Editor's Note: In this week's print edition, the front page info box incorrectly reported that the hearing was set for Tuesday, rather than Monday. The News regrets the error.

By Dawn De Busk

Staff Writer

NAPLES — In 2016, the Town of Casco was looking at two warrant articles: To purchase land next to its fire station and to build a new town hall. Both passed. 

In 2022, the Town of Naples will be considering two referendums during the November Election: to purchase land between the Village Green and the Naples Fire Station, and also whether to build a new town hall and community center. 

The construction climate is entirely different from whatit was six years ago, let alone two years ago. That has Naples selectmen concerned that people won’t buy into the idea of constructing a new town building at these inflated prices. 

Earlier this month, the Naples Board of Selectmen voted to place on the November ballot the questions about the land purchase and the construction of a community center witha gym and town offices and a space for the post office. 

On Monday, starting at 6 p.m., a public hearing will be held for those referendum items. The public hearing willbeheld in the large meeting room as part of the selectmen’s meeting.

It should be noted that the proposed land purchase would not impact taxpayers since the financing for that real estate deal would come from existing money — the TIF fund.

The three parcels, which total 2.7 acres, are owned by Norway Savings Bank. The most recent property assessment places the combined land value at $156,536. The land abuts the Naples Veterinary Clinic and the town-owned land sometimes referred to as the Begin Estate. 

The tax payments made on the land were $1200 a year, according to Naples Town Manager John Hawley. 

During that meeting on Sept. 7, both the Naples Budget Committee and the selectmen voted to recommend the measure to voters. 

“It is a no brainer. The town has had its eyes on that lot for decades. If we pass it up, we will regret it,” said budget committee member Ephrem Paraschak. 

Caleb Humphrey made a last-minute comment, too. 

“I can’t see it costing us any money,” he said. 

The budget committee gave the referendum a stamp of approval, 7-0. Likewise, the board recommended it, 5-0. 

However, it was a different story when it came to the proposed community center and town hall that has a cost estimate of more than $11 million.

The discussion two weeks ago was whether or not to offer more options to voters about what to build. There was a deadline for what could end up on the ballot. In the end, the decision was to offer one option. That one referendum question will be the subject of the public hearing. 

Chairman Jim Grattelo expressed his opinion that it was not in the best interest of the taxpayers to construct new now.

“I would say that building a building right now is the worse time to build a building,” he said. “If the average business had to build a building. They wouldn’t build it. They would say, ‘Wecannot afford this right now.’”

Naples Community Center Exploration Committee Chairman Bob Caron II and other people said the town could not afford to keep using the substandard gymnasium. 

Committee member Jenn Kenneally said the gym might not last much longer.    

“You still have the blue tarp that is an embarrassment to the town. All the mechanisms that run the building are located in the gym,” she said. 

There was mention of leaks inside the offices, electrical problems and heating issues.

“Some of us on the Select Board haven’t bought into the idea that we need a new town hall,” Grattelo said. “We need a new gym.”

Selectman Colin Brackett threw out the idea of erecting a new gym on the new land — if the voters agreed to buy it — and adding a few offices to the gym for the time being. That idea did not end up as a referendum question. 

During the meeting on Sept. 8, someone in the audience said, “If you know that you are going to build a building, start saving for the interest. It makes more sense than slamming $18 million on voters all at once.”

Budget committee member Jim Turpin agreed with being prepared financially. His focus was on having the down payment set aside — which would lower interest.

“Every year, we put a certain amount of unexpended back into Undesignated Fund surplus. That is a kitty that is growing. We could be using some of that money as a meaty down payment on whatever building you want to build,” Turpin said. “There is a couple million dollars sitting there that we could live without.”Grattelo said that the town could use at least $1,000,000 from the Undesignated Fund Balance to put toward a down payment and still keep a few months’ wort