CANTON – A poll taken at Tuesday night’s public hearing on the future of the Canton Elementary School showed 10 people in favor of demolishing the building and four opposed. There were 18 people present.

Selectmen will have to decide if they want the final vote to come before the town at a town meeting.

The building stands idle because Canton voted to have their students go to Peru this year and to close the school which is in the flood plain. The building also has asbestos issues.

When asked if the district would pay to have it taken down, Selectman Donald Hutchins said the district had offered to help with the asbestos issue, but no other money was available.

Since the building was not purchased with federal funds there are fewer restrictions and it could be put out to bid and sold, it was noted.

Diane Ray, special projects coordinator, said the building was eligible for a demolition grant through the Federal Emergency Management Association and, as an option, had been included in the town’s last request for demolition funds.

Some residents questioned the value of keeping the building and selling it to a business because the town was loosing so much tax money due to the many homes in the flood plain which had been sold. Ray said the taxes lost from those homes was very small.

Another resident questioned the additional loss of water charges. Selectman Donald Hutchins said the water company was in the black and little revenue was lost due to the loss of homes, many of which had wells and were not on sewer lines.

Ray announced that there will be a public auction on seven homes remaining in the flood zone on Saturday, Oct. 7.

Selectman Chairman Jackie Conant announced that the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife would be at the new Boat Launch on Dorey Road off of Route 140 for a dedication at 1 p.m., Thursday, Sept.14.

Sue Gammon and Ray held an informational meeting on the progress of the recreational trails being developed in the flood plain. Jason Olson from the snow mobile club and Brian Jordan from the ATV club had serious concerns over how the town trails would affect their own trails and chances at getting future grants. Their main concern was lack of communication between the town and the clubs. Both Gammon and Ray said though the meetings had all been publicized they would make a further effort to notify the clubs of meetings in the future.