RUMFORD – The executive director of the River Valley Growth Council called Dixfield’s recent vote against establishing a development district a “big disappointment.”

Speaking to the council’s board of directors Wednesday night, Scott Christiansen said the vote against a Pine Tree Zone will not affect the other four River Valley towns vying for the designated zones.

He said Dixfield voters missed an opportunity to promote manufacturing growth in their town.

“Dixfield lost out because they don’t have a Pine Tree Zone to attract businesses to,” he said.

Christiansen said residents became distraught after rumors were started about higher taxes and the types of businesses being courted for the Pine Tree Zones.

“At the third public meeting a lot of angry people showed up who really already had their minds made up that it was a bad idea,” he explained.

Chairman Joe Derouche mentioned he had received a memo from policy makers that did a good job of explaining the benefits and stipulations associated with Pine Tree Zones.

“This probably would have helped the people in Dixfield better understand what they were voting on,” he said. He suggested board members acquaint themselves with the memo so they would be prepared to answer questions from residents.

The directors also learned the status of a U.S. Department of Energy grant for a pilot biorefining plant.

In his update on the $4.7 million grant, Christiansen said he was pessimistic about a change in administration policy that could prevent that money from coming to western Maine. He explained that Washington policy on developing sources for energy-rich hydrogen had apparently shifted away from biomass to fossil fuels.

“This doesn’t slow down the fractionation development center or other things we’ve been working on,” Christiansen said. To that point, he announced that a bioproducts firm is making plans to move into the new technology center in Rumford, and that several other businesses have shown similar interest.

Christiansen announced a positive turn in the status of the Peru Diamond Match mill. Environmental Protection Agency standards for cleaning up the vacant mill have been modified to allow the project to be done at one-third the original estimate of $750,000.

With a potential for up to $200,000 in EPA grant money, board members agreed that the project is now more likely in the near future. “We are a lot closer to having an asset instead of a liability than we were three months ago,” Christiansen said, adding that a business has expressed interest in the mill.

Before the meeting closed, Derouche mentioned several upcoming ribbon-cutting ceremonies, including Advance Auto on June 17, Puiia’s Hardware on June 12, and a new art gallery at Scrappers Domaine on June 12.

He also mentioned that three local soldiers who have been serving for several months in Iraq were expected home on Thursday. He asked for ideas and assistance in recognizing the troops on their homecoming.

The directors met at a newly refurbished community room at Scrappers Domaine on Canal Street.