RUMFORD – The town expects to take possession of Abbott Farm Plaza within a couple of weeks.

About 50 residents turned out for a special town meeting Tuesday night to decide whether the town should accept 78 acres and a building complex from the Boston-based Druker Corp., also known as Ronrum LLC. The property is located about two miles west of the village. The vote to accept the property passed by a ratio of about 2-to-1.

“If this vote is turned down, it will be one of the biggest mistakes ever made. I implore you to vote to take the property,” said Board of Selectmen Chairman Jim Thibodeau. “If this is not acquired by the town, it will go to a nonprofit. There are people out there who are looking for a deal.”

Residents raised concerns about losing the $48,000 in annual property taxes and of the town going into the real estate business.

“I don’t think the town should be in the business of acquiring business property. With Stephens High School, the town was stuck with the bill,” said Tony DeSalle. “And with the tax cap, this is a premature thing to do.”

“This is the most ridiculous item to come before town meeting,” said Jim Riordan. “This is a valued property that has fallen on hard times, but I don’t think it should be taken off the tax rolls.”

Others saw potential in owning the property.

“We do have interested parties,” said Roger Whitehouse, a local real estate agent. “Opportunity is right here. I see things happening. Since 9/11, people are entering the area. The western mountains is like a pioneering area.”

In answer to some who said nothing was happening in Rumford, Whitehouse disagreed.

“I honestly believe we’ll have new people in the area. If you continue to think the way you’ve always thought, you’ll get what you’ve always got.”

Selectman Jolene Lovejoy agreed, listing several economic changes that have taken place in Rumford in the past year or two, such as the purchase and expansion of Black Mountain, a new art gallery and plans for development of 400 acres in the Black Mountain area.

Residents also voted, by a 2-to-1 ratio, to use $100,000 in municipal undesignated funds to make repairs to the buildings and to pay for heat and other utilities for one year.

They also, again by the same ratio, authorized the selectmen to take whatever steps are necessary to sell or develop the former shopping center and land.

Lovejoy said selectmen plan to meet within the next week or so to begin plans for the steps needed for disposing of the property.

Lawyer for the town, Jennifer Kreckel, said she expects the final paperwork required for turning the property over to the town to be completed soon. She said she was asked to report the results of the special town meeting to the lawyer representing Druker Corp. immediately after the vote was taken.

The former shopping center has been nearly vacant since Ames department store went bankrupt two years ago. The center’s last tenant relocated to Mexico last month.