By Suzanne Hodgson

Staff Writer

Kennebunk residents will have a chance during a March 9 public hearing to voice their opinions about the town’s purchase of the former Mobil station on Main Street in downtown Kennebunk.

Board of Selectman Chairman Wayne Berry suggested an initial hearing to elicit more public input.

“I’m not suggesting just one (public hearing), but as many as we choose to have,” Berry said.

Town Manager Barry Tibbetts made public the town’s intent to purchase the gas station during a Jan. 28 selectmen’s meeting. Tibbetts presented a signed purchase and sales agreement between the town and owners of the property.

The agreement includes four requirements that must be met, or the agreement becomes null.

So far only one requirement, the approval of selectmen, has been fulfilled.

Tibbetts said the purchase and sales agreement was signed to hold the price of the property at $310,000, nearly half the original $600,000 asking price.

The second requirement is resident approval at a town meeting that will most likely take place in June.

Other requirements are based on environmental concerns. Obtaining a Department of Environmental Protection grant for environmental testing and cleanup and a satisfactory finding during a site assessment are still pending. Meeting both requirements mean the town will not need to pay for any possible cleanup associated with contamination and any other environmental concerns.

“If grant money is not available, it changes the whole picture for that particular parcel,” Tibbetts said.

“We don’t need four gas stations in our downtown,” said Robert Georgitis, member of the Economic Development Committee. “Biggest negatives that we look at as entrepreneurs is the cost of the unknown, with a known gas station the unknown cost is endless.”

Georgitis said the town might be able to sell the site to generate tax revenues if it can clean up the station for essentially no cost. The town also might be able to fund the purchase with $400,000 from the sale of Cousins school, Tibbetts said.

For now, money from Cousins school, sold in August 2007, sits in a separate account, according to Tibbetts.

Tibbetts also suggested borrowing money, which could increase the tax rate, or taking money from the Route 1 north Tax Increment Financing district, with about $400,000 in that program.

Caroline Segalla, director of community development, planning and codes, said she received 59 e-mails from businesses with suggestions for the property’s use.

So far, Segalla received the most e-mails from business owners suggesting an art cooperative with a performing venue, art gallery or artist lofts. Other ideas include a pocket park, increased area for the farmers market and a parking lot.

Segalla said business owners in some e-mails said they did not want the building to cost taxpayers.

Some selectmen mentioned how the purchase of the gas station could complement the downtown revitalization project.

With four gas stations in a quarter mile of each other in Kennebunk’s downtown area, Selectman Robert Higgins said he was concerned if someone would purchase and re-open the gas station, the downtown area, even after the revitalization project, would continue to “look like gasoline alley.”

Staff Writer Suzanne Hodgson can be reached at 282-4337, ext. 233.