The Burgo Basketball Association returned to the Select Board Monday night to address the organization’s proposed indoor basketball facility, which is still dependent on approval from the Board.

Steve Burgo, president of the association, expressed his frustration with the process of trying to get construction on the basketball facility started. He said that the process has taken over a year, saying that “every time we come here, there’s something new.”

Burgo is looking to build an indoor basketball facility, but before construction can begin, Colorado Property Partners, the group providing funding for the project, required the association to secure a 30-year lease on the land.

The Dartmouth Joseph Burgo Southeastern Regional Basketball Complex, located on municipal land on 101 Slocum Road, currently has outdoor basketball and volleyball courts.

If the 30-year lease is granted, it would enable the association to construct a 57,000 square-foot facility on the property that would house classrooms for a tutoring program, a training facility and basketball courts with bleachers. The estimated cost of the building is around $4 million, with $1 million coming from the group’s own fundraising.

Burgo said that the proposed facility has been approved by the Zoning Board of Appeals, the Planning Board and the Conservation Commission. But the process was halted by the language of the lease, drawing concerns from town officials if the town would become responsible should Burgo default on the loan.

Board members expressed strong support for the basketball facility, but need to ensure that the town is protected.

“I think part of the problem so far has been miscommunication,” said Select Board member Frank Gracie.

“I only see three issues,” he said. “One is that the intent of the gift of the town has to be met. Two, the lender has to be clear that they’re not tying in the town to your project at all. Three, if by some chance you default, which I doubt very much, I would like to see a stipulation that a nonprofit be allowed to take over.”

Town Administrator David Cressman also expressed concerns that a third party architect or engineer has not yet looked at the construction estimates. The projected cost of the building currently sits around $4 million. Cressman wants to ensure that number is verified and not higher than estimated.

“I had our building commissioner take a look at the estimates, and he questioned whether those estimates were viable for this building based on its size,” said Cressman.

Rather than entering a motion, McDonald recommended that Cressman, Burgo, Burgo’s attorney Michael Kehoe and a representative from Colorado Property Partners get together to discuss the lease and iron out details and concerns.

“We need to get everyone at the same table, or, at least, on the same phone call. Both sides want to get this done, but they want to be protected,” said McDonald. “If there’s no agreement between the town and the person supplying the financing, then that’s it. It’s a no go.”

Burgo said he was feeling more confident in the project after the Select Board meeting and, despite his frustrations, expressed his appreciation of the vocal support the proposal’s received from town officials.

He said the Burgo Basketball Association has around 1,500 kids participating and hopes, with the new facility, that number can grow to 4,000.

A small group of supporters attended the meeting. Preston LaBonte, a 23-year-old coach for the association, said he started playing at the complex when he was 13 and has coached there for the past five years.

“I spent every summer there. I used to be there from sun up to sun down. It’s a big family,” said LaBonte.

He hopes that with a larger facility, that family can expand as well.