MADISON -- The Anson Stick Mill was consumed by fire in July 2007. Ever since, town officials and community members have questioned what to do with the remnants.

The town moved one step closer to determining the best options for developing the old mill property when selectmen approved five committee members this week to oversee the planning process, said Joy Hikel, the town's economic development director.

The committee will decide which consultant firm will plan future uses for the site, Hikel said. The town will pay for the consultant with a $10,000 community planning grant, which the State of Maine Office of Community Development awarded to the town in December.

In June, Weston & Sampson of York completed the first phase of an environmental assessment of the site. The assessment examined the current state of the mill property, including how much of the building was destroyed by the fire.

The study called for a second environmental assessment, to do a more in-depth analysis of the property, including test borings and ground samplings, Hikel said.

Weston & Sampson has not yet started the second environmental study, Hikel said, but when it does, the study will take three to four months to complete.

Once the study is done, the town will likely apply for a grant to obtain funds for the demolition of the remaining mill structure, Hikel said.

Because state and federal governments control the money for the studies and grant, Hikel said it is difficult to define a timeframe. But she said she hopes the town will know within a year whether it will receive up to $200,000 in funds.

"I'd like to see demolition within a year," she said.

The town does not have set plans for the development of the property after demolition, Hikel said, but one possibility is a community outdoor space, depending on available funds.

Either way, "We're going to wait for the planner to give us suggestions and drawings," she said.

The planning grant committee members are Collette Paine, branch manager at the Franklin-Somerset Federal Credit Union; Calvin Ames, superintendent of Madison Electric Works; Rhonda Emerson, a certified public accountant with Emerson & Associates; Glen Mantor, Madison's road commissioner; and George Elias, a Madison selectman.

The town gained the old mill property in June 2009 through tax acquisition.

The mill, which historically was used as a manufacturing site for wood products, was long vacant and uninsured at the time of the fire. It was owned by David Smith of Richmond.

Police ruled the fire an arson, but no one has been arrested in the case.

Citizen input is important for any development at the site, Hikel said. She encouraged residents to contact her with ideas at 696-3334.