy ordeal, he said the process should be quicker.

“It’s in the works. It’s just a matter now of going through the formalities,” he said. “It works out good for both of us. The town gets to use the building and land and whatnot and we will still retain the ownership and use the wells, if need be.”

Other proposed ideas for the spot include using the old PUD building for renting canoes and kayaks, the town’s Parks and Recreation office and facilities and a warming hut for ice skating on the river. Ideas also include a public boat launch for the Little Androscoggin River, walking paths, fishing opportunities and a picnic area that would have barbecue pits and tables. A dog park proposal was dropped after the PUD said there would be water contamination issues from dog feces, Town Manager Amy Bernard said Tuesday.

The town plans to apply for a grant from the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, Bureau of Parks and Public Lands and Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund to build its center. Paris wants to have the agreement coincide with the application process in the spring and use the land acquisition as a in-kind match for the grant.

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