Stonington - Voters at Tuesday's town meeting approved a proposal to give the Stonington Land Trust $200,000 out of the town's $400,000 open space fund to help the land trust acquire the development rights to 168 acres of the Davis Farm in lower Pawcatuck.

Money in the open space fund comes from contributions from developers who are unable to provide high-quality open space as part of their projects.

The Davis Farm land includes 48 acres on the Pawcatuck River. The Conservation Commission, which recommended the $200,000 expenditure, has said the land has great historical, environmental and archeological significance.

But some speakers at Tuesday's town meeting opposed the funding because there will be little public access to the land, which will be open to residents just two days a year. They felt that if the town was spending the money, it should go to parcels that will provide greater public access.

"I think the Davis Farm should be preserved, but not with town money," said resident Rick Newton, who pointed out that resident surveys in the current and updated town Plan of Conservation and Development call for more public access to open space.

Conservation Commission member Bertrand Bell said former state archeologist Nicholas Bellantoni has called the land "the most valuable and unique archeological site in the state" with native American history dating back 8,000 years.

Fellow member Stuart Cole, who is also a land trust member, said 48 acres of the site is the largest tract of untouched land along the lower Pawcatuck River and is home to seals, birds and marine life.

Voters also unanimously approved a plan to reimburse the school system for the $52,795 it spent on emergency repairs this year at West Broad Street School.

The school system made the repairs after a water-soaked ceiling began to sag and forced the closure of the school's top floor last spring. The school board paid for the repairs, which were not in its budget, so the four classrooms and gym could be reopened in time for school to begin in August. It then sought reimbursement from the town.

Editor's note: The following corrects information in an earlier version of this article.

Voters also overwhelmingly approved a seven-year property tax abatement for the $25 million Thread Mill project on River Road. The developer, POKO Partners of Port Chester, N.Y., has begun work on site. The project, which calls for 58 apartments and retail space, originally was approved in 2006 but POKO could not obtain the financing it needed. Its principal, Ken Olson, said it has now closed on that financing.

The project will be assessed at its current value of $569,400 plus 7 to 49 percent of the value of new construction over seven years. The tax abatement would begin with the earlier of the Oct. 1, 2016 grand list or when the first certificate of occupancy is issued by the town.

The agreement requires POKO to spend $3 million on improvements and finish the project within two years. Thirty percent of the units would be designated as affordable.

Voters also approved the first cost-of-living increase for retired town employees who receive a pension since 1998.

j.wojtas@theday.com

Twitter: @joewojtas