CANTON – Fifty residents gathered Monday night to hear what impact relocating the village center to Edmunds Road would have on property taxes.

“You are here because you have a passion for your town. Your passion may be different from someone else, so please focus on issues not personalities,” advised moderator Terry Hayes of Buckfield.

Three times the town has voted against accepting state and federal money to further develop the 30-acre parcel into a town center with 40 homes connected to public water and sewer lines. Called Village Ridge, it would replace homes destroyed by a 2003 flood of the Androscoggin River along routes 108 and 140 in Canton village.

The land on Edmunds Road has been purchased and cleared. The town would install utilities and have the homes built and sold, if voters go forward with the project.

Residents will have another chance Tuesday to accept or reject more than $1.5 million in federal grants and loans to pay for installing water and sewer lines on the property.

A citizens petition presented to and accepted by selectmen earlier this month brought the issue back once more to voters.

Sue Gammon presented an overview of how the tax rate would be affected if the money from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development is accepted.

If none of the houses are sold, taxes on a $50,000 house would go up by $32; and on a $100,000 home by $74.

“The point is, if no houses are sold our taxes will increase $30 or $40 a year. If 20 houses are sold, they will pay all the costs and we aren’t paying additional taxes,” Malcolm Ray said.

Selectman Donna Hebert said she was against the project because the town would be paying for plowing the road, the water hydrants and other costs.

“The economy is such now that I see no possibility of people buying these homes. People can’t afford the cost of putting in this village,” she said. “Let’s look at other options. Let a developer come in and build the houses and let him take the risk.”

Gammon said, “We have been awarded millions of dollars that other towns didn’t get. The state came to our aid right after the flood with money to get the people out of the flood zone. If we thumb our noses at the grant money now, how will the state look at any grants we may apply for on rebuilding our dam?” she asked, referring to the dilapidated structure on Whitney Brook at the outlet of Anasagunticook Lake.

There were many concerns raised. Some resident wanted to sell the land and get out of the $177,000 debt for work already done on the site. Others wanted someone else to run the project.

Hebert said the homeowners who were bought out after the flood didn’t want to move to the project site.

Some people said the town was going to grow and they wanted a choice on how it was going to happen. Others said that it was time to do something to get the town moving.

Percy Butler was concerned that the house lots did not meet the Planning Board requirements.

Gammon said, “We voted as a town to do this project, to help the future of our town. We need infrastructure to help our town grow.”

On Tuesday, residents will vote from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the municipal building on whether or not to accept the grants and loans. They are: a $336,000 grant and a $448,000 loan for sewer work; and a $355,000 grant and a $434,000 loan for water lines.