WAYNE — Town officials are seeking public feedback on whether a large, town-owned property on Wilson Pond should be preserved, sold, or some combination of the two.

At 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, the town plans to hold a public forum at the Ladd Recreation Center about the future of the forested, 118-acre parcel, which is on House Road.

The town came to own the land fully in 2016 after its previous owner failed to pay taxes on it over multiple years. Tuesday’s hearing could influence what happens to the land going forward, said Ford Stevenson, chairman of a special group that was formed after the town acquired the property.

That group, known as the Open Space Committee, has drafted five possible options for the land that will be discussed Tuesday. Afterward, the committee plans to make a report to the selectmen, who in turn hope to send a proposal to voters in November.

“People who have interests and thoughts from whatever angle should really try to get to this one to voice their thoughts,” Stevenson said, referring to the meeting.

The selectmen also plan to hold another public forum in the fall, Stevenson said.

The options, outlined in documents on the town website, include selling the property to the highest bidder, selling it to a conservation group, managing it as a public forest, and dividing it for a mix of sale and conservation.

“The committee is not trying to persuade people about any one option over the other,” Stevenson said. “We’re just presenting options that have been fleshed out. There’s a wide range of opinions on what can and should happen to this property. That’s what’s reflected in the wide range of options.”

The town first took ownership of the land in 2013 after its previous owner didn’t pay taxes on it for five years. At the 2015 town meeting, residents voted 178-110 to cement the town’s ownership of the land through a process known as “quieting the deed.” That process was finalized in 2016.

The property’s future has become a polarizing matter, Stevenson said, with residents divided over whether to sell or conserve it. The Open Space Committee’s report includes options for both groups, as well as some that try to find middle ground.

The committee also has tried to calculate what revenue each option would bring to the town, to make up for more than $70,000 in unpaid taxes, legal fees, and interest it has lost on the Wilson Pond property.

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