Norwell: Residents to vote on 25 acre land purchase proposal

Norwell voters will decide this week whether the town should buy 25 acres of undeveloped land on Mount Blue Street, land that was once owned by a slave who is believed to have been the first African-American man to live in town.

The property abuts 260 acres of open space owned by the Nature Conservancy and the town.

The measure going before town meeting includes a total allocation of $1.25 million, but officials say they will only proceed if the state approves a $500,000 reimbursement grant.

If approved, it would be Norwell’s single largest land purchase since it adopted the Community Preservation Act.

Voters will be asked to approve a $41.5 million operational budget for fiscal year 2012.