POLAND — Selectmen on Tuesday met with residents who have petitioned the board to put on hold plans to make major changes to the appearance of the municipal complex on Route 26.

The group’s focus was the McConaghy property, situated between Ricker Memorial Library and Town Hall.

The McConaghy property, purchased by the town two years ago, was the last piece of privately owned land between the library and the Town Office.

Its purchase was seen as a first step of what could be a major redo of the entire municipal complex, which also includes the old fire barn, an old schoolhouse (now headquarters for the Poland Historical Society with an attached barn/museum), the new Town Office and a portion of the old Town Office, which now contains offices for the sheriff’s deputy and the Parks and Recreation Department.

Barbara Strout and Arthur Berry, afraid that the McConaghy house might be lost in the process, circulated a petition demanding that selectmen put a permanent hold on possible plans to float a $600,000 bond for the project to unify the municipal complex. The petition demanded that the McConaghy house be put to town use, right where it is, “as is.”

Berry told the board that the McConaghy house was built before the Town Hall — the house in 1910 and the hall in 1927 — and the design of the Town Hall was based on the lines of the house.

“It’s not something to throw away,” Berry said.

Strout presented selectmen with a detailed history of the town’s purchase of the McConaghy property, as well as subsequent meetings, discussions and resolutions dealing with master plans for the municipal complex.

Using photographs of existing conditions in the basement of the Town Hall and the interior of the McConaghy house and garage, Strout showed how, at the very least, materials stored in the basement could be accommodated by the McConaghy property, making the entire Town Hall available for public use once again.

“Use what you have; don’t bond out the municipal complex plan,” Strout said.

Berry noted that the petition was signed by well over 200 citizens, 211 of which Town Clerk Judy Akers certified as registered voters.

Board of Selectmen Chairman Steve Robinson, said he was puzzled that Berry and Strout had chosen to go the petition route and had not approached the board directly.

Plans that have been developed for the municipal complex, Robinson explained, are just concept plans and the $600,000 cost figure is a ballpark estimate of what it might cost, but that there have been no final decisions and there has been no discussion of actually going out to bond.

The board concluded that economic conditions are such that the town just isn’t in a position to undertake a project of that magnitude.

Robinson noted that no money has been appropriated for redeveloping the municipal complex, and there is no money in the the town’s capital improvement plan account earmarked for project. There also isn’t any money available to demolish the McConaghy house.

“The plan is just a plan,” Robinson said. “We are trying to be responsible to the taxpayers of this town.”

Selectman Janice Kimball noted that selectmen can’t spend any money without the town’s approval.

“The $600,000 is just an idea,” Kimball said. “We have a plan, but we can only do what we can afford.” 

Sue Peters thanked the board for not rushing forward and for trying to spend the town’s money wisely.

“I love that building,” Peters said. “This is the first time I’ve heard this is not an exact plan.”