GORHAM, N.H. (From news reports) -- The White Mountain Paper Co.'s stabilization plan includes demolishing 40 percent of its buildings' shells and removing 25 percent of what's inside them.

Changes planned at the mill complex were reported to the Gorham Planning Board last Thursday by select board chair and planning board member Mike Waddell. He spoke on behalf of both selectmen Judy LeBlanc and Adam White.

"We have been meeting off and on with the new owners of the paper mill, and we still haven't come to a mutual agreement on property taxes, which doesn't come as any great surprise," Waddell said.

"We did a complete site tour recently, and we were impressed with the amount of work that's they've done, particularly around the one remaining paper machine."

That tissue machine was installed under a different ownership nearly a decade ago at a cost of $45 million.

Selectmen have talked with mill CEO Price Howard, one of several partners in Gorham Acquisitions LLC, an investment vehicle of the Behrens Investment Group of New York City.

The mill property, which was bought out of bankruptcy court late last year, includes land in Gorham and Berlin.

"I've been very clear with the new owners that their plans will be subject to site plan review, and there are significant changes you're going to see up there," Waddell said. "Roughly two-thirds of everything that you know is about to be removed."

Howard said by phone last Friday that the demolition process will result in usable items and materials that can be sold for their scrap value and the proceeds reinvested in the mill.

"We sold some motors we didn't need, for example," he said.

Howard said because of the venerable mill's location on the Androscoggin River, they are working closely with New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services. The town's code enforcement officer, John Scarinza, has already issued the mill a permit for minor demolition within its buildings.

Howard, who lives in Greenville, S.C., said there are 70 people on the payroll. Interviews for an on-site operations manager are underway.

Medium-range plans for the next three to five years include installing two additional tissue machines, one at a time.

After these steps are taken, a serious look will be taken to understand the pros and cons of installing a converting machine to allow the mill to produce rolls of toilet paper directly for the retail market.

"We're hoping that the new owners in fact have a future here, and that this isn't going to be a 'tear-down and leave,'" Waddell said. "I never thought I'd say this, but really Walmart at this point is worth five times what that mill is worth on the tax rolls, and when you look at the employment numbers, same thing."

Waddell said some of the challenges the new owners are facing include retooling an archaic electrical system; catching up on deferred maintenance on the tissue machine; and deciding how to address parts of the mill that are now hazardous.

The planning board will be sent a copy of the mill owner's demolition plan, recognizing that it likely will be revised over the next two-plus years.

At Waddell's suggestion, the planning board voted unanimously to authorize its chairman to work with selectmen on this ongoing process, which could call for hiring a consultant.