More than 300 acres of property will now be preserved in the town of Wappinger.

The Wappinger Town Board has unanimously voted to acquire and permanently preserve Cranberry Hills, a 326-acre property filled with open space, wetlands, and forests.

The decision ends nearly 50 years of uncertainty, protecting the community from large-scale development.

The property has been at the center of repeated development proposals since 473 units were first proposed in 1976.

The most recent development plans called for as many as 1,200 multi-family units on the property.

Town officials say these projects would have dramatically altered the town's character, infrastructure and quality of life.