Norwich - The City Council voted 6-1 Monday night to let voters decide at a referendum whether to build the proposed $33.4 million downtown police station after hearing mixed comments during a public hearing on the plan.

The question of whether to bond the money for the station will be placed on the ballot for the Nov. 6 election.

"Downtown needs a lift and it's not going to come from a big box store or business. It's got to come from us. We have to lift ourselves up," said Mayor Peter Nystrom. "We're letting you make the choice. We've given you the highest level of volume that you can exercise by letting you vote."

The 57,000-square-foot station would be located at the former Sears building at 2-6 Cliff St. and several surrounding parking lots on Cliff, Main, Hill and Arcadia streets. Other than the city-owned parking lot on Cliff Street, all the properties are owned by either the estate of Edward Lord or the Lord Family Nominee Trust.

City officials have negotiated a purchase price of $2,575,000 with the Lord family, and the council voted in June to pay a $100,000 nonrefundable deposit that would become a down payment on the purchase price if voters approved the project.

The nonrefundable deposit became part of the controversy as soon as the project was announced in June, with some residents feeling the city should get its money back if the project fails. City officials countered that the deposit is fair since the building owners cannot extend leases or market space for the next several months.

The overall cost of the project also has rankled residents, especially as the proposal came just two weeks after a 7 percent tax increase in the 2012-13 budget, a 27 percent water rate increase and a 9 percent sewer rate increase approved by Norwich Public Utilities.

According to figures provided by the city finance office, the 20-year, $33.4 million bond would add $48 to the property tax bill for a house assessed at $100,000 in the first year, jumping to $124 in the fourth year and then dropping to $116 in the fifth year. Comptroller Joseph Ruffo said city officials are working on alternative financing plans that would more evenly spread out the tax impact on the project.

"I strongly urge that the council put this on the ballot for referendum," resident Ira Misenheimer told the council prior to the vote. "When I first moved to the city five years ago, the first thing that was brought up was a new police station. How long are we going to wait to take this action?"

Resident Keith Ripley agreed.

"I haven't decided, if this referendum is put on the ballot, which way I'll vote. I have decided, however, that it should be brought to referendum. It should be possible for citizens to vote. I thoroughly agree that we cannot let this drag out forever. The city looked at this many years ago and found that more space was needed by the police department and the choice so far has been to do nothing."

Timothy Wawrzynowicz, of Merchants Avenue in Taftville, opposed bringing the issue to referendum.

"To put a $33.4 million police station in right now is absurd. My taxes have gone up with no noticeable improvements, so you can imagine what it can be if we go through with this. I am totally against spending this kind of money at this time. It's simply bad timing," he said.