BRUNSWICK

A group of Brunswick residents upset over a planned facility to house Amtrak Downeaster trains in their neighborhood may bow out of the facility’s design committee, after complaining that their concerns are being ignored. Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority’s Executive Director Patricia Quinn, meanwhile, in a heated and contentious advisory board meeting on Thursday, said that NNEPRA has been addressing the neighbors’ concerns for years.

The NNEPRA Layover Advisory Committee is tasked with gathering input about the facility’s design. On Thursday, Brunswick West Neighborhood Coalition members who sit on the advisory board said they weren’t interested in discussing any part of the facility’s design, as long as the building is being built in West Brunswick.

“Let’s not pretend this is any sort of collaborative effort,” said Brunswick West member Chris Casey. “We feel like we don’t have a voice.”

Brunswick West member Dan Sullivan said he was “shocked” that “NNEPRA has been indifferent to our safety concerns.” Advisory board meetings, he said, have been “tightly controlled” by NNEPRA.

Among Brunswick West’s complaints is the lack of “any meaningful discussion about the issues that are most important to us,” according to a statement issued to NNEPRA by Brunswick West.

Brunswick West also objected to how NNEPRA handled the filing of a storm water permit. A Maine Superior Court judge vacated the permit in question after the coalition sued, arguing that abutters weren’t notified that NNEPRA was applying for the permit.

Quinn on Thursday said NNEPRA and its contractor followed proper procedure when filing for the permit. She said NNEPRA will refile its storm water permit, after which the authority can finalize a construction schedule.

Coalition members also complained that NNEPRA ignored a letter written by six legislators in June requesting that the authority cancel the Brunswick facility and instead focus on upgrades to the Boston-to- Portland route by building the facility in South Portland’s Rigby Yard.

None of the legislators represent Brunswick, but they do serve on a transportation committee.

NNEPRA has ignored Brunswick West’s concerns, and instead focused the meeting on what color to paint the facility and what type of lighting should be used, said Casey.

Quinn repeatedly asked whether the meeting ought to be adjourned.

Brunswick West Chairman Bob Morrison encouraged Quinn to continue the meeting, after which Brunswick West members continued to state their grievances.

The 60,000-square-foot, $12 million maintenance layover facility is planned for West Brunswick on track between Church Road and Stanwood Street.

After Thursday’s meeting, Morrison said that changes brought on by the facility — including lowered property values and environmental harm — would “destroy” the neighborhood.

The facility would allow Downeaster engines to stop idling near the Cedar Street neighborhood, where neighbors have complained about the engines’ noise, vibration and pollution throughout the day.

“We’re not opposed to the building, we’re opposed to the location,” Sullivan told Quinn early in the meeting.

Quinn countered that safety concerns were put into place, noting that alterations have been made to the facility’s plans, including fencing and the elimination of a proposed access road.

“Ridership in Brunswick is terrible,” said Casey, adding that Brunswick’s ridership numbers don’t justify the facility.

Quinn said Brunswick averages 150 riders per day, which is ahead of projections.

Brunswick West members also stated that NNEPRA has not yet secured 16 environmental permits required by the Federal Railroad Administration before the facility can be built.

Ignoring Brunswick West’s concerns have been “an insult to all of us,” according to Brunswick West’s statement.

The location of the facility has been decided, said Quinn, who wanted to know whether Brunswick West wanted to continue as part of the advisory group.

Morrison said Brunswick West members would confer among themselves first.

“We’ll get back to you,” he said.

Brunswick West’s frustrations stem from NNEPRA ignoring their concerns, and then sending a letter asking “what color do you want the building to be, without mentioning any of the other things that are happening with the project,” said Casey in an interview after the meeting.

“The purpose of our statement was to put our cards on the table and say what we wanted to say, which is, ‘We remain very frustrated with how the process goes, and we’re frustrated with how these meetings go,’” Casey said.

When asked whether continued involvement with the advisory committee is productive, Morrison said he would discuss that with other Brunswick West members.

Thursday’s meeting showed that Brunswick West members on the advisory committee do not represent the neighborhood at all, said Jeff Reynolds, a West Brunswick resident who has consistently supported building the facility there.

“They refuse to participate,” he said. “Myself and many of my neighbors see this as a grave disservice for the future of the layover facility and the neighborhood itself.”

The consequences of building the facility in West Brunswick, Reynoolds said, would be “none — nil.”

Brunswick West Coalition members were “denying input, and they claim to be speaking on behalf of the whole neighborhood,” he said. “Nothing could be further from the truth.”

THE 60,000-SQUARE-FOOT, $12 million maintenance layover facility is planned for West Brunswick on track between Church Road and Stanwood Street. The facility would allow Downeaster engines to stop idling near the Cedar Street neighborhood.