WILTON — The Wilton Selectboard formally accepted $200,000 in federal funding at their meeting Tuesday night to begin the environmental cleanup of the Forster Mill.
In May, Wilton was awarded $200,000 from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to help with the cleanup of the 235,000-square-foot former mill on Depot Street. The dilapidated building was acquired by the town in March 2015.
Since acquiring the property, town officials have been trying to secure funding to conduct an environmental cleanup of the site with the goal of demolishing the building
A representative from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection told Wilton residents at a public hearing on the mill in December that the full remediation and demolition of the mill could cost $900,000 to $1.2 million.
The site has been divided into five parcels for the cleanup and demolition. The $200,000 brownfield grant will focus on Parcel 1 located along Depot Street, which is the largest section of the property.
Tuesday night the selectboard gave authority to Town Manager Rhonda Irish and to board Chairwoman Tiffany Maiuri to sign any paperwork related to the grant as it comes into the town. By granting the two officials authority, Irish said it will keep the process moving forward rather than having to come to the board every time paperwork comes in.
Irish is presently working on getting final paperwork in to the EPA and is hopeful that by late summer the town will be able to send out a request for proposals seeking an environmental consultant to bring onto the project.
Once an environmental consultant is secured, that individual will meet with town officials on the process of the cleanup going forward.
In other business, Irish informed the board that a public hearing will be held on August 2 to discuss the fate of a “dangerous” abandoned building on Webb Road.
Lauren Abbate — 861-9252
Twitter: @Lauren_M_Abbate
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