WEST PARIS – Selectmen heard strong opposition Thursday from about 15 residents of North Paris who do not want to see a junkyard in the area.

The opposition arose during a public hearing concerning a junkyard permit application submitted by Kenneth and Brenda Williams.

Chairman Wade Rainey said the junkyard, if approved, would sit on 5 acres of a 17-acre parcel off Morse Hill Road. Another junkyard had been on that parcel in the past, although that yard was not licensed. It was cleaned up several years ago.

Wendy Newmeyer made it clear that she and her neighbors were adamantly opposed to any junkyard, licensed or not, in North Paris.

“We have nothing personal against the Williamses,” Newmeyer said. “We have spent 25 years upgrading our neighborhood with a lot of investment in the value of our homes. So we don’t want anything to do with a junkyard.”

She said the abutters had seen no leadership from selectmen to protect them. “We have no assurance that the soils haven’t been contaminated already.” She asked for a full evaluation of the soils by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection before any decision is made. “We’re working hard to keep our properties looking good. Are these people going to follow the rules or just dump the cars on the ground?”

“How many cars can there be on 5 acres?” asked her husband, Jack Newmeyer. “There could be as many as 20,000 or more. How do we know these people won’t suddenly abandoned it and move out of the area? If they do, who is going to clean it up? The town? We don’t need a junkyard in the town.”

Selectmen referred the issue to Code Enforcement Officer John Gauthier. Gauthier said more study would be needed before he could make any kind of recommendation to the board.

A decision was postponed until Gauthier can study soil samples, gather more information regarding the Williamses’ plans, complete measurements and consider pertinent environmental factors.

“We will schedule another public hearing after John has finished his study and go from there,” Rainey said.