Rangeley selectmen approve purchase of 50 Pleasant Street pending title and Phase 1 environmental assessment

The Rangeley Board of Selectmen moved to acquire 50 Pleasant Street, voting to proceed “pending a positive title result and expending up to $6,000 from the contingency of B16 (town meeting article) for Phase 1 environmental site assessment (ESA),” and to begin the closing process.

The item drew extended public comment. Selectman Chris and several residents urged caution and asked the board not to close without environmental due diligence. Chris said the town had not done adequate on‑site testing, cited a DEP record of an overturned oil tank and warned that oil may have infiltrated soil and sewer lines. “I would suggest that you put pencils down and say, look, if you can't do an extension so we can get the proper time to do this environmental piece on it, then we're not gonna go forward,” he urged.

Others on the board and members of the public argued the property acquisition could be protective — the town already received the adjacent lot free in the past — and that owning the parcel would allow the town to remediate contamination or preserve open space. The meeting record shows staff had performed a title search and indicated the seller would not agree to escrow for environmental remediation or to extend the due‑diligence period.

After executive session, the board approved a motion by Jim, seconded by Sam, to purchase the property subject to the stated conditions. The motion authorized spending up to $6,000 from the specified contingency for an ESA and directed staff to begin closing formalities.