NARRAGANSETT — It lies at the southern tip of Narragansett, next to the famed Point Judith Lighthouse.

Developers once planned to build two dozen condominiums there, but Saul Nulman, a New York City businessman who lived in town, had other ideas.

He wanted to create a park to honor the memory of his mother.

Nulman bought the property in 1993 and realized his goal a few months later with the Rose Nulman Park, a five-acre preserve that offers sweeping views of rocky coastline, the ocean and nearby Block Island.

And last year, before he died, Nulman took steps to make the park permanent.

He contacted the Trust for Public Land, a national nonprofit organization that has helped to protect more than 2-million acres, and under under a plan proposed by the trust, the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management is seeking a $1.5-million federal grant that would pay for a conservation easement on the property, permanently protecting it from development.

“If this project is successful,” said Craig McDonnell, the trust’s Rhode Island director, “this remarkably beautiful location at the water’s edge will always be available for public enjoyment.”

Known to many locals as Point Judith Park, the site has 700 feet of rocky shoreline. Set back from the shore is an elevated grassy area with a gazebo and benches, perfect for sitting and watching the waves, birds or boats that drift in and out of Narragansett Bay.

Nulman’s plan has support from people and groups that include Town Councilman George Lenihan, U.S. Sen. Jack Reed and the Rhode Island Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation. Dave Prescott, chairman of Surfrider’s Rhode Island chapter, said the group’s surfers, kayakers, swimmers and beachgoers have been doing cleanups on the Nulman property and at other local spots for about 10 years.

“Our interest in this whole project is that this is basically a pristine piece of land and we want to make sure that it’s preserved,” he said. “It’s a beautiful piece of property that could easily be developed into condominiums or houses.”

Reed, in a statement, applauded “the Nulman family and the Trust for Public Land for their conservation efforts,” as well as the grant application they spearheaded to “preserve this open space.”

Lenihan, who recently contacted town officials and Narragansett’s legislative delegation about the property, said the park is “gorgeous” and should be preserved.

Kim Gilman, a spokeswoman at the trust’s Boston office, said the DEM would hold the easement if the grant is approved, while ownership would be transferred to a third party, possibly Preserve Rhode Island, which strives to preserve the state’s sense of place through advocacy, preservation and education.

Gilman said the property is worth far more than the $1.5 million that Ocean Road Realty LLC, a company established by Nulman, is seeking for the conservation easement.

According to town property records, the land was assessed two years ago for more than $2.6 million. The property is also home to the weather-worn building that once housed the Lighthouse Inn Restaurant.

Nulman paid $325,000 for the property in 1993, buying it from DEPCO, a state agency created to deal with the banking crisis Rhode Island faced at the time. In addition to paying tens of thousands of dollars in property taxes each year so people could enjoy the park, he also took out liability insurance, he said in 1993 Journal article.

He credited his mother, who was penniless when she emigrated from Poland, with teaching him to be successful and compassionate.

“God gave me the opportunity to give something back,” he said of the property, “and that’s what I’m doing.”

redgar@projo.com