East Lyme — Town residents voted Wednesday to preserve a 166-acre parcel within the Niantic River Watershed as open space in perpetuity.

With the vote of approval at Wednesday's town meeting, the town will now spend $350,000 from its open space account to purchase a conservation easement for the forestland near the Waterford border.

The New England Forestry Foundation, a nonprofit land conservation organization based in Massachusetts, will own and manage the land.

The foundation will create a sustainable forestry management plan for the land, to be open to the public with walking trails, according to previous information sessions. The land has an entrance on Goldfinch Terrace and Cedarbrook Lane.     

In addition to the town's contribution of $350,000, a $500,000 grant from the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and fundraising by the foundation will complete the roughly $1.225 million acquisition price. Under the plan, the state will co-hold the conservation easement with the town.

At Wednesday's meeting, more than 50 people filled the town hall meeting room, while even more residents sat outside to listen to the meeting broadcasted on TV. The overwhelming majority of residents in the meeting room raised their hand in favor of the purchase.

Before the vote, residents spoke both in opposition and support of the proposal. 

Some residents said the community should protect the water quality in the Niantic River. They said the town should preserve this parcel for open space, unlike when it did not purchase another parcel, the Oswegatchie Hills, decades ago.

But those in opposition said other land parcels are worthier of town funds for preservation. Some said the forestry foundation should pay the whole cost, or questioned if the property would have even been suitable for development.

Colleen Gebhard spoke in favor of preserving the land and said neighbors and local groups already use the land for hiking, walking or training. She said the area is beautiful, with unique wetlands and plant species.

Karen Rak said supporters of the land's preservation should form a group to fundraise, rather than having taxpayers pay for the land.

"We haven't come out of the recession," she said. "It's not the time to burden the taxpayers with any more."  

The conservation easement on the land — to be called the Niantic River Headwaters Preserve — will need to be satisfactory to the town's attorney and selectmen, according to the agreement. 

KSK Associates currently owns the parcel. Steve Harney is the managing member of the limited liability company and the town's Board of Finance chairman.

At Wednesday's town meeting, residents also approved the following items: a $20,600 state grant to install a fiber optic connection from Town Hall to the Niantic Fire Station; $40,000 to upgrade the Town Hall servers and install a backup system; and $114,460 for capital improvement projects, including hiring an architect to analyze the use of the town's buildings as the school district considers a renovation of its elementary schools.

An appropriation of $178,668 from the state for town roads also was approved. The town under-budgeted for the funds it expected to receive from the state for the 2015-16 fiscal year.

k.drelich@theday.com

Twitter: @KimberlyDrelich