RUMFORD – Several residents appeared before selectmen Thursday night to question the procedure used by the board to sell the former Abbott Farm Plaza.

At issue is the acquisition of the building complex and surrounding 78 acres by the town and the haste in which is was sold.

“We gave the right to selectmen to sell it (at town meeting), but why wasn’t it opened to the public?” asked Carol Parise, a local businesswoman.

Diane Paterson, a downtown employee, also questioned why the board was in such a hurry to sell it.

“I don’t think it was publicly announced that it was for sale. What was the rush to sell it so quickly?” she asked.

Board Chairman Jim Thibodeau said he did exactly what the board had planned to do – turn it around as fast as possible so it wouldn’t be off the town tax rolls.

“We turned it over as soon as we could. Everyone had a chance to buy it, but no one came forward. Mr. Hatzis was the only one to come forward with a plan,” he said.

Peter Hatzis, a Massachusetts businessman who also owns commercial property on Congress Street, has entered into a contract with the town to buy the property for $220,000, providing he can finance the deal by Jan. 15.

“If he doesn’t, it’s back on the market,” Selectman Jolene Lovejoy said.

Druker Corp. turned over the property to the town last month. The Hatzis agreement was completed almost simultaneously.

Parise said potential local buyers were under the impression that the town would do nothing with the property until it received the deed from Druker.

Thibodeau said the top thing in the board’s mind was to assure that it wouldn’t go to a nonprofit.

“We received lots of good ideas, but they were all nonprofit,” he said.

Town Manager Robert Welch told the 20 or so people at the meeting that the board did nothing wrong and that it was time to end the discussion.

“They had to turn it over before it cost the town money,” he said, adding that the cost for utilities for one year would have been $42,000.

Thibodeau assured residents that if the deal falls through, he would make a public announcement on Jan. 15 or soon after. The requirements that must be met before the final papers are signed with Hatzis include acquisition of two anchor businesses and a guarantee that he would sell the property to the town for $220,000 if the complex is not developed within two years and properly maintained during that period.

In a related matter, the board unanimously denied a request by Hatzis to pay for repairs to a leaky roof at the complex.