MIDDLETOWN — The Aquidneck Land Trust, the Kempenaar family and the town have permanently preserved 30 acres of the Boulevard Nurseries property as open space, the trust announced yesterday.

The property is one of the few remaining scenic tracts on busy East Main Road and abuts two other protected parcels: the 33-acre Tibbetts property and the more than 8-acre Albro Woods Preserve. Combined, the properties form 72 connected acres that may one day be used as a public recreation complex.

A prominent residential developer had sought to build 35 new homes on the site, potentially burdening the town’s services and increasing traffic on local roads.

Under yesterday’s agreement, the land trust paid the Kempenaars $500,000 for a perpetual conservation easement on 30 acres of the 34-acre property. The town then paid $1.5 million from previously approved open space money for ownership of the property.

The Kempenaars will keep the remaining acres, which surround an existing garden center and an old house and outbuildings on the southern boundary of the property.

“Great partnerships enable great things to happen and that is what the closing on this important conservation project reminds us of,” Middletown Town Council President Paul M. Rodrigues said in a statement. “This project also reminds us of the importance of Middletown’s $2-million open space bond referendum in November. If approved, we will increase our chances of protecting the beauty, economic well-being, environmental sustainability and quality of life of our beloved town.”

“Through generations the Kempenaar family has always been adamant about preserving open space, and today’s closing was a ‘win win’ for both us and the Town of Middletown,” Angela Kempenaar said in the statement.

Edward S. Clement Jr., executive director of the land trust, is urging local residents to approve November’s ballot referendum “so that more lasting green gifts like the Boulevard Nurseries land can be delivered to the community.”

Yesterday’s conservation brings the land trust’s total conserved acres mark on Aquidneck Island to 2,000 acres, the trust said. The trust will hold a public celebration of that achievement on Oct. 9 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at 22 Bowens Wine Bar & Grille, second floor. The event includes a cash bar reception. Those planning to attend should RSVP to Courtney Ferreira at cferreira@ailt.org.

mwims@projo.com