The Rochester Board of Selectmen voted to support the use of a town-owned property on Pine Street for the Rochester Country Fair during their July 11 meeting.

“We have a year to get it squared away,” said Selectman Richard Nunes.

The Fair Committee began investigating the possibility of using the Pine Street property after the owners of Plumb Corner, due to fears about Triple-E, backed out of hosting the fair any longer.

“Plumb Corner has given us no commitment,” said committee spokesperson David Souza.

The fair was held at Plumb Corner for 10 years but will not be held this year.  The Fair Committee hopes that they can have the Pine Street property, a former farm, prepared in time for next year’s fair.

“Is the town willing to keep it a fairground?” asked Souza.  “I don’t want to put in all the work with electrical hook-ups and wells only to have someone come in and take it to make a ball field.”

“I see it as a fairground, not as a ball field or anything else,” responded Nunes.

“I’m very much onboard,” said Rochester Police Chief Paul Magee.  The fair will include shuttles and considerable foot traffic, all of which Magee described as workable.

The property was designated a Country Fair site in a formal vote by the selectmen.

“We want to make it our own fairground and keep it that way,” said Souza.