The proposal to build a 10-acre, lithium-ion battery storage facility in New Milford has been put on pause.

The energy company Flatiron said Thursday during a Zoom meeting with the New Milford Clean Water Coalition that they would pause their permitting application with the Connecticut Siting Council.

Charlie McGovern, Flatiron's director of development, said the company wants to continue to work with residents and the coalition to address potential issues that the project poses.

The proposed facility would have lowered energy costs for nearly 145,000 area homes.

However, many were concerned about the batteries catching fire and the facility's location near the Aspetuck River.

"Flatiron is a safety-first organization that is committed to the safety and wellbeing of the communities in which we operate. We only deploy proven battery solutions that have been rigorously tested...We look forward to kind of that fresh slate and the ability to sort of reengage and hopefully position ourselves in the community of New Milford to be having a productive dialogue going forward," says McGovern.

In a Facebook post, Mayor Pete Bass wrote that Flatiron is looking at other sites in New Milford but the company has not disclosed specifically where in town.

He wrote that despite the latest development, "there are still numerous concerns with this type of project, including fire, toxic releases, emergency plans, and environmental impacts."

McGovern also said the company will no longer participate in Monday's town council meeting and would reschedule at a later date.