AVON – Voters agreed to purchase a former building supply store for $105,000 that will eventually be turned into a community building and town garage during the annual town meeting Saturday. The building formerly housed Mount Blue Builders Supply and includes two acres of land.

Voters approved taking $102,000 from Urban Development Action funds the town received several years ago toward the purchase. Those funds cannot be used to purchase town office space that will be included in the building.

The rest of the money to purchase the building will come from town surplus, Selectman Joyce Potter said.

Potter said the current town hall, a small, old schoolhouse, will continue to be utilized until necessary renovations to the new building are completed. Officials plan to discuss what will then happen to the old building at their annual town meeting next year.

Voters also approved taking another $20,000 from the urban development action fund to establish a public service fund. These funds can be utilized for nongovernmental use.

Renovations can come from this fund; however future maintenance of the building will need to come from town funds as voted on at town meetings.

The total balance currently in the fund is $348,417.86.

The town does not currently have a town garage and the town hall is crowded, Potter said.

Having a town garage in which they can store town equipment will save the town the $700 per year they currently spend to contract out plowing and sanding.

Necessary renovations to the building include repairing or replacing the front roof, garage doors, and siding. A new furnace will need to be installed and some electrical wiring work may need to be done. Potter said she does not know how long it will take for the renovations to be completed.

There is a bathroom in the space that will be used as the new town office and a commercial septic system was installed in November of 1992. The building is located centrally on Route 4 with plenty of parking space. This will alleviate the problems the town currently has with having to back out in to the road on a main highway.