North Stonington — The former site of a Montessori School on town-owned property is fated for demolition and a walking trail soon will be the property of a housing subdivision after voters weighed in on two questions in a townwide referendum Monday.

More than 250 people voted to let the town demolish the former site of the Red Horse Nursery School, which sits on the town-owned Hewitt Farm property.

Members of the town's historical society had argued for many years that the building, which was once the home and art school of the photographer Fred Stewart Greene, is culturally and historically important and should be preserved.

But the building, which has been vacant since 1997, would need several emergency repairs and contains hazardous materials that would require abatement, and town officials, including First Selectman Shawn Murphy, advocated for its demolition.

Without a concrete plan for the building, most of the members of the town's Hewitt Farm Committee agreed in February that they were in favor of demolishing the structure, and on Monday the town's voters agreed in a 252-181 decision. Nine voters left the question blank.

The result of referendum's other question will mean ownership of a trail adjacent to the Chester Main Estates subdivision will be transferred to a yet-to-be established homeowner's association made up of the subdivision residents.

The deeds to the subdivision's lots did not include access to the trail. In 2009, voters at a special town meeting agreed to let the town accept ownership of the three parcels, and the next year the town's Conservation Commission erected open space signs along the trail, also known as the "Chester Main Bridle Trail," in anticipation of opening it to the public.

But last year, owners of property adjacent to the trail approached the town selectmen and claimed that the trail originally was meant to be private — for the exclusive use of the abutting property owners and Pickwick Farm, which has an easement to the tracts.

North Stonington's selectmen asked the Conservation Commission to cease its work on the trail, and in July the Planning and Zoning Commission sided with homeowners in the Chester Main Estates subdivision, ruling that the trail was intended to be maintained and managed by a homeowners association for private use.

A proposal to require the Chester Main Estates residents to form a homeowners association within 90 days and take ownership of the trail passed 306-130 Monday night. Six voters left the question blank.

The homeowner's association will be required to pay for insurance and taxes on the land.

m.shanahan@theday.com