Stonington — An unidentified man picked up the petition forms needed to force a referendum on the $2.2 million Mystic River Boathouse project in Town Hall late Wednesday afternoon, according to the town clerk’s office.

In order to force a referendum, a petition signed by 200 registered voters must be submitted to the town by Friday, Sept. 30. Those signatures would then have to be verified by Town Clerk Cindy Ladwig before the Board of Selectmen could set a date for a referendum.

Voters who packed the seats in the high school auditorium at Tuesday’s town meeting overwhelmingly approved the project.

Some residents, though, were unhappy that the Board of Selectmen held a town meeting vote on the project instead of an all-day referendum. They said not having a referendum disenfranchised voters who work second-shift jobs, are attending school at night or couldn’t find child care.

First Selectman Rob Simmons has defended the Board of Selectmen’s decision to vote at town meeting, saying the project had been well-publicized over the past year and there has been little opposition. Holding a town meeting also avoided the $7,000 cost of a referendum.