ROCKLAND, Maine — Faced with opposition from residents, the City Council rejected Wednesday night a nonbinding option for a Boston energy company that wanted to buy the City Hall and public services properties for construction of a $200 million natural gas plant.
The council voted 2-1 to grant the option, but three votes were needed to approve it.
The vote came after more than a dozen residents urged councilors to reject the agreement, citing concerns about environmental safety.
The agenda item was to award the option to Rockland Energy Center LLC, which is a part of Energy Management Inc. of Boston. The company submitted the sole bid of $1,550,000 Monday for the combined 18 acres off Pleasant Street near the Thomaston town line.
City Manager James Chaousis said a vote for the option was not a vote to approve the project but would allow the process to continue so that all the questions that residents have can be answered. He said he had not made up his mind on the proposal.
After the rejection, Chaousis said he was not sure if the proposal will be raised again.
Rockland Energy was not at the meeting, but a fact sheet from the company was distributed. The proposal is for construction of a 76-megawatt combined cycle cogeneration plant that would generate electricity to the electrical grid and low-cost steam to heat local industries.
The plant would allow for the construction of a natural gas pipeline to the Rockland area, according to the company. The pipeline’s closest path is Windsor.
Patrick Woodcock, director of the governor’s energy office, said Monday that extending a natural gas line to the Rockland and Camden area is a top priority for the state.
Rockland Energy said there would be $200 million of private investment for the facility. The project would create more than 100 construction jobs over two years and 12 to 15 full-time jobs at the plant. The project also would make natural gas accessible to the midcoast.
At Wednesday night’s meeting, all but one speaker urged the council to vote against the option. Many were critical of the council for the speed of the process.
Councilor Valli Geiger said approving the option only allows the conversation to continue. She said Rockland has a crumbling infrastructure and failing schools along with a rapidly rising tax rate. She also responded to those criticizing the council.
“I’m disappointed that we are called idiots and are somehow doing something nefarious,” Geiger said.
Councilor William Clayton agreed, saying people were unfairly characterizing the council’s actions. He said he supported approving an option but would vote against the option because of the outcry from the residents.
Councilors Larry Pritchett and Louise MacLellan-Ruf were not at the meeting.
During the public comment portion of the meeting, resident Jesse Watson said he was against the plant because natural gas is generated from fracking, which has polluted the water supplies of many people.
“I am thankful every day that I have clean water. I don’t want it on my conscience that I am morally complicit with poisoning other people’s water,” Watson said.
Amy Files said the process for bidding out the city property had not been transparent. She urged the council to reject granting an option to Rockland Energy.
Former Councilor Eric Hebert said he was not sure whether the sale of the property was the correct thing to do. He said city officials need to know where municipal offices will go if they do sell. He asked councilors to take a step back.
Former Fire Chief Charles Jordan Jr. said he came to the meeting to voice support for the project, but after hearing comments from other residents, he changed his mind.
Maritime Energy Vice President Susan Ware Page also urged the city to slow down, saying it had not even had the properties assessed. Page said the city would likely have to spend more money on municipal offices than it is receiving for the properties.