Graced by sprawling farms, dense forests, a quaint village and a Grange that hosts the town's most popular annual event, the agricultural fair, North Stonington remains predominantly a rural enclave bordering commercial development along Route 2 and Foxwoods Resort Casino just up the road.

Though extended generations once grew up in North Stonington, many younger residents now are learning that unless they inherit or move into a family homestead, they can't afford to live in a town where the average price of a home approaches $300,000.

The Watson Estates subdivision, an 18-lot neighborhood being constructed on Lake of Isles Road, has rankled local officials because a state statute to promote affordable housing allows developers to bypass municipal zoning regulations.

The project is "probably the worst subdivision I've ever seen passed in this town," First Selectman Nicholas Mullane complained in an article by Day Staff Writer Kelly Catalfamo published Sunday, "New development causes concerns in North Stonington."

Mr. Mullane listed a number of objections involving drainage, road conditions and accessibility, but the principle dispute apparently is over the state's 8-30g statute.

The provision allows developers to build on smaller lot sizes in towns where less than 10 percent of the housing stock is considered affordable. North Stonington qualifies for such an exemption because only 0.39 percent of its housing falls into this category. Instead of being constructed on two-acre-minimum lots, most of the Watson Estates properties range in size from a quarter-acre to one acre.

If Green Falls Associates, the developers behind Watson Estates, hadn't qualified for the exemption it would have been allowed to build homes on only three lots instead of 18 because much of the property is wetlands.

This newspaper has in the past lined up against developers whose projects clashed with a local community's character, but in this case we believe the need for affordable housing overrides any perceived conflict.

What's more, the property on the north side of Route 2 is far from any historic homes or pristine wildlife habitat. In close proximity is the Lake of Isles Golf Facility, owned by the Mashantucket Pequots, that spreads out over 1,000 acres the tribe bought from the Boy Scouts in 1983. That facility includes two golf courses and a clubhouse/restaurant. And just on the south side of Route 2 lies Foxwoods, the world's largest casino.

Peter Gardner, a member of Green Falls Associates, said the neighborhood is designed to include "workforce housing," with several three-bedroom homes priced at $187,500.

The single-family subdivision fits the town's rural character, said outgoing Town Planner Juliet Leeming Hodge. "It doesn't stand out in North Stonington," she added - unlike a separate affordable housing proposal in 2007 that called for 17 four-story apartment buildings. Developers eventually dropped that project during an economic downturn.

The latest flareup between the town and developers involves conservation easements placed on the property that were signed by First Selectman Mullane and Mr. Gardner of Green Falls Associates in October 2013.

Though the easements, which prohibit developers from building on or otherwise disturbing any wetlands, are on file with the town clerk, they have not been formally approved by voters at a town meeting.

Mr. Mullane does not seem to be in any hurry to call such a meeting, but we suggest he schedule the session and get on board with a neighborhood that one day may house his constituents.

North Stonington, like many rural and suburban communities in southeastern Connecticut, stands to gain from a more economically diverse population. The richest tapestries tend to be those that are most varied.