PARIS — Selectmen on Monday decided to table the matter of deciding the fate of the old Pine Street fire station until the town had a more comprehensive estimate on demolition costs.

Town Manager Phil Tarr prepared a report on possible solutions for the fire station, including refurbishing it for the town’s use, demolishing it, or selling the building itself while retaining most of the property for snow dumping in the winter.

Demolition could be expensive, Tarr said, if there are hazardous materials such as asbestos or mold inside. Everett Excavation Corp. of Paris estimated demolition and disposal costs at $27,000, not accounting for hazardous materials.

The board asked Tarr to get an estimate that included an assessment of whether hazardous materials are present, and how much it could increase the cost of demolishing the building. With grading and finishing included, Tarr said the price, without factoring hazardous material abatement, could reach $80,000, because Pine Street is higher than the lot and the empty space would be filled in with a hill rather than a steep drop.

Last year, the board polled Paris residents on what the town should do with the Pine Street station. The options were to refurbish the building and keep it for the town’s use, demolish it and use the property as a snow-dumping area or to sell the building but keep most of the land for snow dumping.

According to Tarr’s report, votes were divided almost evenly between refurbishing and demolishing the building. Selling it was less popular, but Selectman Jean Smart said Monday that the town shouldn’t reject that option outright.

Smart suggested putting the station on the market for a set amount of time, such as a year. The estimated value of the building is $50,000, and Smart said it might be worth trying to sell rather than spending upward of $100,000 for demolition or refurbishing.

“Maybe it makes sense to see if we can make a little money,” Smart said.

Tarr said no one has approached him about buying the building.

Selectman Lloyd “Skip” Herrick wasn’t confident the building could find a buyer, given today’s real estate market. He said the land may be worth something, but the building probably isn’t.

Tarr said he asked town departments whether they could use the building if it were repaired. He said the Recreation Department was uninterested. The Paris Police Department expressed interest in using the lower level to store department vehicles not currently in use.

“Is the cost of doing all the refurbishing and upkeep worth it to store a couple of cruisers?” Board of Selectman Chairman Raymond Glover asked other board members.

“Not in my opinion,” Herrick said.

Selectmen did agree they would continue to use the lot behind the station for snow dumping, because of its size and vicinity to the downtown.

Glover said the issue will be revisited either at the May 9 or May 23 meeting.

treaves@sunjournal.com